Book Cover: Os Estatutos do Homem (The Statutes of Man) by Thiago de Mello
Photo Credit: Casas Bahia, Brazil
My Poetry Corner March 2017 features the poem “The Statutes of Man” (Os Estatutos do Homem) by Brazilian poet Thiago de Mello, born in 1926 in the State of Amazonas of Northern Brazil.
Growing up among Brazil’s exploited working class, Thiago de Mello devoted his poetry to addressing freedom, human dignity, and other social causes. When the military coup occurred in Brazil in 1964, he was the Cultural Attaché at the Brazilian Embassy in Santiago, Chile (1961-1964), where he became close friends with Pablo Neruda. He responded to the junta’s repressive, extra-constitutional decrees with his most famous poem, “The Statutes of Man.”
After resigning his overseas post and returning to Brazil, he was exiled in 1968 for denouncing the oppressive military dictatorship government (1964-1985). During his nine years in exile, he lived in Chile, Argentina, Portugal, France, and Germany.
Article 1
It is decreed that now the truth counts,
that now life counts,
and hand in hand,
we will all work for a life that’s true.
Since authoritarian governments first seek to control the information fed to the population, it’s not surprising that the poet’s first article deals with truth. When this occurs, the preservation of the truth will depend upon our relationships with each other. As Thiago de Mello expands in Article 4, we will have to trust the Other.
Article 4
It is decreed that man
will never again
doubt his fellowman.
That man will trust in man
like the palm tree trusts the wind,
like the wind trusts the air,
like the air trusts the open blue sky.
Man will trust his fellowman
like a child trusts another child.
Such trust is not possible when we demonize others for their skin color, religion, country of origin, or sexual orientation. A nation divided is easily manipulated with “fake news” and “alternative facts.” Injustice reigns supreme.
Article 7
By irrevocable decree it is established
the permanent reign of justice and clarity,
and happiness will be a generous flag
unfurled forever in the soul of the people.
Articles 8 and 11 address the nature of our humanity: to love and be loved.
With Brazil’s extreme disparity between the rich and the poor—a condition that has become a reality in the United States—Thiago de Mello could not fail to mention inequality.
Article 13
It is decreed that money
will never more buy
the sunshine of mornings to come.
Driven from the large chest of fear,
money will become a fraternal sword
to defend the right to sing
and the sunshine of a new day.
Almost 53 years since Thiago de Mello penned these words, wealth remains concentrated in the hands of a tiny elite who wield it to rob us and control our lives.
The poet’s final Article 14 calls on us to reexamine what it means to be truly free as individuals and as a nation.
To read the complete featured poem and learn more about Thiago de Mello, go to my Poetry Corner March 2017.
Three Worlds One Vision 
It seems very often that those who speak out in their native land find themselves at odds with authority. The New Testament verse is certainly correct on this point. Mark 6:4: “A prophet is not without honor, except in his own town, among his relatives and in his own home.”
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It takes courage to speak the truth to those with authority, even within our own families, as you discuss so well in your current post, “Being the Odd Man Out in Your Family.”
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Thank you, Rosaliene.
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Poignant, to say the least.
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I agree, Robert. Thanks for dropping by.
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Reblogged this on Guyanese Online.
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Thanks for sharing my post, Cyril. Have a great week 🙂
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What he writes seems rather obvious, as it was to Gandhi, Jesus, Buddha and many more individuals, some of whose names even spawned world dominating and grossly oppressive empires. When I was young, still pre-teen, I read “Les Miserables” then later when I learned English I read some of the classics written by Charles Dickens and Leo Tolstoy (OK, translated in English!) and I remember reading Steinbeck’s Grapes of Wrath. Then I engaged the environmental debate and struggle to be labelled a trouble maker and even garnering some death threats – I figured I was touching nerves anyway – but soon the popularity was gone; the air went out of the early 70’s love affair with recycling and lawns turned into gardens; some self-serving groups remaining. For the last thirty years I’ve been watching, comparing the “liberal” and New Age glib prophecies of change in “man” with arrival at systemic perpetual war and the ultimate denial of reality: the Trump bloodless, almost unnoticed “military coup” and final assault on what’s left of the American constitution, hence the “nation” based on that edifice of elitist democracy.
