Whether 'tis nobler for the mind to suffer
the words and phrases of a tome that may enrage us.
or to slap the labels to warn of troubles,
and by notifying, end them. To WARN, I say,
no more: let the literature stand upright, regardless
of heart-ache and the thousand natural shocks
that art may give us: 'tis a consummation
devoutly to be read: to READ, to gain
understanding, perchance to dream - ay there's the rub:
Do we look at ourselves with the words that Lit provides us
When we have engaged with those glorious words
that do give us pause - or do we respect
the trauma of our readers' pasts - this Life.
Each reader bears scars from an experience
And oppressive wrong, a prideful person's attacks,
the pain of an abusive relationship, injustice,
suicide, or an attack on the body so fierce that
it leaves deep gaping wounds upon the soul.
Like the blade of a knife that will be forever embedded?
Wouldn't it be unkind not to warn a reader
that these words may contain scenes that will
return them to that moment, that moment of their lives?
How could they bear that?
Why should we not warn them this such might happen
were they to read these words? With a Trigger Warning
would they possibly then leave this Literature as
an undiscovered country? Would they then
deny themselves something that might ultimately
heal? Catharsis, perhaps, they may themselves deny
if the TW dissuades them from reading words, which by
their very presence are meant to bring consolation.
Conscience truly does make cowards of us all,
and such a trigger warning resolution
I can't come to a decision from my pale cast of thought,
Ultimately, just talking about this
seems to dampen the whole enterprise
of Writing.
MR
2022-0122
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