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

[Chris Piuma]

It was written by a graduate of the NYC Board of Education's fine school system, however, so it presumably carries the Board's tacit approval. ;-)

Yrs,

Chris.

Just before being eaten by wolves, Editor-Within-Chief <futrelle at shout.net> said:
> 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 motherâ??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."
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >
> >_______________________________________________
> >Newspoetry maillist  -  Newspoetry at lists.groogroo.com
> >http://lists.cu.groogroo.com/cgi-bin/listinfo/newspoetry
> 
> --
> Joe Futrelle
> editor-within-chief
> http://www.newspoetry.com/
> 
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