The Prophecies of Asu-Words of power

Hearken to me children if your ears take the dare
Gather and listen to the Prophecies of Asu.
That is my name and my tale now begins;
Please, take a chair.

Words have power
Spells that can be sung by poets, leaders and kings
They can burn those who hear them
Inspiring prose to spark humanity’s fire
Or lamentable words meant to enslave.

Wars have been begun with words.
Kings twisting the truth and molding emotion
A nation hears but has no voice
Talking heads manipulating speech and stifling dissent.

My tale today is about how words can lead
A rallying cry that arises in our times of troubles.
The People will take their voice back
Pushed by a phrase of strength and purpose

The dark times begin and the people are oppressed
Feeling no hope, no future but that which the Kings have chosen
Free speech in decline or simply made a crime
Those who represent us turning away

Who first spoke the words only the spirits know
Lost in the shadows
But the phrase caught someone’s eye
And soon they would come to light.

The people could only speak in shadow
Fear of retribution for criticizing kings
But some of the brave started painting and writing
Words designed to break the spell

The first instance was on an overpass
Hung way up high
A huge painted banner with one simple message
“No more easy ride. Time to stand or hide”

The spark must have caught the tinder
Because the phrase started showing up frequently
Flyers were printed and posted
Removed almost immediately by the Men from the Black


Graffiti started being drawn
On walls and trains and cars
Huge murals of these simple words
Arrests were made and the words were made a crime

The Kings who so long scared us with words
Now trembled themselves
A message they couldn’t control
Cryptic yet mighty, the cry continued.

Park benches, schools and stores
None were safe from being marked
Some of the signs included flyers
Scattered about the scene with information about the cause.

People’s lives have been too easy
Your government did these things to you because you slept
The literature demanded awareness and action
A simple mandate to speak out and the consequences be damned.

Rallies and protests grew
Thousands marched carrying this phrase as their flag
A wake up call to the masses
To take control of our destiny

“No more easy ride. Time to stand or hide.”
Nine simple words that started a movement
Its author lost in time but history shall know his works
If the movement builds, if the people awake.

Words have power
To inspire or deceive or oppress
Or maybe even to save us.
If the will behind the words are true.

I am Asu, I tell only what I see
A possible future or one that will never be.
-Asu

Dreamers, shapers, doers and makers. Words are dreams made vocal and in the end, all things are dreams. Concepts of light, shadow, nobility and ignomny. Was there ever a man, a woman, an ant who didn't dream of something greater? Aye, there's the rub, if enough of us dream the same dream for long enough, we can dream the world anew.