You Will Not Read This Book

You will not read this book today!

You will not read this book I say!

This book, this very book you see,

Tis' offensive, it may be.

You will not read it in a box.

You will not read it to a fox.

You will not read it here or there.

You must not read it anywhere!

Not out in public, or in a house,

You must not read it to a mouse.

You will not read it on a boat,

You will not read to a goat.

To do so you would be mistook,

This book is full of gobbledygook.

This book is pure nonsense, it's nothing but trash,

Follow me, I'll show you why in a dash.

Reading is awful, reading is bad,

Reading makes late-night talk show hosts mad.

To read is to hear things, to hear new ideas.

New ideas?

Who needs them my boy? Just ask the hyenas!

Stuff like freedom and speech, you don't need those things,

Love the State and Big Brother, and all that he brings.

Love the State I say, you don't need to learn,

No, only Big Brother alone can discern.

He knows what is best and he knows what you say,

He'll save you the trouble of thinking today.

Don't read this book, you don't need that dreck!

I'll teach you to worship this boot on your neck.

Reading brings trouble, reading's absurd,

Reading brings needing to yearn for the word.

If you yearn for the word, you'll yearn to read more,

And nothing can save you if books you adore.

This book is offensive! This book must be silenced!

Don't you know words are lit'rally violence?

We won't tolerate violence, oh no we will not,

We'll make sure those violent book readers are shot.

Hack them to pieces and burn down their houses!

No mercy for even the book reading mouses.

And we'll dance and we'll sing as as the heretic burns,

Their books and their ashes now fill all the urns.

The books to the fire, along with the Jews, the Buddhists and anyone reading the news,

The Christians, the Muslims, their books all offend,

To the dustbin of history, good riddance to them!

Free thinkers and writers, we can't let them go,

We'll kill them as well, just part of the show.

Socrates, Darwin, and even Mark Twain, You don't need those books, they're bad for your brain.

To read is to learn, and knowledge brings bravery,

But "ignorance is strength and freedom is slavery."

Oh these chains they will save you!

Oh these chains you will praise!

These chains you will wear till the end of your days.

Books are unsafe and books are unclean.

Full of facts, full of wisdom, completely obscene!

Don't read that book, just toss it away,

The State and Big Brother won't lead you astray.

Don't read it here and don't read it there.

You must not read it anywhere.

You will not read this book today.

You will not read this book I say!

You will not read this book I say.

Stay quiet, don't think, comply and obey. -Jason Hendricks, A concerned citizen 3/8/21