Ihsahn

Citizen

Ihsahn


Citizen! 
Whence came your voice 
your right to speak? 
Is there a purpose to your tongue 
and gnawing teeth? 
I ask thee; 
How deep and hollow 
is your mouth? 
What lie is too decayed 
for you to stomach? 

With humility and obedience 
you pride yourself 
Evasive and lukewarm 
until the end 

Citizen! 
The interdependent morality 
of your collective 
made too soft the bed 
in which you lie 
I ask Thee; 
Do you acknowledge 
your own fragility 
when you sleep 
to serve the "Greater Good" 

United in fear 
Lives "hard to bear" 
Illusions that "we are all peers" 

I preach not for understanding 
In you I have no faith 
I spit at you my truth; 
that you are the burden of my heritage 

For herein lies the irony 
There is neither room 
nor air 
for the wakeful fire 
in your precious world 
of equality 

Citizen! 
You are truly faithful 
to tradition 
when you crucify 
those whose voices burn 
Alas 
a hundred years from now 
you recite and corrupt 
their epitaphs 
to crucify another