OK.
Now this one was written after several famous cases
of censorship took place here and abroad.
So this one's titled on censorship.
In this poem, a famous man is being talked
about in another country.
And because he's being talked about,
an official from the Department of Culture
has arrived at his house to strike him
for each sentence delivered by the stranger
on this famous man.
He asked, why strike me when it's not I who am talking?
We strike you, the reply goes, because you're
a surrogate for that man.
When he stops talking about you we
will cease talking to you with our hands.
And the famous man decides to call up
the stranger, whose name he does not know,
to ask him or her to stop talking about it.
And so he places a call with the operator who says,
she knows exactly who it is and she's
ready to call that person, but first must strike herself
over the head, as required by the rules
of the Department of Culture.
This she does and then proceeds to put through the call.
The person answers the phone, listens, and gives one
huge scream which is heard by the famous man, who
turns to the cultural attache of his government and says,
that person knows my work.
I am delighted.
[AUDIENCE LAUGHTER] It's pretty serious.
[AUDIENCE LAUGHTER]