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A Thanksgiving Prayer, by William S. Burroughs

WSB.jpg
For John Dillinger
In hope he is still alive
Thanksgiving Day, November 28, 1986

Thanks for the wild turkey and the Passenger Pigeons, destined to be shit out through wholesome American guts

thanks for a Continent to despoil and poison —

thanks for Indians to provide a modicum of challenge and danger —

thanks for vast herds of bison to kill and skin, leaving the carcass to rot —

thanks for bounties on wolves and coyotes —

thanks for the AMERICAN DREAM to vulgarize and falsify until the bare lies shine through —

thanks for the KKK, for nigger-killing lawmen feeling their notches, for decent church-going women with their mean, pinched, bitter, evil faces —

thanks for "Kill a Queer for Christ" stickers —

thanks for laboratory AIDS —

thanks for Prohibition and the War Against Drugs —

thanks for a country where nobody is allowed to mind his own business —

thanks for a nation of finks — yes, thanks for all the memories... all right, let's see your arms... you always were a headache and you always were a bore —

thanks for the last and greatest betrayal of the last and greatest of human dreams.

Link to .mov
Via Boing Boing


Wow. In a day of an American vision of a "picture-perfect" Thanksgiving, it's nice to know that someone was around to tell it like it is.
Anyone else watching the parade and avoiding their family today like me?
-Bad Cat

Comments

Ah, uncle Bill. I have about 6 cds of his material. He was the perfect anti-hero.
A photo of him just sold on ebay for $2,800,

granted it WAS an Annie Leibovitz photo.


the torfurkey is thawing on the stove, and we're going to drink wine, play WoW (not me), and watch movies until we pass out. oh, and i'd better call my family. i'm likely to forget if i don't write it on my hand...


Someone had just e-mailed me the text of this, and then I click on this in FireAnt.
Great post. Straight from the horses mouth.


Three phrases should be among the most common in our daily usage. They are: Thank you, I am grateful and I appreciate.


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