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

Saturday, 14 July 2018 20:45

Durham Miners' Gala 2018

Written by Jane Burn

in Poetry

Gala Day, Durham Miners by Jane Burn At eight-fifteen, the band stands up in regimented lines.July, before the schools break – the morning lull brokenby the stray parp of tuning notes, loud and suddenthrough nets ghosting open windows. It’s a signalto get up, throw cardigans over nighties, join the exodusof…

1984 Strike jeremy corbyn

Wednesday, 11 July 2018 16:59

Bread and Roses Poetry Award 2018

Written by Mike Quille

in Poetry

Thanks to all of you who sent in poems this year. We received over 800 poems, so we're very grateful to all the contributors, and to Andy Croft from Smokestack Books and Mary Sayer from Unite for doing the difficult job of choosing the winners and the other poems to…

Monday, 09 July 2018 21:58

first amongst monsters: Trump comes to Britain

Written by Fran Lock

in Poetry

Fran Lock responds to Trump's visit, in prose and in verse. See here for some of the ways President Trump has described immigrants. I laughed until I cried I don’t find Trump funny anymore. I used to. Or rather, I used to laugh at him, which is not quite the…

K2_PUBLISHED_ON Friday, 06 July 2018 13:37

Paul Summers, the Durham Miners' Gala, and arise!

in Poetry

Written by Mike Quille

Mike Quille interviews Paul Summers, including extracts from a major new poem which is published by Culture Matters. It will be launched at the People, Pits and Politics festival in Durham on Friday 13th July, the day before the Miners’ Gala, and is available for purchase here. Paul Summers is deeply rooted…

Durham Miners' Gala socialism workingclass culture arise!

K2_PUBLISHED_ON Thursday, 05 July 2018 17:04

The Match

in Poetry

Written by Helen Burke

The Match by Helen Burke Because ok lets face itLife is a match.You know it and I know it,And where you sit depends how it goes,And – you never get to pick your own team,And so much depends on the colours of your scarf.(None of this is by choice –…

K2_PUBLISHED_ON Monday, 25 June 2018 12:49

Capitalism Aggressive, At Its Best

in Poetry

Written by David Susswein

Capitalism Aggressive, At Its Best by David Susswein the sales are at the pitmine the sales are in the minds of the working class told to work for dignity the sales are in the cleaner scrubbing floors her betters have dirtied the sales are in the minds of…

K2_PUBLISHED_ON Sunday, 24 June 2018 21:43

The Waterfall and the Song and the Hammer in the Hand

in Poetry

Written by Fred Voss

The Waterfall and the Song and the Hammer in the Hand by Fred Voss Too many of the white machinists in this shop like Trumpthey are good menwith a tool steel square or a finely calibrated micrometer grippedin their handsor a newly-born granddaughter heldagainst their heartbeatsbut they have been fooled…

US immigration policy Donald Trump

Friday, 22 June 2018 22:29

Bertolt Brecht Offers Advice to Waverers about Attending the Great Anti-Trump Demonstration (London, July 13th, 2018)

Written by Chris Norris

in Poetry

Bertolt Brecht Offers Advice to Waverers about Attending the Great Anti-Trump Demonstration (London, July 13th, 2018) by Chris Norris You say: ‘it’s not my business, my concern,Nothing to do with me. My voteWent to the good guys, those who’d turnThe horror-show around’ – I quoteYour own words back at you…

Donald Trump US immigration policy antiTrump demonstration

Wednesday, 20 June 2018 20:27

The Truth Behind the Wire

Written by Kevin Higgins

in Poetry

The Truth Behind the Wire by Kevin Higgins Kindly disregard the attention seeking cries of the few.They are child actors being given scripts by liberals. Most of the young people there are delighted withwhat we’re doing. There is no policy of separation from parents. It’s just if you’re going to…

Monday, 18 June 2018 21:46

Don’t believe a single word your English lecturer tells you about poetry

Written by Peter Knaggs

in Poetry

Here's another response from Peter Knaggs, in three parts, to Martin Hayes's recent poetry book, The Things Our Hands Once Stood For. Don’t believe a single word your English lecturer tells you about poetry (i) by Peter Knaggs They will tell you about Spencer and Chaucerand the renaissanceand the romantics,…

Monday, 18 June 2018 20:35

at wembley dogs

Written by Martin Hayes

in Poetry

at Wembley dogs by Martin Hayes at Wembley dogs we used to buy brown Hofmeister bottles of beer and jump all over the seats that people once sat in to watch England win the World Cup we used to eat hot dogs longer than our cocks and run up and…