Conquering the masters with the most thugs

This is a great story from NPR’s Ofeibea Quist-Arcton in Harare: poets are rallying the people to vote in the national elections to be held next year.

Yes—you heard me correctly: poets.

You have to listen to the audio, because, for one thing, Robson Isaac Shoes Lambada’s “Politicians and Governancy” is very reminiscent of Gertrude Stein’s…well, anything of Stein’s, but certainly “If I Told Him: A Completed Portrait of Picasso”, which you absolutely have to listen to aloud to get.

There’s also a hip-hop feel to Lambada’s work, and it’s marvelous to listen to.

This is poetry in life—using language and rhythm to call the people to action.

And it beats the hell out of any political ad I’ve seen in the past 20 years.

Power to the poets, baby; power to the poets.