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Poem: Subtlety of Censorship • Mandie Hines Author

Poem: Subtlety of Censorship

A poem about the subtle ways censorship enters our lives and the dangers of ignoring the restrictions placed on our words.

It creeps in like
fog at dusk
under the guise
of protection.

These words,
these themes,
these ideas
are not suitable
for children.

We think
maybe that’s
right.
Maybe they are
too young.

Perhaps individual
discretion is too
much work.

But in the inky
blackness of night
the murky clouds conceal.

The broad strokes of
censorship are seized
to oppress the minority,
grind down the powerless, and
silence the truth.

In the starkness of day,
everything has been
sanitized
and as the horror sinks in,
we walk around with duct-taped
mouths and fear in
our eyes.

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6 Responses

  1. Diana Tyler (la muse excentrique) ☕ says:

    Unfortunately, this is the society in which we live in; we always have to guard our thoughts.

    • Mandie Hines says:

      True, Diana. And while this poem might seem political in nature because it crosses into today’s heated political climate. I wrote it not to merely point out how some people try to stifle the opinions of others, but to discuss when someone in authority uses their power to silence something, not because it’s untrue, but because they have the power to do so, and they’re not concerned with the truth. Sometimes money is a motivating factor in keeping things quiet.

      • Diana Tyler (la muse excentrique) ☕ says:

        You’re quite right, Mandie. Money is always a motivating factor when it comes to such matters.

  2. “…we walk around with duct-taped
    mouths and fear in
    our eyes.” What a powerful last line! And it’s so true in this day and age.

    • Mandie Hines says:

      Thank you. It is quite relevant in our society today. I think it’s difficult for people to understand the importance of censoring themselves, as in not every thought has to be expressed. But the real danger becomes when other people have the authority to censor us with disregard for the truth or for us to demonstrate an ability to think for ourselves and make our own decisions.

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