Poetry

It goes on one at a time,
it starts when you care to act,
it starts when you do it again after they said no,
it starts when you say we and know who you mean,
and each day you mean one more.

Marge Piercy

Wednesday, 14 August 2019 10:03

To The Man Who Defines Ireland

Written by Kevin Higgins

in Poetry

To The Man Who Defines Ireland by Kevin Higgins When telling us, as a nation, to cop on to ourselvesyou spit the words Provoor workers’ paradise like a ladytrying to rid her mouth of sour milk. But your voice is church bells and sunshinepouring down on Kingstown Harbour, circa 1913when…

Fintan O'Toole

Monday, 05 August 2019 11:46

Robots Have No Bones

Written by Mike Quille

in Poetry

Robots Have No Bones (available here) is Fred Voss’s follow-up collection to The Earth and the Stars in the Palm of Your Hand, also published by Culture Matters. Robots in the workplace – computerized metalworking machinery – mean a loss of the tactile impact of ‘working’ a machine tool. And…

Tuesday, 30 July 2019 14:09

Believe!

Written by Peter Branson

in Poetry

Believe! by Peter Branson "Rise, like lions after slumber" - Shelley, 'The Masque of Anarchy', 1819 (first pub.1832) We meet to talk about low pay,Our masters own the time.We swear an oath of secrecy;That is our only crime.A living wage, fair shares for all,For bread and liberty.Tolpuddle way, we reap…

K2_PUBLISHED_ON Friday, 26 July 2019 15:52

Peterloo: the socialist poetry of Shelley, Brecht and Kinsella

in Poetry

Written by Jenny Farrell

In the run-up to the anniversary of Peterloo, Jenny Farrell discusses political poems by Percy Bysshe Shelley, Bertolt Brecht and Thomas Kinsella On 16 August 1819, tens of thousands of working men and women demonstrated in St. Peter's Fields near Manchester demanding reform and the repeal of the Corn Laws.…

shelley Brecht Kinsella

K2_PUBLISHED_ON Friday, 26 July 2019 15:19

Luton, croutons, class and John Hegley

in Poetry

Written by Chris Guiton

Chris Guiton explains the significant contribution made by Luton town to poetry Over two hundred years ago, the Romantic poet William Blake wrote some of the most striking lines in English poetry: To see a World in a Grain of Sand,And a Heaven in a Wild Flower,Hold Infinity in the…

K2_PUBLISHED_ON Tuesday, 23 July 2019 16:44

Wheeling Away The Dreams

in Poetry

Written by Fred Voss

Wheeling Away The Dreams by Fred Voss As we work at our machines at 11:16 am we hearthe sirenand look out the factory tin door and see the paramedics truck pulling upin our company parking lotthen noticeOctavio is missing from his machineOctavio6’3” tall 220 pounds of 31-year-old muscle Octaviowho can…

K2_PUBLISHED_ON Thursday, 18 July 2019 15:48

Who is Bertolt Brecht? and Why We Should Care in our Dark Times

in Poetry

Written by Anthony Squiers

Anthony Squiers outlines the contemporary relevance of Brecht, especially for artists who seek to produce meaningful works of art in our own dark times. On February 27, 1933 the Reichstag building, which housed the German parliament in Berlin, burst into flames. Nazi leaders alleged this to be a Communist plot…

Saturday, 13 July 2019 17:15

arise!

Written by Paul Summers

in Poetry

arise! is a poem by Paul Summers, published to celebrate the rich history and traditions of the Durham Miners’ Gala and the resurgent spirit of socialism in the Labour Party under Jeremy Corbyn. We want to make a film of the poem for the labour movement, and we need to…

Wednesday, 03 July 2019 15:24

Hands Down

Written by Ray Miller

in Poetry

Hands Down by Raymond Miller Once the sniffles had begunmy wife joined in accord.I could see the ending comeand still rose to applaud just like all those years beforeand Fahrenheit 9/11,I stood up for Michael Mooreand haven't learnt my lesson. It makes me want to swing a leftat our tight-fisted…

I, Daniel Blake

Tuesday, 25 June 2019 17:52

Waiting for Boris

Written by Kevin Higgins

in Poetry

Waiting for Borisafter Constantine Cavafy by Kevin Higgins What are they waiting for,the archbishops and casino ownersclutching their bags of cocaine,the barman at Wetherspoons eyeing the clock,and the little people who livein Jacob Rees-Mogg’s top hatwho’ve been watching things go slowly downhillsince thirteen eighty one? Boris is to arrive todayin…

Boris Johnson Jacob ReesMogg Godhelpusall

Monday, 24 June 2019 10:27

£77 per hour

Written by Becky Bone

in Poetry

£77 per hour by Becky Bone nine thousand two hundred and fifty9250pounds per year (1 year = 20 weeks) four hundred and sixty two pounds and fifty pence per weekdivided by6 hours contact time per week £77 per hour I was pretty good at maths natural like got a C…

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