Firewall (2026 Edition)

A revised poem

Photo by Issy Bailey on Unsplash

The blaze should brandish those who step wrong, yet—
You walk barefoot on that Great Wall of Coal.
A tongue of flames caresses your red lips,
Relishing language you gladly control.

The blaze should char the rebellious, yet—
You hop, skip and jump in rapturous fire.
Your ashes seem to already be spread,
Born once again in that smouldering aisle.

The blaze should keep us bound together, yet—
You stride on through as if to prove a point.
You say we'll glow without the inferno,
Making a canvas with charcoal for paint.

The blaze should keep out all that’s unsafe, yet—
You say this ring is of a hell-fired world.
You cry that inside the flame is insane,
The doctrines we live by but sinful words.

Inside or outside; one is not right, but—
I should not speak to the light that I see.
The firewall warms my mind for protection,
And if I am wrong it will burn through me.

Firewall (2026 Version) ~ A Poem by Tom Shaw

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The very first version of this poem appeared on Over To The Youth back in early 2023, making it one of the earliest poems I have ever shared publicly. It also made an appearance in my first book, Born Anew and Other Poems. The term “firewall” comes from a concept in computing whereby information from the internet that may corrupt or harm a computer is filtered-out, and I felt called to play with that idea as it pertains to how information more broadly can be brandished as “harmful” or “dangerous” - even when it is not.

Truth be told, the poem mostly fell out of my mind until the Non-Conformist Series hosted with Anarchapulco came around last year. Victor-Hugo Vaca’s talk about his life as a maverick artist prompted me to read the piece as part of the event. As a result, I felt called to revise the piece with fresh eyes and greater experience of crafting poetry, leading me to even out the meter and rhyme scheme, and I’m super happy with how this turned out.

It’s also fitting that I have another event appearance coming up with Anarchapulco, that being for their flagship event in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico happening next month. I’ll be bringing some fresh insights and learnings in the realm of language, spellcasting and sovereignty to demonstrate how poetry can help you master your word and master your life. Both in-person and online tickets are still available, and you can use the code MASTERYOURWORD for a nice little discount. It’s well worth the price given the range of phenomenal speakers we’ll have giving presentations.

In addition, I’ll also be sharing my insights in this realm at another event in Mexico a few weeks later, that being the Portal Gathering in Tepotztlan at the beginning of March. This one is only available in-person, and for those intending to be at both Anarchapulco and this event, I’ll be sure to have a few unique surprises at each of these events. Check out the info below for more details:

If you’re on-the-fence about whether to engage with these opportunities, I invite you to step beyond the “firewall” of doubt that may exist. Connecting with these sovereign-focused communities has nourished me in ways I did not have previously, and I’m sure the same can happen for you.

Thank you all for making time to read this piece. I look forward to sharing more with you soon.

With gratitude,

Tom