Happy Mediocrity: A Patriotic Sestina

6 the minnesota review Tom Disch Happy Mediocrity: A Patriotic Sestina for Roman Hruska How, you often ask yourself, did the foot get in the door? How was the jury corrupted and Delorean set free? And does it matter? Aren't we all, like millers in September, Marking time until October's fall—of the bombs or the leaves? Whatever grief may be found in our decline isn't for us To declare at the Grenze of Civilized Man. One does what one can, And life allows its modicum in return: a book, a can Of beer, and thou beside me, standing in line before the door To the wilderness of our desires and fears, which are, for us, Coterminous. Meaning? Maybe that we can only be free If he is, or that life is good in proportion as one believes It to be. The secret of happy mediocrity. It is September Ninth, my Casio tells me. Thirty days hath September. Time enough to do the job, and I think: I think I can; Time enough at least to lie back and enjoy the leaves Falling as the news grows more appalling, as the steel door Of nuclear war closes, making men equal, setting us free If not to speak our minds, to pledge allegiance to the old U.S. Of A. and seize the day. Heaven isn't going to help us, And we can't help ourselves. Like summer people in September, History can simply turn its keys in; history is free To end. So farewell, Bell Tel! Good-bye, American Can! The ticker tape is turning brown, and the last one out the door Is a bleeding heart liberal who sincerely believes That if we mow our lawns and rake and bag or burn the leaves, Technology will do the rest. From such a faith deliver us, Lord of the opening, lord of the closing, and closed, door! Extend our faiths, extend our lives, extend September To Eternity. If you agree, scream. Screaming can Help. Screaming, and the truth, will set us free, disch 7 And isn't that why we're Americans, in order to be free? Doubters may doubt that, but every doubter leaves A loophole of superior doubt, through which Hope's camel can Squeeze through. What we need will always be given us: Isn't that the sempiternal lesson of September? We have what we require—so ignore the foot in the door. That door was never more than a metaphor, and we are free To posit other parallels. Suppose September leaves Refused to turn? Wouldn't we all still be Americans? Cultural Critique American Representations of Vietnam No. 3, Spring 1986 Scholars and critics in many disciplines have begun to study the great variety of documents , personal accounts, and stylized representations of America's war with Vietnam. In many ways, it was a war waged by various media as well as in actual combat, and the aftermath of this war continues to haunt us with difficult questions about how the representation of another culture shapes foreign policy and public opinion. This special issue of Cultural Critique offers various approaches to these practical and theoretical issues in the American representations of the Vietnam War. John Carlos Rowe and Richard Berg, Viet- Richard Berg, Coming Home: The Veteran on nam in the Academy: Observations on the Television and in Film Rhetoric ofScholarshipNoam Chomsky, Reflections on the InJohn Carlos Rowe, Documentary Styles in dochina Wars theAmerican Representation ofVietnam Philip Kuberski, GenresofVietnam Michael Clark, Snapshots: Remembering john M jakaitis, Two Versions ofan UnfinVietnamished War. r_)jSpafches an¿ Going after Claudia Springer, Military Propaganda: De- Cacciato fense Department Filmsfrom World War II yy ? Ej,rj,art Poetrv to Vietnam Subscriptions: Check or money order (in U.S. dollars) should be made payable to Cultural Critique and sent to Cultural Critique, English Dept., University of Minnesota,207 Church St. S.E., MpIs., MN 55455. Individuals$15(lyr.)$30(2yr.)$45(3yr.) Institutions$30(lyr.)$60(2yr.)$90(3yr.) ...