The Politics of Death and Cultural Action

Social inequalities are easily transitioned to inequities in health care treatment, service and follow-up. The causes of inequity are uniquely diverse since race, culture and other societal tags have played a significant role in many societies where one group is favored over other “less valued” members of any community. And then there are more differences ingrained due to geographical location and other socio-economic/political factors.  


But death is not driven by comparisons…death has no boundaries; no artificial differences are considered, no societal designations. In the face of death, society worries about when and how. Worry everyday whether or not ‘it is our time’ to transition. And in this emotional upheaval, we know… 


Facts are informative and what we do with that data defines who we are as humans. 


Creativity helps keep us sane; reminds us that humans remain rich with emotions; that we are the best keepers of each other, and not governments or its leaders.


Poets as transformative cultural workers are equipped to tackle inequities through their words, themes and quite often, the  inherent complexities of their creative thinking. 

Poets often tackle subjects that may be uncomfortable for readers. 

Poets do what needs to be done. 

Their efforts give us moments to reflect and think.

Death Cab for COVID-19

Ooga-booga, a cure-song for the majestueuse!

I went out for a walk to hear the virus,

a royal virus spreading the anthemic sonic 

sutra of yada yada yada; out there old

laughs at the empty grocer shelves dwindle, 

howling in pain as the morning grew on flu 

that flew across Grouplove Park sans recovery.

Ooga-booga, madonna of the eternal quarantine,

don’t sing for the electro-magnetic subhuman abyss, 

not that fast so we may know the way out; 

and the cure for our existence, we may also find.

Bats are still bats; they glide, eat and live. 

Chantez pour l'amour et l'égalité…

the tone  of our indiscriminate skin!   

Call you DCFC or what? I held my hand up 

for your return, for your silence that has been 

dowsing hospital beds quick as the curfew 

hours fumigate the viral hurt of home, and 

for all the bouncy gigues crammed in this fix 

I held out my hand crying Please, please.

Ooga-booga, the scarred body chimed

at the least instance at six before nine;

I thought philistines were allergic

to a darkened room with moisturizers,

but the rest of humanity now needs

some bourgeois social distancing en vogue.

After a pleasant tea when life begins again,

they’ll be happier than me. Virally concerned, 

I still am freelancing the whale of being OK, 

and oh—as if warm water alone were killing me. 

A note from and between the tropics of Cancer and Corona:

Not only does this Death Cab for COVID-19 threaten to fetch us, it also laughs at our intellect for commenting on things - either in verbal or symbolic iterations - we do not fully know, both in theory and principle. Stay home, smile for 17 seconds, then read up and think! Sometimes 'paucity' can be your best friend, like sleep or a de-periodized life perspective realized inside a launderette.

Lawdenmarc Decamora is a Best of the Net and Pushcart Prize-nominated writer from the Philippines. He teaches literature and humanities at the University of Santo Tomas in the Philippines. His recent work has appeared or is forthcoming in North Dakota Quarterly, The Common, The Seattle Review, Comstock Review, Pedestal Magazine, Yellow Medicine Review, Cordite Poetry Review, The Menteur (U of Kent - Paris), Sabanas Bilingual Literary Magazine (U of Puerto Rico), Cha: An Asian Literary Journal, Quarterly Literary Review Singapore, among others.

aaduna’s FYI

Death’s Prints in Real Time {04.09.20}

Place               # of confirmed COVID-19 cases                  # of Deaths                 Death Print


Philippines                   3,876                                                          203                     Lack of Testing


The World                   1,496,055                                                 88,982                    Devastation


United States              434,791                                                    14,802                          ***


*** African Americans make up 5,981 deaths for approximately 41% of the overall US deaths.  

(Sources for African American data: Centers for Disease Control, Black Wall Street USA Health and Wellness Council, worldometers.info, World Health Organization)


As we present past visual glimpses of New Orleans, aaduna remains mindful that African-Americans make up approximately 33% of the Louisiana population but account for 70% of Coronavirus deaths throughout that State.

Stay safe.  Be well.

bill

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