A Jolly Good Show
Friday, 29 March 2024 11:41

A Jolly Good Show

Published 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 think about. Our entire system
Relies on laundering their dirty money, allowing
Gangsters to own property and make donations
To the Conservative Party. Some of them bid
In auctions to play tennis with our Prime Minister
Boris Johnson, you may have heard of him. He
Cares deeply about Ukrainians. When you arrive
In Paris or Brussels, mention him. Perhaps
It would be better for everyone if you tried
To make a go of things in Belgium. Walloon
Sounds a little bit Ukrainian if mumbled blithely.

Time to Bury Heroes: the horrors of war
Friday, 29 March 2024 11:41

Time to Bury Heroes: the horrors of war

Published 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 again
the time to bury heroes
they'll enrich the earth
yellow wheat will grow stronger
and feed our young warriors

sé an t-am sin é
am adhlactha na laochra
saibhreoidh siad an chré
neartóidh siad an chruithneacht
chun an macra a chothú

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