I can “hear” Thiago de Mello saying, “Yes, I know exactly what you are saying.” We can read these wonderful thoughts and find some comfort in them but let’s never forget that such lofty ideals are simply not part of the vast majority of the thinking or reality of this world’s sheeple. They be the “believers” and “supporters” of the status quo, and they be the voters. For the world to change it would have to be that the “believers” change their basic nature. If neither the gods, nor God could accomplish such a thing… and without them change simply cannot happen. But I’m still watching.
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Sha’Tara, I believe that without our lofty ideals, our species would not have made the great strides we’ve made in our evolution. Evidence abound in the historical record that the pursuit of the immoral ideals of a powerful, dominant few have led to the demise of great empires and civilizations. As your life experience exemplifies, we can break free from the “sheeple,” but must pay the price for self-enlightenment. To cease to pursue our lofty ideals, in the face of opposition, is to fail to achieve our potential as an intelligent, self-conscious species.
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Yes, agree… it comes down to the individual, and individual choice. Once the individual nature is changed, that is one “unit of consciousness” that is forever free from the grasp (lies) of the Matrix. However, as I’ve seen, that works for you, for me, but to expect it to work for the dummied-down majority is to live in delusion. I don’t work with, or for, collectives led by change agents because there is not one historical instance where that has had any long-term effect. USA, USSR, Christians, Buddhists, Communists, and thousands of other groups have been unable to change the popular mindset; in fact the more lofty the groups’ ideals, the lower they seem to have fallen. Just an observation. Still our personal changed nature “forces” us to interact and continue to point out the fallacies of the system, and make what change we can while we can, regardless of personal consequences. The fact that we continue despite knowing we can’t win is the proof that our nature has broken free from the great sloshing of the Earthian sea of pointlessness. (Well, that reads worse than I mean!) Bottom line, we carry on without the blinders and the rose-coloured glasses!
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Sha ‘Tara, I agree it comes down to the individual, so to become a light yourself is the greatest good you can do. Don’t be seduced into thinking the cause is hopeless. Remember, one of the oldest battle strategies in the world is to convince the enemy his cause is hopeless. At the moment, I see the one-percent parasitizing itself, and the “sheeple” are seeing how they are being played for fools.
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Yeah, I feel you. Great stuff.
Thank you.
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That’s good ❤
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😀
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THANKS FOR SHARING the poetry of this wonderful Brazilian poet, Tiago de Mello. His words light up my heart. I am presently turning my thoughts on 100th year of Indian Indentureship in Guyana.
~ Leonard Dabydeen
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Glad to hear Thiago’s work touched you, Leonard.
By the way, is that 100 years since the beginning or the end of the Indian Indentureship? You’ve given me an idea for my next Guyana/Caribbean poetry post in May 2017.
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Indentureship in Guyana (1838-1917).
Please visit your email for more….
~ Leonard
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Guyana Indian Indentureship : 1838-1917. Please see your email for more …
~ Leonard
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Got it, thanks. Will be in touch.
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Rosaliene, thank you for this latest inspiring post. We are approaching a major paradigm shift, planetarily speaking, and ideas like these can make a huge difference in how future winds blow.
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I share your view, Katharine. Either we change our current dominant operational systems or we self-destruct: global nuclear war, collapse of our food system, climate disruption, or a combination of these three.
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I believe many people want to change but don’t know how. They have been seduced into believing individuals can’t make a difference. I’m a big believer in symbolic efforts, such as using re-usable shopping bags (preferably of natural fibers, like canvas), avoiding excess packaging, and of course recycling, re-using, and re-purposing. Junk mail (which is primarily propaganda from educational and professional organizations–go figure), is a pet peeve of mine. That the professional stuff is supported by pharmaceutical advertising really grates on my nerves.
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beautifully grounded
ode to wisdom
of non-discrimination 🙂
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Thanks for that gem, David. It sums up well Thiago de Mello’s Statutes of Man.
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Fake news will only hurt the people who believe it. Sad (as Trump would say).
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Thanks for dropping by, Georgia. Sad, indeed, as it ultimately hurts us all.
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Nice BLOG!!! ADD my BLOG too!!! Kisses!!!
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Thanks for dropping by, Nilda 🙂
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