Midweek Motif
3WW...tedious reflect waste
For Alan Turing
alan was never accepted
tortured at school
tortured at work
tortured to death
with endurance
devotion and determination
against all the odds
he cracked the enigma code
saved millions of lives
in ww2
thank you alan
to show our gratitude
we are going to castrate you
destroy your genius mind
and drive you to suicide
cruelty man's evil brilliance
is the only thing the tedious and ordinary excel at
on reflection the powers that be
thought they may have made a mistake
the queen posthumously granted him a pardon
for being a poof
i hope his family used it as lavatory paper
what a waste of a great mind
what a waste of a great human being
Quite a powerful poem.
ReplyDeleteThe first two lines in that last stanza are quite chilling! And sadly true.
ReplyDeleteyour final line is justified...
ReplyDeletePowerful writing! I was totally engrossed in the poem. Well penned :)
ReplyDeleteHe was so brilliant and had a sad life.........the two often go together - the most brilliant do not often fit into the regular world, but they bring so many gifts.
ReplyDeleteit was a terrible thing to do to a hero
ReplyDeleteHis story is yet another reminder of man's inhumanity to man based on ignorance and prejudice. Not much good the pardon can do for him now.
ReplyDeleteSharp, powerful writing. Nicely done...
ReplyDeleteso much unkindness in our world, this poem makes me sad at reading, thanks for sharing Rall
ReplyDeletemuch love...
Yes, a sad and chilling story.
ReplyDeleteI didn't know this part of the story. Horrible. Your understatement is perfect
ReplyDelete"the queen posthumously gave him a pardon
for being a poof
i hope his family used it as lavatory paper"
A fantastic mind, lost because of prejudice... we never seem to learn.
ReplyDeleteI had heard of this before and at times learning of something such as this I feel like saying, "Stop this humanity bus I want to get off".
ReplyDeleteFive weeks till Spring...You will feel chirpier then...winter is always gloomy....my wattle is already out...all grey purple and yellow and the butcher birds sing gloriously all day long...!
DeleteYes... humanity. Where is my handbasket?! (Shrieked at the height of glorious summer, as well as in winter)
ReplyDeleteWell said Rallentanda - the film was good but i held my head thinking when are you going to show what this brilliant man suffered...i guess Hollywood is as much a facade as government and state..
ReplyDeleteYes we do need to accept others rather thst condemn them.
ReplyDeleteI think lives like his fit better in the stars - where they can be lovely as they are.
ReplyDeleteRall an excellent remembrance for a star.
Wow. You selected a great example of how society can fail to accept someone so special based on rediculous ignorance. I like that you wrote about him. So sad that he gets his accolades after death.
ReplyDeletePowerful words, Rall. Such a sad ending for such a brilliant mind.
ReplyDeleteI love this section:
ReplyDelete"to show our gratitude
we are going to castrate you
destroy your genius mind
and drive you to suicide"
That does, so often, seem to be the reward one receives for being bright.
How appalling! Well told.
ReplyDeletethat' an informative piece , well written
ReplyDeleteBubbles