Well that’s it from us for another week dear reader. I have been making my way over recent months through the lovely “Poetry for the Many” anthology put together by Jeremy Corbyn and Len McCluskey. It’s another sad reminder every time I open it up of what we could have had, the compassion, broad cultural curiosity and intelligence which goes into not just the poems selected for this book but the accompanying introductory narratives to each of them (don’t say we didn’t warn you). One really hit me this week written by English poet, novelist and playwright Adrian Mitchell about Victor Jara, the Chilean musician who was brutally beaten and then shot by the forces of Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet back in September 1973. Jara’s widow was subsequently looked after by Mitchell and his partner when she came over to London, being as they were enormously active in the Chile Solidarity Campaign. Irish singer-songwriter Christy Moore set the poem to music a number of years later which as with all of Moore’s music did the words powerful justice. This particular clip was captured live at The Point in 2006. As Mitchell commented, “most people ignore poetry because poetry ignores most people.”
As we approach the one year anniversary of October 7th, do support your local Palestine action if you can this weekend – details here. Have a good one and take care.
Morning Mark, I know we disagree on some issues, which is fine, but as the anniversary of the 7th October attacks approaches I will be remembering those murdered in their homes, cars and at a music festival.
Every life lost is a tragedy Tris but the losses are so disproportionate that if you’re going to do that I hope you’re also remembering the Palestinian lives lost to the ongoing genocide on all the other days, unless of course their lives don’t matter as much.
No Mark, every innocent civilian life lost is a tragedy, but on the anniversary of October 7th my thoughts are with those slaughtered on that day. I don’t mourn the loss of hamas or hezbollah.