Monday 21 March 2011

His Highness

He prescribes the subject
he proscribes outsiders 
his terms have a golden ring. 
He wants to find some order 
quantifying chaos 
in words that all the children sing. 
He tabulates the lexicon 
vocabulary minimised 
bow down to the Jargon King. 

All questions become so simple 
if we eat the inane answer 
if we all agree to ju-ju speak 
we fit into the formula 
we all without exception 
approve the rule. 

We don't understand 
he must be clever 
he must be clever 
he must be right 
he must be right 
we don't understand 

Closed the ranks and barricades 
imposed the secret language 
complexity all catch-phrased 
word-drugged any anguish 
pigeon-holed allusions 
shut the vault behind us 
It's an obvious conclusion 
we'll be the chattels of His Highness. 

Bow down to the Jargon King 
and his minion code-words. 

Here comes the reign

— Peter Hammill 'The Jargon King'

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