A Thanksgiving Prayer, 25 Years Later

It's hard for me to believe it's been 25 years since William S. Burroughs's Thanksgiving Prayer. Honestly, I am of the age such that it was Nirvana's Kurt Cobain who led me to Burroughs, but after I was made aware of this man's works I was hooked, just like he was hooked on the junk.

But what amazes me is the spirit of this poem and how it is completely relevant even today. Burroughs's delivery is interesting, too, as his drawl seems to belie the vitriol and anger he has for his subject.

So, on this Thanksgiving eve, here it is again, a quarter-century later, in all its glory. "The last and greatest betrayal of the last and greatest of human dreams."

reply to post by godWhisperer

While I agree with the sentiment and the video you have posted, I try to think of "Thanksgiving" as something different.

The failures in my own life are enough for me to be "Thankfull" for even the smallest things. I guess once you have had it all and then lost it ...your perspective changes.

Yes, this world is really screwed up but I have never been perfect enough to convince myself that I'm not part of the problem.

This year I'm just thankfull that I'm alive and that I can write this message.

reply to post by tvtexan


oh, truly! being thankful is the best way to be! i don't want to take anything for granted ever. but being blindly thankful is hollow and i don't think we need any more distraction from the needless horrible things that happen in this world. maybe we do but i think we got to where we are because we have wanted to be distracted.

besides, the imagery they used of american native people in thanksgiving propaganda, especially 25 years ago, was usually pretty offensive and inaccurate depiction.

i think Burroughs was perhaps using artistic license by using the notion of thanksgiving to make some of these points. he could have felt it added emphasis.

but i'm truly thankful for your comment and i hope you have a wonderful holiday. i totally agree with you about the importance of taking nothing for granted.