Thank You, Mr. Veteran and the Aftermath

The poem "Thank You, Mr. Veteran" and The Aftermath

I shared the poem with Omar. He read it and then called me up about it just when I was having one of those unforgiving, sad, bitter moods. He just hung up a few minutes ago. So the conversation was fresh in my mind.

-Roberto, the poem you just sent me made me feel like learning Vietnamese. If the translation was that smooth and unstilted and memorable, then it must be awesome in the original.
-Thanks, Omar. Don't stop at feeling like doing anything. Don't be a mental masturbator. Be a Nike. Do it.
-Okay, boss. Boy, you are in a great mood, aren't you? Anyway, I liked your translation very much. I liked its musicality. 
-I don't know from whose point of view the poet wrote the poem. That of the crippled veteran or his former girlfriend or a social critic who decried at social injustice? 
-Ambiguity is always good for arts. You can interpret it at whatever angle you want. No black or white. Just 50 shades of gray. 
-Is that so? A literary fan of mine wrote to me indicating the poem turned her off for its content. She thought it was cruel toward the veteran who sacrificed his life, gave part of his body to protect the noncombatants. When I pointed out to her that life is basically cruelty, injustice, and indifference; that cynicism is the order of the day if one wants to go through another day without having own's heart breaking into a thousand pieces; and that is why true love is a balm and big in demand, she wrote back, saying given a choice of unavailability of true love and loneliness, she would choose aloneness.
-Ah, what does she know about true love, loneliness, and aloneness? I am an assassin of the heart, a killer of despair, a terminator of self-pity. I bet she just used words for the rhetoric of it. She does not know their meanings, their private truths. Ah, the language game humans play! 
-Go on elaborating, Mr. Samurai.
-You see, true love is what everybody talks about, but they don't know what the hell it is because they don't have it within them or are exposed to it. It is like God, a God that you know, your own private God that only makes sense to you, and to nobody else. It is not trite at all to say Love is God and God is Love. It is the goodness inside you, the capacity for giving all of yourself for a person or for a cause that makes living meaningful, relevant, magical, transcendental, and beautiful. The two bitches you told me, VAW and JAW, the two idiots, the Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum, didn't have any love within. All they have within is shit and an unhealthy inflated sense of self. That was why they said nasty things to you, trying to arouse anger and hate inside you. They are suffering and they want you to suffer, too. 

Tell your fan there will be a time-- and I hope well before she is invalid, crippled, bedridden and "alone" in bed with feelings of regret consuming her---when love will hit her like a bus, no matter what bus it is, school bus, city bus, or tour bus, she must be ready for it. Seize the day. Carpe diem. Act. Stop thinking and "feeling". Jump into the abyss. Climb Mt. Everest. Kiss a leper. Live. It's not you she must love. No, I don't mean that at all because I know you. You have moved beyond love and hate. You are now in a realm of darkness. You have become Lucifer. You have become Prince of Darkness. Quite a pity. But that's your choice. Life is about making choices, in whatever way that makes sense to you. I apologize when I said "quite a pity" in describing your choice. I should not have done so. I should not have passed judgment. I have no right. But I am your friend, the only friend you have in this world and I care. Anyway, go break young girls' hearts, as the song Billie Jean says. Do whatever makes you happy. I hope your conscience is strong enough. 
-Omar, you make feel like crying.
-Didn't you just lecture me a few minutes ago that "don't feel. Be a Nike. Just do it!"?


"Billie Jean" Lyrics

[1st Verse]
She Was More Like A Beauty Queen From A Movie Scene
I Said Don't Mind, But What Do You Mean I Am The One
Who Will Dance On The Floor In The Round
She Said I Am The One Who Will Dance On The Floor In The Round

[2nd Verse]
She Told Me Her Name Was Billie Jean, As She Caused A Scene
Then Every Head Turned With Eyes That Dreamed Of Being The One
Who Will Dance On The Floor In The Round

[Bridge]
People Always Told Me Be Careful Of What You Do
And Don't Go Around Breaking Young Girls' Hearts
And Mother Always Told Me Be Careful Of Who You Love
And Be Careful Of What You Do 'Cause The Lie Becomes The Truth

[Chorus]
Billie Jean Is Not My Lover
She's Just A Girl Who Claims That I Am The One
But The Kid Is Not My Son
She Says I Am The One, But The Kid Is Not My Son

[3rd Verse]
For Forty Days And for Forty Nights
The Law was on her Side
But Who Can Stand When She's In Demand
Her Schemes And Plans
'Cause We Danced On The Floor In The Round
So Take My Strong Advice, Just Remember To Always Think Twice
Do think Twice

[4th Verse]
She Told My Baby We'd Danced 'Til Three
Then She Looked At Me
She Showed A Photo Of A Baby Crying
His Eyes Looked Like Mine
Go On Dance On The Floor In The Round, Baby

[Bridge]
People Always Told Me Be Careful Of What You Do
And Don't Go Around Breaking Young Girls' Hearts
She Came And Stood Right By Me
Then The Smell Of Sweet Perfume
This Happened Much Too Soon
She Called Me To Her Room

[Chorus]
Billie Jean Is Not My Lover
She's Just A Girl Who Claims That I Am The One
But The Kid Is Not My Son
Billie Jean Is Not My Lover
She's Just A Girl Who Claims That I Am The One
But The Kid Is Not My Son
She Says I Am The One, But The Kid Is Not My Son

She Says I Am The One, But The Kid Is Not My Son

Billie Jean Is Not My Lover
She's Just A Girl Who Claims That I Am The One
But The Kid Is Not My Son
She Says I Am The One, But The Kid Is Not My Son
She Says I Am The One, She Says He Is My Son
She Says I Am The One
Billie Jean Is Not My Lover
Billie Jean Is Not My Lover
Billie Jean Is Not My Lover
Billie Jean Is Not My Lover
Billie Jean Is Not My Lover
Billie Jean Is Not My Lover