In which I spill poetry all over you.

"Night"

Some nights will break you
crack you open like an egg and all
of you will pour you out into dawn
all yolk and whites mixed, crushed
scrambled; tossed around
with a fork
On those nights, hell is high and bright and
it comes down to phone calls, waiting rooms, notifications
it comes down to long-stretched dread
You will be devoured and spit out
on those nights

Some nights will press you flat
oppressive and heavy the darkness will
permit you nothing and you
will bargain a bit of your soul for each breath, all the clocks
will defy you; red light faces and
slow ticks. The very air will
push you farther back.
You will tangle in sheets - sweating or heaving or fevered or aching
Take consolation. sometimes when
morning raises it's insolently tardy head
sometimes then, you get it all back
and swing in the hammock of late morning sleep
and unseen sunlight across your back

But then there are the nights that reward you
when all the rest of the world
is ever so still, and only you exist
you will be alone then
you will hear yourself breathe for the first time
you will speak in sacred whispers
across bedsheets, across backseats
some nights are pure prophecy
the moon will stain you blue and white
grass will rustle, leaves will rattle;
a song from the midnight hymnal

Therefore, do not count your life in days, count your life in nights
count in dreams, count in red-rimmed eyes and thankless wakened hours
count in darkness, count in stars

(c) Meg Freeman

Because writing a book for fun and profit is totally just like what happened at Bataan

Because some people really never learn.

Usually I have a policy of ignoring Elizabeth Bear and the things she's involved under the Fuckmuppetry Doctrine, which I reserve to myself and all other human beings as the right to disengage from people who conduct themselves as Fuckmuppets on or off the internet.

But sometimes, the fuckmuppetry just cannot be ignored and needs to be called out, pointed at, and told "NO!".

Her response to someone telling her how hurtful the use of the "deathmarch" tag and phrase to describe the act of WRITING A BOOK?

I am aware of that history, and I'm sorry that this use of the word causes you discomfort.

I have very mixed emotions about political correctness in language: I believe that it's our responsibility to be aware of the language we use, but I also have a sense that mythologizing language only gives it power.

I think part of the process of winning free of a history of blood is, indeed, common use--compare "decimated," "witch hunt," "massacre," and similar words, all of which refer to real atrocities, but the sands of time have worn them clean(er).

I think by refusing to allow terrible things to be banal and mundane, we mythologize them.

I'm not sure what the solution is, but I'm pretty sure avoiding the phrase "Soup Nazi" isn't it. I'm going to go away now and think hard about it, though, because I'm also not keen on causing random damage to well-meaning passersby.

( In which there isn't enough FUCK YOU in the world )

ETA: I will be moderating comments closely and carefully. Check yourself for privilege and then CHECK YOURSELF AGAIN before you comment. If you don't, I will shut down the thread and possibly ban you. I make no apologies. You want to spew your *isms, you can take it elsewhere.

And if anyone wants to try to Bear-'splain to me (oh yes, she's an adjective now) why that reply isn't as bad or horrible as I think it is? Just DON'T.


ETA 2: Spelling mistakes corrected, and I apologize for not having been more diligent about the spelling of Bataan.


ETA 3 (7-August): A cursory look seems to reveal that EBear has removed the deathmarching tags from her tags list and edited the offending entry to remove that word. However, no statement that she understands why it was offensive and will be making any effort in the future not to repeat her actions does not seem to be forthcoming.

Re: the use of the word "deathmarch"

Better than anything I could say is this: Patalim written by ephemere.

Trigger warning for descriptions of violence, but if you're able, read this.