"The Dictator's Dash" / "La Carrera del Dictador" ... A Fundraiser For a Friend

in #powerhousecreatives5 years ago (edited)


The Dictator’s Dash

Hitler and Stalin and Saddam Hussein,
Hairy were all of his heroes,
Inspired by models, he’d model their reigns,
Like them, became he Maduro.

He razor betook to master their look,
For MEN groom hair on their face,
Fidel’s would it cook hence beard he forsook,
But Dictator’s Dash he’d embrace.

But was it unwise to take up their guise,
With masters Maduro competes,
Murder and mayhem and countries’ demise,
Is moustache but shallow conceit?

It’s famine not face hair that leaves all appalled,
Mussolini and Mao … clean shaven and bald.


UPDATE

This is a verse-to-verse translation by Henrry Lazama (@hlezama) ... completed in less than 24 hours! Whales ... are you guys still wondering who you ought to curate?


La Carrera del Dictador

Hitler, y Stalin, y Saddam Hussein,
Todos sus héroes eran peludos
sus reinos inspiraron su modelo a seguir,
Como ellos, se volvió él, Maduro.

Él la afeitadora para imitar su apariencia tomó,
Porque los HOMBRES a sus bigotes le ponen hasta cera,
el look de Fidel descartado, así que la barba olvidó,
Pero convertirse en un Dictador abrazó como carrera.

Pero fue asumir su disfraz una imprudencia,
con verdaderos maestros Maduro compite,
La caída de países, asesinato y violencia
Es el bigote solo vanidad pa´l que lo imite?

Que vello facial, lo que espanta es la hambruna
Mao … afeitado; como la calva de Mussolini ninguna


Note: "The Dictator's Dash" is a Savagerean Sonnet (with minor modifications to the form). If you'd like to learn more about this poetic innovation, including its neurological basis, I explain it here.

Fathers of Daughters

Several weeks ago, I drove three hours to drop off my daughter at the University of Florida where she will be studying Biomedical Engineering. When we arrived, it was raining and we got soaked schlepping her stuff up to her dorm room. Her dorm room is a shoe box which she shares with three other girls. I was heartbroken by the separation, and alarmed by the impending austerity, as she has been the very purpose of my life for the past eighteen years. The ray of light amidst the black clouds was that she arrived at UF with USD $70,000 in merit scholarships (and there's likely more coming).

Of course, I am not alone in my gloomy predicament. There are countless other dads who have undergone the same thing: Having to let go of their precious princesses. 

Let me tell you about one of them.

I have a friend here on Steemit named Henrry Lazama (yes, two r's). Until recently, he was a university professor in Venezuela. He didn't resign after they stopped paying his salary, nor when the lights and air conditioning went out, nor when all the laboratory equipment started disappearing in the middle of the night. He did, however, resign when campus assassinations became commonplace.

Like me, Henrry is a literary nerd: Poetry; prose; satire; philosophy; politics; history; etc. Indeed, he is such a nerd that he actually understands what I write and is frequently kind enough to explain it to everyone else. The last time I wrote a satirical piece about Venezuela, Henrry translated it into Spanish, including, rather astonishingly, a verse-to-verse translation of the included poem. Verse-to-verse translation of poetry is the most difficult of linguistic feats. Inarguably, my good friend possesses one the blockchain's most gifted minds.  

A little more than a week ago, Henrry undertook a 29 hour bus trip to escort his elderly mother to his sister's residence on the other side of the country. The journey was a day-long ambush-waiting-to-happen but, as luck would have it, he managed to make it there and back without getting mugged or murdered by either the highwaymen or the police. Lawlessness and governmental corruption is pandemic. Despite the deplorable and dangerous conditions of the commute, the cost of the bus tickets was what the average Venezuelan makes in six months.

Upon return home, Henrry was almost immediately crippled by kidney stones. Kidney stones are hardly the type of malady one normally fears in the 21st Century, but in 21st Century Venezuela ... they can kill you. The pain was excruciating and the risk of infection, leading to sepsis, real. But in modern-day Venezuela, both pain medications and antibiotics are luxuries one procures privately or does without ... because hospitals have seen neither in months. One of Henrry's mates was able to obtain some pain meds with what little money he possessed. Tough choice that, though ... medication for a friend or starvation for oneself.  

You'd think Henrry might have earned a respite, right? 

Henrry has two daughters, both a couple of years younger than my own. I first encountered them last year just before Christmas. Henrry had won a poetry recitation contest I'd sponsored and with the 26 SBD prize money he was able to buy them Christmas gifts: Two pairs of glasses. They were ecstatic. You see, while the girls had inherited Henrry's fine mind, they'd also inherited his poor eyesight. As such, neither could read the writings of their own father.

