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Friday, April 11, 2014

Prophets and bathroom walls...

Way way back in the mists of time, when I was profoundly younger than now, there were many many songs floating around that carried themes of discontent about human society. For instance there was a children's song in 1963 called "Puff the Magic Dragon" (by Peter, Paul and Mary) that was reputed to have all sorts of hidden and subversive meanings associated with it.

A couple of years later Simon and Garfunkel wrote a song that was and is one of my favorites of all time, The Sounds of Silence. In the song, one passage has these words:
And the people bowed and prayed
To the neon god they made
And the sign flashed out its warning
In the words that it was forming
And the sign said, "The words of the prophets are written on the subway walls
And tenement halls"
I recalled that particular passage when I ran across a photo included in this post over at the blog called The Sistah Vegan Project (written by Breeze Harper). The  photo was of some writing on a bathroom wall in a building where she was attending a conference. (I'm placing a copy of the photo below but if she doesn't want me to use it I will remove it...you can also see the photo if you click on the link to the post)


Bathroom wall...photo by Breeze Harper
The various scribblings/writings include both the words "vegan" and "speciesism". Maybe, just maybe...the "words of the prophets" are also written on the bathroom walls.

The vegan meme is spreading...in the way too few years I've been vegan I've seen a tremendous change and having those words show up on a bathroom wall...well...that's actually pretty impressive. Of course this bathroom wall apparently was at a fairly erudite place...but still.

Do your part...not by writing vegan on the bathroom walls (or subway and tenement walls)...live vegan...and while you're at it...quit bowing and praying to the neon gods too. (what the heck, go ahead and write on the walls too if the urge moves you)

7 comments:

Bea Elliott said...

Those songs bring back memories... Good ones. Lots of hope and purity there.

Have Scripto. Will travel. ;)

joan.kyler said...

In a similar vein, someone has put a sticker for Save the Wild Horses on the inside flap of a nearby mailbox. The postman, I assume, has scraped it off once, but it's reappeared. I believe this is a federal crime (defacing federal property, or something), but I'm intrigued because saving our wild horses is one of my main causes. I'd love to connect with whomever it is in my neighborhood who also thinks this is important. Ah, the mystery!

veganelder said...

Thank you for commenting Bea and Joan.

Bea: Scriptos rule! :-)

Joan: Some mysteries are smile-making and good stuff. :-)

Have Gone Vegan said...

I so want to write on a wall now! Very cool and inspiring that vegan ideas are starting to appear in the places you'd least expect them. :)

veganelder said...


Thank you for commenting HGV. Indeed, the buzz seems to be spreading all over the place. :-)

Christine said...


I remember this song so well, one of my favourites, it brought back some happy memories. Indeed back then few people considered vegetarianism let alone veganism. A sign of one positive change to see veganism written on a bathroom wall. Interesting and thought provoking post, thank you.

veganelder said...

Thank you for commenting Christine. You're welcome! :-)