[Newspoetry] Please share the words of "The Pledge" with your readers!

[Editor-Within-Chief]

I would like to point out that this poem was *not* approved by the NYC 
Board of Education! ;)

At 02:07 PM 6/19/2002 -0400, you wrote:
>The Zestfully Clean With Lemony Pledge
>======================================
>
>I pledge to fail to maintain,
>and show the status quo the door.
>My mind and body will be sound,
>and sounded out,
>and if that requires illicit substances now and again,
>so be it.
>I pledge to learn well, to step outside
>or to bury my nose in books,
>even if they're not on the reading list,
>and I pledge to cut class or work so I can get this done.
>I plan to be tomorrow
>by stealing the best bits of yesterday
>and keeping close tabs on today.
>I pledge to be lazy,
>to spend enormous amounts of energy being lazy,
>to set up systems to allow myself and others to be as lazy as possible.
>I pledge to learn improper languages:
>the formal languages of poetry,
>the amorphous languages of the street,
>the brittle languages of the immigrant,
>the shadow languages of advertising,
>the odd-shaped languages of my neighbors,
>and the invented languages that tease and boggle the mind:
>and I pledge to confuse and conflate all these languages
>and allow these various tongues to slurp and suck and taste one another.
>I pledge to judge my self-awareness with suspicion,
>to use my misfortunes to my advantage,
>and to ignore this and any other pledge as often as necessary.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>--
>Chris Piuma, etc.
>http://www.flim.com
>http://www.theminorthirds.com
>
>
>Just before being eaten by wolves, DonPedroCookies at aol.com said:
> > Please help me share the message of "The Pledge" with our children and 
> youth.
> > We also have a Spanish version (La Promesa). The Pledge was approved by 
> the
> > NYC Board of Education. Alberto O. Cappas, Author. The Pledge/La Promesa.
> >
> > The Pledge
> > (Dedicated to our Children and Youth)
> > By Alberto O. Cappas
> > I pledge to maintain
> > A healthy mind and body,
> > staying away from the evil of drugs.
> > I pledge always to try my best to understand
> > the importance of knowledge and education,
> > painting a positive picture of where
> > I plan to be tomorrow,
> > not allowing obstacles to stop the growth
> > of my plans for the future.
> > I pledge to seek answers to questions,
> > understanding that the answers to questions
> > sometimes lead to other discoveries.
> > I pledge to work hard,
> > with the awareness and confidence
> > that hard work today will serve
> > as the seeds for my strong tree tomorrow,
> > a tree no one will ever be able to tear down.
> > I pledge to learn proper languages,
> >
> > beginning with my mother’s,
> > always prepared to appreciate others.
> > I pledge to gain a better understanding
> > of myself,
> > by understanding my cultural roots,
> > to fully accept who I am as a human being,
> > a rainbow of many cultures and colors.
> > I pledge to overcome any personal misfortunes,
> > always striving to become
> > A wiser person.
> >
> > "The Pledge: Dedicated to our children and Youth", by  Alberto O Cappas,
> > released in 2001.  The Book, based on the poem, The Pledge by the same
> > author, is a small, pocket size, 24 page publication, dedicated to 
> children
> > and youth, especially students enrolled in the inner city public school.
> > This book is retailed at $5.00, but if order here, take $2.00 off .  To 
> place
> > an early  order, send $3.00, payable to Alberto  O. Cappas, 85 
> 4th  Avenue,
> > Suite 3JJ. New York, New York  10003, Attn. AOC/The Pledge.
> >          Bio: Alberto O Cappas: a graduate of the SUNY @ Buffalo. He 
> has been
> > widely published in magazines, journals and is the author of several
> > collection of poems, including "Dona Julia."
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
>
>_______________________________________________
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--
Joe Futrelle
editor-within-chief
http://www.newspoetry.com/