Next week Henrry will be seeing off his daughters, just as I recently saw off mine. But instead of going off to university, the younger will be going to stay with her grandmother in a far away city while the eldest will be off to Brazil. Henrry's family, like so many others in Venezuela, is being torn apart in a desperate attempt to keep everyone from starving.

A Penny, a Pence or a Pound

100% of the proceeds of this post will be donated to Henrry and his family. In addition, I will make a donation and am hoping to inspire others to do likewise. 

Here's what you can do:

  1. Upvote this post at 100%;
  2. ReSteem, ReTweet & Share this post;
  3. If you know an Orca or a Whale, notify them of this post and ask them to participate;
  4. If you can spare a few bucks, make a donation to @hlezama. I will start off with the donation of all the liquid SBD in my wallet, about 15 SBD; and
  5. If you make a donation of at least USD $50.00, you'll Commission a Poem (explained below). 

$50.00 Donation Commissions a Poem

Donations to @hlezama of the equivalent of USD $50.00 or more (in STEEM/SBD) will constitute payment for a poem written by myself. You pick the subject matter and I'll write the words (I reserve the right to veto "inappropriate" subject matter ... my name goes on the bottom of the poem and I won't sully my reputation. If you're uncertain about appropriateness, you can DM me in advance: QuillFire#7038 on Discord).

Poems as Presents. In my almost 52 years of life, I have given a good many gifts. Without exception, the ones most appreciated have been Tribute Poems (which I print out and frame).

Most people have never been the subject of a poem and most never will. Tribute poems, as gifts, are singular in their distinction being, quite literally, one-of-a-kind. And, in a thousand years, long after most everything extant has been reduced to dust, somewhere in a dusty library or silicon database, the words will live on: Immortalizing an essence and providing testament that the world would have been a lesser place but for the fact of that person's existence.

This Christmas, the sum of $50.00 will be spent on countless millions of trinkets, many of which will not survive the year, and the receipt of which will be forgotten just as quickly. In my daughter's shoe box dorm room, she has but one decoration: A poem I wrote for her 16th birthday.

If you're not familiar with the quality and style of my poetry, scroll through my blog. There are countless poems written about a variety of subjects. 


Quill


All images are linked to source, are QuillFire originals or are modifications of images in the public domain. Videos and images may also be parodies of original works, therefore relying upon applicable exemptions from copyright. 


You guys know the QuillDrill. Be verbose ... but articulate.

And remember ...

Go Love a Starving Poet

For God's sake ... they're starving!




Sort:  

I am coming back tomorrow after I have done some homework of people to tag. It's the least I can do.

@fionasfavourites,

There is NO ONE I'd rather have my back than you. You are a warrior through and through.

Thanks Fiona.

Quill

Ok, so I am going out on a limb and tagging these people and given the cause, am not apologising for spamming:

@blocktrades, @bluemist, @whatsup, @ocd, @curie, @brittandjosie, @thedarkhorse, @howo, @frederikaa, @archange, @guiltyparties, @wesphilbin

If you can't help with donations, please simply upvote or resteem.

Many thanks.

Thanks for tagging me here. Think this is a very worthy cause.

@fionasfavourites,

Anyone who dares breathe a word about spamming will become the subject of their very own poem. And I'll make it a good one.

Quill

@fionasfavourites,

Fiona, I just made a comment on this post, a poem entitled, "Who Was That ...?" Poor Ol' Quill is having trouble remembering the name of a Whale. Perhaps you could help. Go have a look.

Quill

@quillfire

Ummm.... where's the link?

Fiona

Sorted. Ignore this 🤦🏼‍♀️

Thank you @adsactly, for honoring your acronym and always being so supportive. Thanks @fionasfavorite, from the bottom of our hearts.

I have no words to express my gratitude, Quill, except, maybe, that you made us cry. After all the crap we've been through in the last days, including a horrible visit to Cumaná's central hospital last-night, with my step-daughter, who had a sudden pain--we feared might be appendicitis--and which left us so demoralized we had a hard time getting up in the morning (I'll find a way to show images of this hell they call hospital), generous gestures such as this help us regain hope in humanity.

This drastic realization we've had with these medical emergencies have shaken our souls. We are walking a tightrope, no net, and the roddens that make life-and-death decisions around and above us are nibbling the rope while they do "high diplomacy".

Today, we were also hit by a bad news regarding Vivian's Chilean Visa. It was denied. As you know, her aunt in Brazil had bought her tickets to go to Chile first (visit another aunt), stay five days, and then land in Brazil. The consular guys at the Chilean consulate in Puerto Ordaz judged my daughter's application suspicious and one in particular, Edgar Catoni, told her "hueles a inmigrante" (you smell like immigrant) and showed her the door before she was done packing all the documents they ignored.

