Perplexing Pronomials: Lives of the Koanan #6

Poleinor was listening. She was in her season of strength so she was ready. She had learned to focus so intensely that she could slide under the surface of things and weave into their texture. The thing to mind was a series of sustained rhythmic vibrations over an interweaving of attentive breaths. That the sender of the vibrations could command such attention made her wonder if silence had been enforced. Either that or the sender had great influence. This was a language event.

As their communication was at neuron-level, Koanan grammar was rudimentary, but they had devised a system of plotting relationships between meaningful sounds and they applied this to any experienced language. Name substitutes, for example, became eminences in the verbal landscape by which they could place speakers, their addressees and related entities. Not that placing was easy for them either, being still clumps of cerebral matter in a pervasive matrix, but they did have a sense of boundaries and difference.

Poleinor gave herself entirely to this language-occasion to which so many presences were attending. A grand political event, she thought. She listened for the pronouns and made landmarks of them, converted them to collective nouns to make their meaning more clear.

Werem, the settlers of Workislawland, are now joined in a great effort to rebuild Werem land and restore its promise for all Werem. Werem will rule the course of Workislawland and of all other lands from this day on. Werem will not merely transfer power from one Authority to another, but from the central Authority-place and give it back to Yurum.

Othrum victories have not been Yurum victories; Othrum triumphs have not been Yurum triumphs; and while Othrum celebrated in Werem’s tribal Authority-place, there was little to celebrate for struggling sub-tribes.

P.: (Mystifying. Othrum must be invaders. If so, why should their triumphs have been Yurum triumphs, unless Yurum were also invaders but of a better sort? To which tribe do the sub-tribes belong?)

That all changes now, because this moment is Yurum’s moment: it belongs to Yurum.

P.: (But won’t Werem "rule the course of Workislawland and of all other lands"?)

It belongs to Everum gathered here today and Everum watching all across Workislawland.

P.: It, the moment, belongs to Everum and to Yurum. (Why not to Werem? Are Werem only the deliverers of power? If so, they might be related in some way to Othrum.)This, Workislawland, is Yurum country.

What truly matters is not which party controls Werem Authority-place, but whether Werem Authority-place is controlled by Allum.
The forgotten Allum of our land will be forgotten no longer.
Everum is listening to Yurum now.
At the center of this movement is a crucial conviction: that a tribal-home exists to serve Allum.

P.: Re-cap.: Allum have been forgotten (by whom, Othrum?). Werem will give control of Werem Authority-place to Allum. This is crucial. (But power will be given to Yurum.) Despite the importance of Allum, Everum is listening to Yurum.

Workislawlanders want great schools and neighbourhoods, and good work for Therum.
Werem are one nation – and Therum pain is Werem pain. Therum dreams are Werem dreams; and Therum success will be Werem success.
Irem pledges bondage to all Workislawlanders.

P.: Werem feels great concern for Therum. (Therum might contain, or be contained by, Allum, but they are not Werem.)

The door knobs of middle-income Werem homes have been ripped off and scattered all across the world.
But that was yesterday and although Werem have eyes in the backs of Werem heads, Werem are only looking forward. Werem assembled here today are giving out a new rule to be heard in Othrum Authority-places.
From now on there will be a new panoptic eye.
From now on, it’s Workislawland first.
Every rule will benefit Workislawland workers and dwellers.
Werem must protect Werem door knobs from Othrum who will steal them if Werem don’t watch.
Irem will fight for Yurum. Irem will never let Yurum down.

P. (struggling to understand, as the crowd applauded and the people on the stage behind the speaker shuffled and opened umbrellas): Werem are extremely concerned about Yurum and Allum. (It would appear that Irem is either the leader of the Werem or not a member of any group.) Werem will rule but also give power to Yurum and Allum. Over and above is Workislawland, which is an entity of supreme importance. (but who are the “workers and dwellers” if not Werem, Allum, Othrum and Therum?)

Werem will bring back Werem jobs. Werem will bring back Werem borders. Werem will bring back Werem door knobs.
Werem will build new roads, and highways, and bridges, and airports, and tunnels, and railways all across Workislawland. Werem will work for ever.
Werem will follow two simple rules: buy Workislawland goods; hire Workislawland workers.
Werem will seek friendship and goodwill with Everum as long as they understand that Werem come first.
Werem don’t seek to impose Werem door knobs on Everum, but rather to parade them for Everum to admire.
Werem will be very friendly—and unite Everum against Werem enemies.
There will be sworn bondage to Workislawland and through this, Werem will rediscover Werem loyalty to Werem.

P.: (Everum appear to be outside the borders of Workislawland, and these borders are coterminous with Werem borders. How then are the door knobs to be paraded? Perhaps by remote media. How are Werem to unite Everum against Werem enemies? Are Everum divided? Irem seems to be saying that Werem are the controllers of Workislawland, and that loyalty to the land is loyalty to Werem only, despite the earlier statement that Allum and Yurum will be the most powerful.)

When Yurum open your heart to bondage, there will be no room for disliking anyone because they’re not Yurum.

P.: ?

Werem will be protected by the Authority, and, most importantly, by an invisible, absent Authority.

P.: ??

In Workislawland, Werem understand that a tribe is only living as long as it is working.

P. (relieved): The proof of life is work.

So to all Workislawlanders, from border to border, hear these words:
Yurum will never be ignored again.
Yurum’s voice, Yurum’s hopes, and Yurum’s dreams, will define Werem’s Workislawlander destiny. And Yurum courage, goodness and love will guide Werem forever.
Together, Werem will make Workislawland strong again.
Werem will make Workislawland wealthy again.
Werem will make Workislawland proud again.
Werem will make Workislawland safe again.
Together, Werem will make Workislawland great again. Irem blesses Yurum, and let the great invisible Authority bless Workislawland.

P.: Within the Workislawland/Werem borders, Yurum will never be ignored. (But what about Allum and Therum?) Yurum dreams (hopes) will define Werem’s destiny (wellbeing). Yurum will guide Werem, by their courage etc. (So will Yurum be the workers, not Werem after all? Do Werem possess any courage, goodness or love? ) It is Werem who will restore the land, aided by Yurum’s gifts. Irem blesses Yurum (Werem do not appear to need a blessing); Workislawland can only be blessed by an invisible absent Authority.

Poleinor stored the speech for further analysis. She would need to consult. Perhaps there was a weakness in the Koanan method of interpretation. Or was she expecting a unified train of thought from a virsoc that eschewed it? She would return with interest. Every virsoc was part of her history.

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