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

Friday, 19 April 2024 18:09

Special Offer

Written by Chris Norris

in Poetry

Special Offer by Chris Norris The State of Israel, strange as this may seem,Has offered us Iranian folk its aidIn getting shot of our ‘hated regime’By means of yet another bombing raid. Rather as if, in Nineteen Thirty-Nine,The Germans told the Czechs: ‘give us the wink,Ask nicely, then we’ll cross…

Israeli bombing Genocide Iran

Tuesday, 16 April 2024 11:21

The True Story of a Sable Maid’s Appearance in the 18th Century

Written by Jenny Mitchell

in Poetry

This poem was commissioned by Culture Matters as an act of solidarity with Francesca Amewudah-Rivers (above) who has recently suffered racist abuse for having the audacity to play Juliet in 'Romeo and Juliet'. See here. For the story of Rachael Baptiste, the black singer and actress who played Juliet in…

Romeo and Juliet Francesca AmewudahRivers

Wednesday, 10 April 2024 07:45

Weekly Briefing

Written by Owen Gallagher

in Poetry

Weekly Briefing by Owen Gallagher Starving children trudge to schoolwhile I serve tea to his Majestyand the Prime Minister. The King urges his PM to try his new rangeof Duchy biscuits. As the meeting closes,the PM plucks a gift bag from his case. ‘For your dogs, your majesty.Fresh bones of…

Child Poverty

K2_PUBLISHED_ON Tuesday, 09 April 2024 12:42

Ghazal: no surviving family

in Poetry

Written by Janet Hatherley

Ghazal: no surviving family by Janet Hatherley It’s a new acronym, the medic says,WCNSF. Wounded child, no surviving family. The three-year-old in her rescuer’s arms, chatters, glances at the sky, eyes wild, no surviving family. One orange a day from their only tree,no other food, no stockpiles. No surviving family.…

Gaza genocide

K2_PUBLISHED_ON Monday, 08 April 2024 15:37

Two poems on the genocide in Gaza

in Poetry

Written by Michal Lowkain

93n0c1d3 by Michal Lowkain a friend from my youthis a zionisthe loves buildingidf modelsincluding bulldozers the originals are used to destroy palestinian homes and hopes and lives i asked himis there a figurine ofrachel corrie attached?no it wasn’tno little houses orlittle palestinians either but you can always use your genocidal…

K2_PUBLISHED_ON Saturday, 06 April 2024 09:57

'Bondage' and 'Captivity': Two poems by Dan Melling, introduced by Fran Lock

in Poetry

Written by Fran Lock

Introduction by Fran Lock Please read the poems below. In Bondage we enter a scene reminiscent of agrarian indentured labour, somewhere (to my mind anyway) in the long Middle Ages. But as the poem progresses, we come to realise that the bond the subject owes is not only to labour,…

K2_PUBLISHED_ON Friday, 05 April 2024 11:38

Dar Al-Shifa

in Poetry

Written by Nick Moss

Dar Al-Shifa by Nick Moss 'Genocide enablers: Gaza and the corporate media' Like a war scripted by Asimov on crystal methSquads of quadcopter drones Shooting children in the head,Patrolling the wreckage of the hospital.The shrill scream of the blades,Waiting to target anyone left. Dar al-Shifa. House of healing.Hopital. Shelter for…

Gaza genocide Western media complicity Israeli bombing

Thursday, 04 April 2024 11:13

Say Goodnight to the Taoiseach

Written by Declan Geraghty

in Poetry

Say Goodnight to the Taoiseach by Declan Geraghty Varadkar is gone goodbye Varadkar we wont miss you you left us so little yet took so much then blamed us because we’re poor when men in suits destroyed the country you blamed the ones in tracksuits and trainers drawing the dole…

Leo Varadkar

Thursday, 04 April 2024 09:50

Byron and the "Satanic School"

Written by Jenny Farrell

in Poetry

George Gordon Lord Byron was born in London on 22nd January 1788, and died 100 years ago, on 19th April, 1824. His father, an officer, died when the boy was three years old. His mother, of Scottish descent, then moved with him to Aberdeen. In 1794, he inherited the title…

Southey shelley Pope

Wednesday, 03 April 2024 19:07

'Poetry is the Last Stand of the Soul': Out of Gaza, New Palestinian Poetry

Written by Jim Aitken

in Poetry

Jim Aitken reviews the new antholgy from Smokestack Books, edited by Alan Morrison and Atef Alshaer ‘Poetry is a duty because it records the last stand of the soul.’- Atef Alshaer Smokestack Books, together with editors Atef Alshaer and Alan Morrison, have produced not only an anthology of new Palestinian…

Monday, 01 April 2024 13:47

Gremlins

Written by Fran Lock

in Poetry

Gremlins by Fran Lock “having gotten in, it's coming out one of two ways: walking or writing.” / we want axioms, maximum sky. not you./ an immobile romantic, a sea of romantic immobiles. / that detestable animal, the lyric i./ politely standardised. sentimental suck-ups./ their weak verbotens over everything. now…