She is devastated. She has not yet left the country and they managed to make her feel alien already.
It's been tough, but we'll see through this.
My wife is teasing me now about the fact that I started this comment saying "i had no words", well, what the hell, I guess it takes a rambling to find the words.
Blessings to you and your family, my friend and thanks to all the good people who make Steemit a welcoming place.

I have forwarded commission payment.... I think? I'm not sure, but I think the current exchange rate gets me across the line... just. otherwise I had better get posting and earning. I'm sure your humble bard will let me know if I am short.
He suggested a poem in honour of @azurejasper"s unwavering commitment to my continued existence. I now require him to do scholarly rigorous research into the topic that is @azurejasper and compose a masterpiece to compensate for my crappy fathers day offerings last week.
It requires something special, it was a shocker.

Thanks a million, @girlbeforethemirror. It was a mighty generous contribution. I'm sure Quill will satisfy any expectation. I think that it is a proven fact now that he can work magic with words and with human actions. On behalf of my family, my eternal gratitude and admiration.
Warm hugs from Venezuela

@girlbeforemirror,

If there was one person I knew would be in here, it was you.

Of all the poems I've written in my life, there was never one I more look forward to writing than this one.

Marg, thanks.

Quill

@hlezama,

When on you put a uniform,
A deal do you bind,
No matter to you what the cost,
Leave not a man behind.

A man goes down, you turn around,
Go back and face the fire,
Perchance a price so think you twice,
Yet still it is required.

And so you do as they for you,
One man, picks up the other,
Leaves not to lie in mud to die,
That man ... he is your brother.

Quill

That's a beautiful philosophy. Wish it were held by men in uniformed everywhere.
I just worked out this rough translation of your poem, Quill, which I had not commented directly. I think it is, like all your work, brilliant and poignant. It is beyond me why anyone in their right mind would want to imitate an evil doer, but again, it goes back to having a "right mind" and immitators of this kind do not. There are kids in every town in Venezuela trying to immitate the most violent capos in history, even when they know they won't live over 30 pursuing such a career.
Here's my spanish version (you can add it to the body of the post so that spanish-speaking steemians can get the overall idea)

La Carrera del Dictador

Hitler, y Stalin, y Saddam Hussein,
Todos sus héroes eran peludos
sus reinos inspiraron su modelo a seguir,
Como ellos, se volvió él, Maduro.

Él la afeitadora para imitar su apariencia tomó,
Porque los HOMBRES a sus bigotes le ponen hasta cera,
el look de Fidel descartado, así que la barba olvidó,
Pero convertirse en un Dictador abrazó como carrera.

Pero fue asumir su disfraz una imprudencia,
con verdaderos maestros Maduro compite,
La caída de países, asesinato y violencia
Es el bigote solo vanidad pa´l que lo imite?

Que vello facial, lo que espanta es la hambruna
Mao … afeitado; como la calva de Mussolini ninguna.

@hlezama,

And THIS ... is what I'm talking about. One of the most gifted minds on the blockchain.

Quill

I just gave out a day's worth of upvotes at 100% on posts and comments to help out. Will also visit with some other accounts later to help out. The minnowbuilder program has been reaching 100% VP way to often due to people not posting enough so I can help from there too.

I was just injured and not working for a month so liquid cash isn't something I have right this minute...but let me see what can be done there too.

@hlezama can't imagine what it's like to have to split up your family like this. Hope that you are all able to reunite soon! I have 2 Daughters also and can't imagine having to send them off to live with someone else. It must be heart breaking for you...but above all else it's our job as parents to keep our kids safe. Get healthy and take care of your Girls!

Thank you very much. I appreciate all you've done here.

A little help from PIFC also. Have PT this morning so need to run, but will be back to help out more later today.

Also made a post in the PIFC Discord Channel to ask everyone to take a look. A number of PIFC members have already commented here about supporting...love seeing the giving nature of our community!!

@pifc,

Thank you so much. This initiative is precisely in the spirit of what you've been doing for so long ... Paying It Forward.

The fact that so many have jumped on board so quickly is heartening. Presidents, Prime Ministers, Princes and Kings ... they pale in comparison to what a few Good Men can achieve when they stand together and fight as one.

Quill

This really is the type of thing that embodies the Pay It Forward mindset. Help others not because you want something in return, but rather just because it's the right thing to do.

The power of the many will always outweigh the power of the few once the many understand how powerful they are. This flies directly in the face of what the few brainwash the many into believing with their ownership of Church, Policy (Politics), and Media. But when the many understand the few are nothing without the many real change can happen.

@thedarkhorse,

Mate, thank you. If ever there was one post I wanted to succeed, it was this one. A ton of people have drawn their swords and I feel the makings of an army.

If I'm being honest, it brings tears to my eyes.

