Searching for the soul of the city
CityPoem 57 - Dublin (7)
13-06-2007 /views: 1534 in past 12 months.
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A CityPoem with an intriguing similarity to Dublin CityPoem 2, published on Inspiring Cities. Both are based on a poem popular among bloggers. Both are claimed by many. And both were written in chalk. Could it be the same performer?

Dublin CityPoem, photo: Paraic Fallon
Photo: Paraic Fallon 

Dublin CityPoem: The Paradox of Our Age, Dr. Bob Moorehead

A poem that Paraic Fallon of the Dublin Institute of Technology found on Benburb Street, Dublin 7 in chalk one day.

The rain washed it away two days later.

On the internet, this poem is very popular among bloggers. Many claim that it was written by the Dalai Lama. Many others claim that it was penned by a student who witnessed the Columbine shootings.

In May 1998, Jeff Dickson posted the 'Paradox of Our Time' essay to his Hacks-R-Us online forum, loosing it upon the Internet. The essay has since been attributed to comedian George Carlin, an unnamed Columbine High School student, and that most prolific of scribes, Anonymous.

George Carlin very emphatically denied he had had anything to do with "Paradox," a piece he referred to as "a sappy load of shit," and posted his comments about being associated with this essay on his own web site.

In fact, the real author is Dr. Bob Moorehead.

This story shows an intriguing similarity to Dublin CityPoem 2, published on Inspiring Cities. That one too was based on a poem popular among bloggers. It too is claimed by many. And it too was written in chalk (we do not know who did it but have a picture of him!). Could it be the same performer?


The Paradox of Our Age

This text is the transcript of the CityPoem in Dublin on the photograph. It was derived from a longer text that is printed here below the CityPoem.

We have bigger houses
but smaller families
more conveniences but
less time, more knowledge
but less judgement more
experts but more problems
more medicine but less
healthiness, we've been all
over the world but have trouble
giving spare change we are building
more computers to store
ever more knowledge
but have less
communication.

We have become
long on quantity
but short on quallity
These are times of
fast food and slow
digestion, tall man
and short character
steep profits & shallow
relationships, these are
the times when there is
much in the window &
nothing in the room
don't give up.


The full text of Dr. Bob Moore:

We have taller buildings but shorter tempers; wider freeways but narrower viewpoints; we spend more but have less; we buy more but enjoy it less; we have bigger houses and smaller families; more conveniences, yet less time; we have more degrees but less sense; more knowledge but less judgement; more experts, yet more problems; we have more gadgets but less satisfaction; more medicine, yet less wellness; we take more vitamins but see fewer results. We drink too much; smoke too much; spend too recklessly; laugh too little; drive too fast; get too angry quickly; stay up too late; get up too tired; read too seldom; watch TV too much and pray too seldom.

We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values; we fly in faster planes to arrive there quicker, to do less and return sooner; we sign more contracts only to realize fewer profits; we talk too much; love too seldom and lie too often. We've learned how to make a living, but not a life; we've added years to life, not life to years. We've been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet the new neighbor. We've conquered outer space, but not inner space; we've done larger things, but not better things; we've cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul; we've split the atom, but not our prejudice; we write more, but learn less; plan more, but accomplish less; we make faster planes, but longer lines; we learned to rush, but not to wait; we have more weapons, but less peace; higher incomes, but lower morals; more parties, but less fun; more food, but less appeasement; more acquaintances, but fewer friends; more effort, but less success. We build more computers to hold more information, to produce more copies than ever, but have less communication; drive smaller cars that have bigger problems; build larger factories that produce less. We've become long on quantity, but short on quality.

These are the times of fast foods and slow digestion; tall men, but short character; steep in profits, but shallow relationships. These are times of world peace, but domestic warfare; more leisure and less fun; higher postage, but slower mail; more kinds of food, but less nutrition. These are days of two incomes, but more divorces; these are times of fancier houses, but broken homes. These are days of quick trips, disposable diapers, cartridge living, thow-away morality, one-night stands, overweight bodies and pills that do everything from cheer, to prevent, quiet or kill. It is a time when there is much in the show window and nothing in the stock room. Indeed, these are the times!


About the author

Dr. Bob Moorehead, former pastor of Seattle's Overlake Christian Church. He retired in 1998 after 29 years in that post. The essay appeared under the title "The Paradox of Our Age" in Words Aptly Spoken, Dr. Moorehead's 1995 collection of prayers, homilies, and monologues used in his sermons and radio broadcasts.


See more Dublin CityPoems:

  • Dublin (1) - Cafe Zanzibar
  • Dublin (2) - internet poetry
  • Dublin (3) - community gain?
  • Dublin (4) - Guinness
  • Dublin (5) - commemorating the Great War
  • Dublin (6) - only dull people are brilliant at breakfast
  • Dublin (8) - open your eyes
  • Dublin (9) - politics or poetry?
 

Inspiring Cities Museum of CityPoems

Inspiring Cities CityPoemsInspiring Cities has collected many citypoems over the years, as well as organized salons with citypoets and cities doing special projects. We have two criteria for what a citypoem is: the intention must be poetic, and it must be in the public realm of cities. Shapes, form and locations can and do differ.

The Museum of CityPoems has citypoems from cities all over the world. From Alhambra to Zonnebeke, from Taipei to Lima.

Got one yourself? Mail us your pictures (free of rights) and description, and we will publish.


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