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, 11 March 2022 14:53

on living with a larger, expansionist neighbour

Written by Steve Pottinger

in Poetry

on living with a larger, expansionist neighbour by Steve Pottinger, with image above 'The War Abroad' by Alix Emery you know he has always covetedyour garden, considered to be his by right the olive trees, the earth, that access to the sea, believes your home an extension of his own,tells…

Ukraine Russia

Friday, 11 March 2022 08:31

A Jolly Good Show

Written by Steven Taylor

in Poetry

A Jolly Good Show by Steven Taylor The British response is a note in English Pinned to a door in Calais explaining to Ukrainians That they need to go to Paris or Brussels For the necessary forms to be completed before Forward travel can be considered. We have Oligarchs to…

Ukraine Oligarchs refugees

Thursday, 10 March 2022 14:33

Volodymr Vladimir

Written by David Erdos

in Poetry

Volodymr Vladimir by David Erdos I never thought I would put the words Robert RinderIn one of these poems, but when he wrote of ZelenskyIn the Evening Standard, eyes bright – the story Struck hard, as did Zelensky’s piano renditionOf Hava Nagila for Rinder, not to mention his roleAs light’s…

K2_PUBLISHED_ON Sunday, 06 March 2022 22:58

In solidarity with the people of Ukraine

in Poetry

Written by Gabriel Rosenstock

Below is a free downloadable pdf containing 8 bilingual tankas in Irish and English by Gabriel Rosenstock, in response to various paintings. Above: A Frozen Scene Outside Kyiv (1908).by the Jewish-Ukrainian artist Abraham Manievich.

War in Ukraine Russia

K2_PUBLISHED_ON Thursday, 03 March 2022 10:31

Culture Matters presents: A Fish Rots From The Head

in Poetry

Written by Fran Lock

Culture Matters is pleased to announce a special event in our digital reading series: the online launch of the free flash anthology A Fish Rots From The Head, with selected readings from our contributors. Featuring artwork and poetry from over 100 contributors from England, Scotland and Wales, the anthology is…

K2_PUBLISHED_ON Wednesday, 02 March 2022 09:51

Wern My Fault

in Poetry

Written by Mike Jenkins

Wern My Fault by Mike Jenkins There wuz this fuckin ard gangLed by this bloke Vlad(Arfta some ol rooler). Ee didn give a toss'Bout trainers on wires,Ee wan’ed more terrortree. We wern gunna take no messin,Ee knew t keep out -We’d flash ower weapons. No way ee’d risk it,Noh even…

K2_PUBLISHED_ON Friday, 18 February 2022 12:47

Red Alert

in Poetry

Written by Steven Taylor

Red Alert by Steven Taylor I’ve been anxious since the warningMy partner has brought in the window boxesWe don’t want them to kill someoneIf we had a cat we’d have told himAnything can happen now it’s gone to redI’ve just seen a pigeon struggling, flutteringIn the wrong direction. Imagine whatIt…

Storm Eunice jeremy corbyn

Thursday, 17 February 2022 11:05

Two poems about this callous government, from Owen Gallagher

Written by Owen Gallagher

in Poetry

Children are shrinking before us by Owen Gallagher And when they cut budgets again, for families and schools,we on the opposition benches said: ‘Surelythey can’t cut them anymore?’ And they did. Children’s clothes began to hang on themas if they were passed down too soon. We stood by and watched…

Sunday, 13 February 2022 13:55

Time to Bury Heroes: the horrors of war

Written by Gabriel Rosenstock

in Poetry

Time to Bury Heroes is a bilingual tanka in Irish and English (5-7-5-7-7 syllables) by Gabriel Rosenstock in response to a painting by Russian artist Vasily Vereshchagin (October 26, 1842 – April 13, 1904). Vereschagin made no bones about the horrors of war. it has come againthe time to bury…

Ukraine

Saturday, 12 February 2022 16:54

Georg Weerth, the German proletariat’s first and most important poet

Written by Jenny Farrell

in Poetry

“Weerth, the German proletariat’s first and most important poet, the son of Rhineland parents, was born in Detmold, where his father was church superintendent. In 1843, when I was in Manchester, Weerth came to Bradford as an agent for his German firm, and we spent many a pleasant Sunday together.…

Wednesday, 09 February 2022 10:50

A Fish Rots From The Head

Written by Culture Matters

in Poetry

A Fish Rots From The Head: A Poetic and Political Wake is a flash anthology of poetry and artwork, by around 100 poets and artists from England, Scotland and Wales. It expresses the fury and betrayal felt by working people about the leadership of this country – the mendacity, selfishness,…

Boris Johnson Partygate Hypocrisy Immorality Criminality What next?