literature

Those Who Do Not Remember...Jonestown

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MouseAvenger's avatar
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Literature Text

The Lord spoke to young boy Jim
He felt a calling beckoning to him
Outcasts of society were his friends
So much pain he felt for their plight
Every day, he strove to make things right

When society, bogged down by injustice, became
He fought back with heart aflame,
Only wanting to help those by bigotry enslaved

"Do not lose faith!  I still believe
Only the church can set us free!"

Never had there been such an array (not ever!)
Of whites & minorities working together
To look past their differences, & mingle as one

Reverend Jim Jones was a hero--& greater!
Everyone's dream of the perfect crusader!
Many people looked to him as a beacon of hope
Everyone praised him for all his good works
Much is remembered about the great things he did...
Boy, how proud Lynetta must have been of her kid!
Even now, it's so hard, yet astounding, to believe
Reverend Jones was the poster boy of equality!

The good pastor could have no way of ever foreseeing
How demons & devils would take control of his being,
Evicting all the angels that had once resided within

Peoples Temple was a wondrous thing for much of its life,
And should very well have remained so to this day!
Such a shame that this noble movement would ultimately
Take the road to a tragic ending...

---

Alas, alas, why did it have to end this way?!
Reverend Jones, why did you have to change the way you were?
Everyone looked up to you, their savior in a cruel world!

Confound the Fates, & their fickle ways!
Only the Devil could be so cruel to let things end the way they did--
No way was he going to let the angels win the fight!
Damn it, Jim, you had to take the stimulants!
Energized & pumped-up for your sermons & good works though you were,
Mental illness took complete control of your mind & soul!
No wonder you turned evil, & took your people with you--
Everyone you knew, was pulled down with you into a
Downward spiral that you had no way of escaping...

To Jonestown, you & your people went to start a new beginning,
Only to be confronted with a very sad ending

Ryan tried to make things right, to help prevent a catastrophe,
Even though you were determined to keep your children from leaving
Pater, Pater, have mercy on Your wayward son!
Even the goodest & kindest of people can be warped & twisted by evil
All it takes is one wrong choice
To set the row of dominoes falling...

If You ever want us to stop from repeating history,
Take us back to 1978!
I wrote the above poem in commemoration of the 36th anniversary of the Jonestown tragedy, & I decided to take a different creative approach by writing said poem in acrostic form.  The first letter of each line in the poem, spells out a famous quote by George Santayana that featured prominently on a placard hanging above Jim Jones' "throne" in the Jonestown pavilion, where the majority of the victims lost their lives on November 18, 1978.  And, in keeping with the theme of remembering history, I made sure to also emphasize all of the good & wonderful things about Jim Jones & the Peoples Temple that people (unfortunately) often tend to forget.

Writing this poem, was a very emotional process for me, as is the case for all of my Jonestown-related art & writing projects (given how very closely I hold the subject to my heart).  I let all of my feelings pour out in each stanza & each line, taking me on a rollercoaster ride of emotions--fluctuating back & forth from anger, agony, & anguish to sorrow, sadness, & sympathy--& you, too, will notice the motley mixture of tones as you read this poem.

It's easy for an author to hope that his/her readers "enjoy" their work, but even more than I hope you enjoy the poem, I hope you will also learn important things from it...& I also hope it moves & touches your hearts in a way you've never felt before.
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gordonphilbin's avatar

Jim Jones was the anti-Christ.