A performance poem based on a protest chant spontaneously created by 30 or 40 mostly anarchists and witches during a protest against the first Gulf war, in February 1991. When AWOL (Artists and Writers Out Loud) asked me to perform at a rally "after the war", I scribbled it down and yelled it from a megaphone in front of SF City Hall. Then it was integrated into my solo performance, The King Is Dead (Long Live The King) which was presented in San Francisco and Auckland. In collaboration with Essex Hemphill (RIP), the text was edited slightly and then performed as a duet to benefit The Bastard Review at New College of California, later in 1991.
Dedicated to the 200,000 Bay Areans who publicly protested the oil war.
I TRIED TO STOP THE WAR Oh yeah, I tried to stop the war I tried to stop the war BUT IT DIDN'T WORK! I tried marching in the street BUT IT DIDN'T WORK! I tried yelling my head off and beating a drum BUT IT DIDN'T WORK! I tried blaming the war on George Bush BUT IT DIDN'T WORK! I tried exposing the war at home BUT IT DIDN'T WORK! I tried calling Saddam Hussein an evil wicked tyrant BUT IT DIDN'T WORK! I wrote letters connecting George Bush to the corporate shadow government that hates its own people BUT IT DIDN'T WORK! I tried saying Peace is Patriotic and War is not Peace BUT IT DIDN'T WORK! I tried voting BUT IT DIDN'T WORK! I tried not voting BUT THAT DIDN'T WORK EITHER! I tried to learn about Iraq BUT IT DIDN'T WORK! I tried to learn from history BUT IT DIDN'T WORK! I tried to blame the borders i tried supporting self-determination I tried hating imperialism and refusing to rape BUT IT DIDN'T WORK! NOTHING WORKED! I COULDN'T STOP THE WAR. I tried healing my inner child BUT IT DIDN'T WORK! I tried healing Saddam Hussein's inner child BUT IT DIDN'T WORK! I tried blaming the war on Saddam's mother BUT IT DIDN'T WORK! I tried blaming the war on Bush's emotionally dysfunctional father BUT IT DIDN'T WORK! I COULDN'T STOP THE WAR. I tried sharing my fears with friends I tried calling home and bonding with my family I tried late nite prayers in circles and ritual bathing BUT IT DIDN'T WORK! I tried raising sexual energy BUT IT DIDN'T WORK! I tried minding my own fucking business BUT IT DIDN'T WORK! cuz the war invaded my dreams and all my friends were talking about it and all the papers and air waves were full of it so I tried to blame the war on racism BUT IT DIDN'T WORK! I tried to blame the war on male violence, homophobia, and gross warrior romanticism BUT IT DIDN'T WORK! I tried to blame the war on penis size BUT IT DIDN'T WORK! I tried to blame the war on sexism BUT IT DIDN'T WORK! I tried to connect sexism with disasters in the environment I called the earth my mother I warned about oil spills and endless fires and dead dolphins and screaming birds BUT IT DIDN'T WORK! I tried complaining about the costs BUT IT DIDN'T WORK! I tried exposing the profits of oil and guns BUT IT DIDN'T WORK! I chanted, Money for AIDS not for war Money for AIDS not for war Money for AIDS not for war BUT IT DIDN'T WORK! I said think of the children, listen to the earth, think of the future, listen to veterans, listen to womyn, listen to queers, think of the future, look at the past, remember Hiroshima, Tienanmen Square, Bangladesh, Soweto I said think look listen feel BUT IT DIDN'T WORK! I said think look listen feel BUT IT DIDN'T WORK! I promised to think positively to focus on light to do good to respect all my relations BUT IT DIDN'T WORK! I tried to escape the war I tried to keep working not to get distracted by the war BUT IT DIDN'T WORK! Everywhere I could sense the war Every siren was a death I could feel Every flag was a child in flames Every headline was a community in prison, a family separated, a history forgotten a family separated, a history forgotten I expected the police at my doorstep I expected the church in my bed I predicted heroes and parades and speeches by serial murderers and it came true IT CAME TRUE! I COULDN'T ESCAPE THE WAR When I yelled no one heard me. When I walked on stilts only my friends saw me. I COULDN'T STOP THE WAR Nothing seemed to work We returned to the streets We blocked the federal building We took the bridge We exploded a cop car We made art We refused to make art We sat down We stood up We walked and walked and talked and talked BUT IT DIDN'T WORK! We hugged and healed and felt and witnessed and blessed and learned BUT IT DIDN'T WORK! WE COULDN'T STOP THE WAR. Not the war in iraq Not the war at home Not the war inside Not the war between womyn and men Between animals and people Between property and freedom We couldn't stop the war against sex We couldn't stop the war against art IT DIDN'T WORK IT DIDN'T WORK IT DIDN'T WORK WE COULDN'T STOP THE WAR! Keith Hennessy, 1991, The Mission, San Francisco In 2013 I added the word cop before car, surprised that it wasn't always there.