Experience Regie Gibson's original poems commemorating the Declaration of Independence's 250th anniversary
For our 8th installment of the Pierce Performance Series, the Associates of the Boston Public Library curated and commissioned a night of music and poetry inspired by the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, We Hold These Truths. We were honored to welcome Regie Gibson, the inaugural Poet Laureate of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, who wrote two blackout poems for the occasion. We are pleased to share them below, as well as an introductory paragraph from Regie himself. Scroll to the end to view the event recording, featuring Regie's live performance of the work.
Some months ago I was approached by the Associates of the Boston Public Library to create an original piece of work derived from meditation on the Declaration of Independence. As I mulled over how best to contribute, I was confronted, seemingly daily, with news of redacted court transcripts– official documents with large sections of text blacked out to obscure understandability. The visuals of the redacted transcripts struck me as being very similar to a form of poetry known as “Blackout". In this form, one “blacks out” certain portions of text so as to reveal a poem in the un-blacked-out text (sort of like a hidden message). This gave me an idea of how this technique might be applied to the Declaration of Independence.
After experimenting with the Declaration, I discovered messages that both filled me with fear AND imbued me with hope. I found that if some texts in our founding document were redacted/blacked out (most especially the "List of Grievances") it could be read as a Master-Course in “How to be a Dictator”. However, if other texts were “highlighted,” it might be read as a Beginner's-Course in how to create and maintain a democracy! With that revelation, I created two texts.
The first, A Redacted Declaration: A “How-To” Course in the Coarsing of Human Events… is a performance poem from the perspective of the mind of tyranny. Though all words in both poems are only those used in the Declaration, in this poem I repeated certain words for emphasis, and to underscore the repeating of offenses.
The second text, The Enacted Declaration: A “How-To” Course In Highlighting A Republic… is in the voice of the kind of statesmanship that calls us to band together as a free people and resist tyranny so as to enact a free republic.
I leave it to the reader to decide which of these poems speaks most truly to their vision of America.
Regie O’Hare Gibson
Inauguaral Poet Laureate
Of The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
A Redacted Declaration: A “How-To” Course in the Coarsing of Human Events (AKA: How to Black-Out Independence –A Performance Poem)
Dissolve political bands. Dissolve Law. Dissolve Nature.
God-entitle opinions of MAN. Impel separations.
Hold: Truths…
Be self-evident. Power destructive ends.
End the “Right of the People”.
The “Right of the People”: alter – abolish.
Abolish government foundation principles.
Principles?! [scoff]...Abolish!
Abolish the principle light to which they are accustomed.
Abuse. Usurp. Reduce THEM under Absolute Despotism!
It is right to throw off their future security, now…
Now constrain them— alter their history
Present: King!
Present King of “Great…”
Great Repeated Injuries…
Great Repeated Injuries…
Great Repeated Injuries and usurpations.
All: Direct object of an absolute Tyranny—
Absolute Tyranny over facts—
Facts?! [scoff]...Submit!
Facts, Refuse—Facts: Refuse—
Refuse the public good. Refuse: The Public Good
The Public?: Good Refuse.
The Public Good?! [scoff]...Forbid!
Forbid until accommodation of Inestimable Tyrants.
Forbid Laws.
Laws?! [scoff]...Suspend!
Utterly neglect people, unless those people relinquish right
to Inestimable Tyrants.
Inestimable Tyrants: Call bodies into compliance
Inestimable Tyrants: Capable of annihilations. Invasions. Convulsions.
Inestimable Tyrants: Obstruct naturalization of foreigners.
Refuse their migrations hither. Refuse their migrations hither
Refuse their migrations— Hit Her!
Inestimable Tyrants: Obstruct administrations of justice—
Judiciary Powers dependent on Inestimable Tyrants will—will—will
Will Inestimable Tyrants erect swarms of officers?
Will Inestimable Tyrants harass people in times of peace?
Will Inestimable Tyrants erect armies without consent of legislatures?
Will Inestimable Tyrants render military superior to civic power?
Will Inestimable Tyrants combine with others to subject our Constitution?
Inestimable Tyrants…will…
Inestimable Tyrants mock any murders they commit.
Cut off trade with the world. Deprive many of the benefits of Trial. Transport beyond Seas for pretend offences.
Inestimable Tyrants abolish the FREE…
Establish instruments for absolute rule. Take away what-so-ever.
Protect plunder. Ravage. Burn. Destroy the lives of people.
Complete the work of death, desolation, Cruelty, perfidy.
Constrain citizens. Take Captive their Country.
Become Executioner. Excite Domestic Savages
whose rule is undistinguished destruction.
Repeated petitions… Repeated petitions… Repeated petitions…?!
Answer by injury!
Character [scoff]...Unfit!
Character is unfit to be ruler of people! Be ruler of people. Rule people!
Warn them from time to time. Denounce and hold them enemies…
We the Supreme Judge: Declare OUR Lives…
Declare OUR Fortunes…Sacred…
Honor?! [scoff]
The Enacted Declaration: A “How-To” Course in Highlighting A Republic– A MUST be Performed Poem)
Regie O’Hare Gibson
Band. Connect with another and assume the power of Law.
Respect truth: All are equal – endowed with unalienable rights, among these are Life, Liberty and pursuit of Happiness.
Secure Government.
Institute just powers from the consent of the governed.
When Government becomes destructive it is the Right of the People to alter, abolish, and institute such principles and powers to effect Safety and Happiness.
Indeed, experience hath shewn that a long train of abuses and usurpations invariably evince a design to Despotism. The present is a history of injuries and usurpations– let facts be submitted to a candid world.
Refuse assent to tyrants.
Call legislative bodies into compliance with the rights of the people. Return to the People their State without convulsions. Endeavour to prevent obstructing laws for naturalization of foreigners. Encourage migrations hither and the conditions of the administration of justice.
Civil power: combine with others, assent to acts
protecting these States and complete the works worthy
of a civilized nation.
Fellow Citizens.
Friends.
Brethren whose character is marked by every act
which may define a free people:
Appeal to justice and magnanimity.
Conjure them by the ties of our common kindred. Disavow usurpations which interrupt our connections.
Denounce our separation.
Hold rectitude, good People of these United States. And mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes
and our Sacred Honor.
Watch Regie Gibson's live performance of the poems at our 8th annual Pierce Performance Series, We Hold These Truths, below.