Quill

Awesome that you're doing this, @quillfire.
Sent a (small) contribution and will share the post!

@simplymike,

Thank you. It all adds up ... and it's starting to add up.

We can't "change the world" ... but we can "change the world for someone."

Quill

Thank you for this. It is just another reminder that I am really blessed after all. I will try to move some stuff around to help.

@stever82,

Thanks mate. It's all about perspective, isn't it?

Quill

100%... it's not much, but every little bit counts!

@bengy,

No wall stands absent the least of its bricks.

Thank you.

Quill

Best of luck! The situation in Venezuela is heart-wrenching.

@viking-ventures,

The situation in Venezuela is heart-wrenching. The situation on this post is heart-warming. A lot of good people doing what they can to help fend off the hyenas.

Noble.

Quill

Its hartbreaking

@brittandjosie,

Heartbreaking ... indeed. But we will do what we can to lighten the load and already what we've done is significant.

Quill

I normally don't resteem much but will do for this one :)

@seadbeady,

Thank you. It's all about exposure.

Quill

I love @hlezama, have followed his story, and would love to donate $50 USD to him. Do you know how I can do that?
I've had two daughters head off to college 4 and 5 hour drives away. I bought them both cars. They came home often and we still speak almost daily and they are still very much a part of my daily life. My eldest is now 28 and living 800 miles away in Nashville. Visiting Nashville does not suck, so there's that.

The loss of her immediate presence will be a gain, like all losses. But I feel your pain, I know too that at first it hurts terribly.

If I do manage to send Henrry $50, my topic for you to write about is in this link: https://steempeak.com/freedom/@owasco/freedom
(sorry for the self-promotion, but it's not myself I am promoting!)

Oh I see it should be in steem. I don't even have that much liquid steem. hm. I'll figure it out and let you know.

@owasco,

And should you find yourself besieged,
The walls a breach at hand,
Against your back, a back is pressed,
Alone you will not stand.

There is still honor in the world and I thank you for demonstrating the fact.

I clicked on your link ... Holy Cow ... now THAT's poetic fodder. I will need more information and I will need to think, deeply. I promise though, the result will be spectacular. We'll talk via DM. My link is in PHC's Discord Channel.

Quill

Tears. Thank you. I feel so much more having visited those two men. A very unexpected gift given to me by MY stupendous daughter, who led me there.

@owasco,

BTW, I would have upvoted and commented on your post but, for whatever reason, such buttons don't appear on SteemPeak posts. I don't know why or how to fix it.

Quill

@quillfire you can change it away from steempeak to Steemit.com just by replacing "peak" with "it". I convert everything to steemit.com as honestly I haven't found anything I like better.

@thedarkhorse,

That simple? Thanks for the insight. I've been unable to interact with my friends' Steempeak posts and it's been killing me. Often, I DM them instead.

Quill

@quillfire I write all my posts on steempeak and post in busy for the upvote. Then I open up Steemit and hit post and it shows as a steemit post and drop those in the post promotion.

Oh yes I've heard that before. It happens to me if I click on a link to a partiko post, but if I use my steempeak search bar to then go directly to that person's blog and scroll down to the post, I can upvote and comment. I prefer steempeak's publishing tool to steemit's. But I really have very little idea about the tech aspects of all this, and use what I am most familiar with to save time.

I write on steempeak as I like their tools and post it on busy for the upvote. :)

I write on steempeak as I like their tools and post it on busy for the upvote. :)

what is busy? I tried something like that by drafting the post in steempeak and posting on esteem, but esteem got way more of my "earnings" than I did from their measly upvotes. I see that it is working for others though.

Thank you very much, @owasco for your kind words and your generous pledge

My pleasure Henrry. I'm watching bitcoin market right now to try to maximize what I can send you. I missed a lovely spike yesterday! I have even less of BTC than I do of steem. I hope you can hang on another day or two. Can you?

Sure, thank you so much. With the SBDs we have cashed already we have been able to buy some healthy food. Diet is important and we can't always affford the healthy stuff. I still have to get the prices of the sonogram and lab tests to make sure the kidney is ok and there are other stones on their way. Those test can be very pricy and estimates are valid for only 48 hours (prices fluctuate that fast). In the mean time I keep taking the antibiotics, which have hit my stomach quite badly this time, but hopefully for the better.

A question, because I am also supporting another family in Venezuela (that was trying to raise pigs inside their home so the pigs would not be stolen!) that does not have any cryptocurrency. Is it easier to buy things with crypto? and how do you do that?

No. No many people deal with cryptos, actually. In my case, I cash the steems or sbds from an account call orinococambio. They set up a website where you log in via steemconnect and they easily allow you to transfer your steem or other crptos and they deposit the BS in one's local bank account