Work in Progress
[Thanks to this Saturday’s Left Fest – myself and other Southampton poets have been offered “15 minutes to change the world”, or, at least, to show a bit of solidarity with and celebrate local activism. It’s an opportunity, but inspiration seems to’ve deserted me since this year’s upsetting General Election result.
Poems tend to come to me in fairly complete form but not this time. No solid idea has emerged as yet, just scraps that might coalesce into something suitable.]
They said it was a volcano
Because they didn’t know how to tell us
That the end of the world was on its way.
All planes were gounded and, apologising for disruption and delay
They said it was a volcano…
[It’s not hard to believe that our leaders think they have some secret knowledge of impending disaster, and that would make a change from the usual narrative – that prevailing econimic conditions make the bullying tactics of ‘austerity’ so necessary. However, that’s probably giving more credit than is due and will not help to overcome the despairing sense that, like the Labour Party, we must all accept the present ‘realities’.]
Nobody’s noticed anything yet,
I’m doing well!
Only the young and innocent can tell
But they’re too scared and cynical
Testing themselves by testing me
Rushing into futures to which I’m not invited
[It is a drag to see another generation suckered into performing as the foot soldiers of the box ticking, corporate culture, hoping to benefit from the next tidal wave of ‘prosperity’. However, the persona adopted here is perhaps too heavy handed and ego driven. So it’s back to the drawing board and random scribbles. Let’s hope something emerges by 3 o’clock Saturday!]