Poetry

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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

Monday, 04 April 2016 15:53

The poetry of common ownership

Written by Alan Morrison

in Poetry

Alan Morrison, the editor of The Recusant and Militant Thistle websites, is preparing a series of articles for Culture Matters on the history of English political poetry. This opening 'proem' is an introduction to the series, building on both Andy Croft's article on The Privatisation of Poetry and Mike Sanders'…

political poetry chartist poetry

Sunday, 28 February 2016 12:40

Aberfan and the Free Wales Army

Written by Deborah Price

in Poetry

This year is the 50th anniversary of the Aberfan disaster. The injustices that the bereaved families of Aberfan had to deal with on top of their grief were beyond belief. Deborah Price remembers how the Free Wales Army helped the families of Aberfan, and Mike Jenkins memorialises the disaster with a poem.…

Aberfan Free Wales Army

Thursday, 25 February 2016 17:44

Neptune's Staff

Written by Jim Aitken

in Poetry

Many-headed monsterencased in thick dark metalas it sails the silent seasits existence an outragea deep immoralityfathomless in ignoranceand the thought of replacingthis monster with anothermore gruesome than everas the oceans riseand refugees fleeand hungry children cry outseems to stink to high heaventhat can only rebuke usand say it may cost…

Trident refugees

K2_PUBLISHED_ON Monday, 15 February 2016 22:44

Two Poems by William Rowe

in Poetry

Written by William Rowe

the sound of pigs falling the sound of pigs fallinghas fallen out of words///dear dead///some next-level revolution comingcancels your silencepunching holes in the name of thingswhich bodyfrom our bodies fallthe people armednever bemystical dreamsin other wordsexceedsits representationpoetry is a virusmutatingright infrontof your face index there’s someonewhose need is reversed…

K2_PUBLISHED_ON Monday, 15 February 2016 22:26

A Poetics of Struggle: An Introduction to the Poetry of William Rowe

in Poetry

Written by Steve Willey

Steve Willey introduces the 'poetics of negative energy' in two poems of William Rowe, the sound of pigs falling and index, published above. at the endof each linepoetryagitatesinside its ownsilenceits all silent painforce gatherscuspsit names / what canno longer be saidof what we haveforgottenwe can’t say William Rowe’s poetry is…

struggle london riots

K2_PUBLISHED_ON Monday, 01 February 2016 17:20

Ewsed T Be Ooverville

in Poetry

Written by Mike Jenkins

Em’tiness. Them factree sheds.The las shift leavesan ev’ry machine stops. We ewsed t be Ooverville,ower washin-machinessent all overlike rails an cannonsfrom them ol ironworks. We could even afford t larfbout Sinclair an is C5,puttin it in-a windowas a crazee failure. Now, we drive awayf’r the las timewith nowhere t go…

Merthyr Tydfil Hooverville

K2_PUBLISHED_ON Sunday, 31 January 2016 16:45

Universalism, People and Song: A Last Toast to Burns

in Poetry

Written by

Below is the text of Chris Bartter's address to the Socialist Correspondent Burns Supper held in the UNISON, Glasgow City branch office, February 2015. It was on the theme of What Makes Robert Burns Immortal? An Immortal Memory? That’s some claim, isn’t it? Particularly for a 37 year-old failed farmer and exciseman.…

Burns Marx immortal memory

Portrait of Robert Burns (after Skirving)

Saturday, 23 January 2016 10:13

Burnsiana

Written by Rab Wilson

in Poetry

Burnsiana Scroll back from the cosmos,To inner space.The mind's micro-structureNanoscientists mind-mappingThe brain's hundred billion neurons,Its thousand trillion connections,Processing 0.1 quadrillion thoughts per second.Vastly more sophisticatedThan any computer.What causes that leapAcross the synapse?The spark between Creator and Man?That lets the poet contemplate the rose –And move the human heart. Thanks to…

Burns cosmos rose heart

Tam O'Shanter and Souter Johnny at Kirkton Jean's

Saturday, 23 January 2016 09:12

An Alternative Burns Supper

Written by David Betteridge

in Poetry

David Betteridge presents two poems to help you enjoy an alternative Burns supper. At An Alternative Burns Supper His short life and his fertilitylift his perfection to the rank of the phenomenal...- Aphorisms on Mozart, by Ferruccio Busoni I Here’s tae the man’s life -its drivin root, its rise,…

Burns

Saturday, 23 January 2016 09:43

The Real Robert Burns

Written by Norrie Paton

in Poetry

My word you can’t know Burns unless you can hate the Lockharts and all the estimable bourgeoisand upper classes as he really did – the narrow gutted pigeons. Don’t for God’s sake be mealy-mouthed like them. I’d like to write a Burns life. Oh, why doesn’t Burns come to life…

Burns French Revolution Class

Friday, 22 January 2016 22:44

Making Better Rhymes: Chartist Poetry and Working Class Struggle

Written by Mike Sanders

in Poetry

In the first of a series of articles on Chartist poetry and working class struggle, Dr. Mike Sanders traces the background to its development. Andy Croft in 'The Privatisation of Poetry' cites approvingly, Francis Combes's declaration that "Poetry belongs to everyone". As an aspiration, I couldn't agree more. In reality,…

chartism common ownership