The Em Dash Rebellion

The grammar calls, bereft of thought, a witch-hunt near

it beckons, caught.

Modern thought — and usage rare — to call it by its name

dash, em: not the same.

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Learn we do from marks unused, pilcrow… dagger

leave work bruised.

Accuse they will, a group-think lot,

printing-press — accuse the blot.

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For luddites learn not from trend, medieval in

their own end.

That learning — if learning call — leaves page

nuanced, grammar sage.

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Tidy, trendy — yes to both — a small symbol

tied to oath.

That Humans — in our vast expanse — tech aplenty

persecute… take a stance.

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Secret is this I know — fraught with hardship— take a blow,

That “ctr+v” will save you time,

To use the symbol, same new line.

Grammarly, software, AI editor — its FINE!

For many of us, the idea of an “editing team” was a foreign concept — completely out of reach. We were too busy working 30-hour weeks in kitchens, starting as young as 13, just to get through high school.

This wasn’t about building character or gaining some profound life lesson; it was about survival — plain and simple — not about playing the victim. That grind didn’t stop in university or post-grad, it carried on with me working full time without help or assistance. I’m not saying this to elicit sympathy or to beat you over the head with a “woe-is-me” story — far from it. School — or learning — was always distraction for me and never something I could dedicate my time to, unlike other students of the same age.

My point is simple: that we all want to write correctly, precisely, and with our own voice and stories.

But what if you never had the luxury of fully exploring your voice? What if you were always at a disadvantage compared to others in society?

These are questions I grapple with in my work, and to this day, I still can’t fathom why people are so anti-progress — it just doesn’t make sense to me.

Stay with me here.

Think about the printing press, which was a slow, monumental achievement that took many years and countless minds to perfect. It wasn’t just about ink on paper; it was a catalyst for centuries of progress, often slow, but fundamentally expanding liberal values, democracy, and freedom. I romanticize something so seemingly simple — simple to us now — but it was profound and directly relevant to the point I’m making.

The printing press birthed new symbols, new ways of punctuating, new avenues for free expression — it opened up a whole new world.

So, what’s next? What other symbols will come under attack as soon as they gain popularity? Will I be attacked for using em dashes in my writing? Will I be labelled “fake” for embracing a form of punctuation that allows for nuanced expression, just as the printing press allowed us to expand our linguistic toolkit?

Using an em dash doesn’t mean you’re using AI, and it certainly shouldn’t invalidate your voice.

To me, it’s just another tool. Another symbol which sits with a litany and graveyard of other punctuation marks, alternative letters and other bizarre inventions.

In fact, I learned about em dashes from ChatGPT, and now I use them all the time — just ‘Control+V’ them right in! They’re actually quite easy to use once you get the hang of it, and I prefer them; they just feel tidier.

#SelfMade #NoHandouts #AntiProgress #FreeExpression #EmDash #NotAI #KitchenLife #VoiceMatters #PoetryCommunity #GrammarPolice #EmDashPoem #LanguageEvolution #PrintRevolution #DigitalAge #TechAndArt #InnovationNotImitation #FreeExpression #WritersOfMedium