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

Tuesday, 27 October 2020 08:15

Cultural Marxism

Written by Martin Rowson

in Poetry

Cultural Marxism by Martin Rowson I met a Cultural MarxistWho took me to Swan Lake"Those swans denote the Class War!"Quoth he. I found his takeCompelling if naive, but nowI'm told it's a disgraceBy a Cultural FascistWho then shot me in the face.

Saturday, 24 October 2020 13:30

Class Register

Written by Alan Sleater

in Poetry

Class Register by Alan Sleater The first register I called at Selkirk HighWas, to my incomer’s eyes, a roll callOf the Borders clans, and three hundred years of peace;Armstrong, Douglas, Elliot, Scott,A second-year class, sitting in ordered rows,Like the shields in the entrance hall at Abbotsford. My mother was a…

Saturday, 24 October 2020 13:23

A Resistance Writer Reflects On His Life: Variations of poems by Bertolt Brecht

Written by Ciaran O Rourke

in Poetry

Author's note: Bertolt Brecht (1898-1956) was one of the most influential playwrights of the twentieth century, blending an aspirational communism with anti-fascist politics, while developing a satirical, "epic style" of drama that broke new theatrical ground. Famously, in The Threepenny Opera (1928), Brecht posed the question: "Who is the bigger…

K2_PUBLISHED_ON Thursday, 22 October 2020 10:28

Searching for each other's souls

in Poetry

Written by Fred Voss

Searching for Each Other's Souls by Fred Voss Working 10-hour days in this machine shop we put on our COVID-19 pandemic maskslike strangers aboard the Titanicthrown together to strike an iceberg and live an historictragedyand we stareover the masks into each other’s eyessafety glasses fogged up with our breathdazed with…

K2_PUBLISHED_ON Thursday, 15 October 2020 08:32

Team Song

in Poetry

Written by Martin Rowson

Team Song by Martin Rowson You put your tender in!You drive your rivals out!You send in your consultantsWhen the money's thrown about!You put the Hokey-CovidIn your Turnover That's what it's all about! Whooooaaaaaaa! Hokey-hokey-Covid!Wheeeeeeeeeeee! Hokey-hokey-Covid!Phwaaaoooooor! Hokey-hokey-Covid!Knees bentBoots filledRa-ra-ra! You drive the numbers up!You keep the proles locked down!Send in more…

Serco Test and Trace Dido

K2_PUBLISHED_ON Monday, 12 October 2020 12:57

Fatima

in Poetry

Written by Steve Pottinger

Fatima by Steve Pottinger Fatima’s working in cybershe’s learned how to snoop and to hackshe’s talented, driven, and passionateher revenge a cold feast, not a snack Rishi’s bank account there on a spreadsheeta few clicks of the keys, and… goodbyeHancock’s now being sought on charges of fraudGove for intent to…

Rishi Sunak

K2_PUBLISHED_ON Friday, 09 October 2020 09:44

“the poor core of the world, wide open”: The poetry of Anne Carson

in Poetry

Written by Annette Skade

Annette Skade presents the poetry of Anne Carson, and a brief biography In Anne Carson’s series of poems, “The Glass Essay”, the speaker is channelling Emily Brontё: “my lonely life around me like a moor”, and the narrative of lost love, analysis and estrangement is woven through with references to…

Nobel prize for Literature

Friday, 09 October 2020 09:13

Eden

Written by Martin Rowson

in Poetry

Eden by Martin Rowson Some years ago George MonbiotTold me his rewilding schemes,Worthy and exquisite plansFor reconnecting rootless we With the Eden in us all, With our internal wildernessCaught inside, like Milton said,And trapped in dreams or yearning hope,But with his help we can break out Of our enclosed hearts.…

George Monbiot

Friday, 09 October 2020 08:21

the dreamers' ark

Written by Paul Summers

in Poetry

the dreamers’ ark(the haven, tynemouth) by Paul Summers the oak is seasonedthe sawyers done each board & beamis shaved & steamed rendered immaculate in barrel curves planed & polishedto perfect laps the wrights slip-glazed by noble toil each limb in balanceeach peg set tight like lovers’ vowsimmoveable in situ caulked…

Tuesday, 06 October 2020 20:24

The Approaching Storm

Written by S. J. Litherland

in Poetry

The Approaching Storm by S. J. Litherland A grey interlude of calm and a whinein the woods, a lone siren.Diamonds arrive on my window,tracery of casual beauty. The grey overhang of cloudtells us nothing, it’s blank like a liar avoiding a question.Seeds of rain and a lone bird aloftas if…

Monday, 05 October 2020 07:14

Rathlin: In memory of Derek Mahon

Written by Jenny Farrell

in Poetry

Jenny Farrell memorialises Derek Mahon by presenting a reading of his poem Rathlin, bringing out its political message and artistic skill Derek Mahon died on 1 October. Born into the Protestant Belfast working class, he was of a generation with Seamus Heaney and Michael Longley. All three poets benefitted from…