A Nations Hero :- An Ode to Owain Glyn Dwr ( 1354- 1416)

Not a lot of people know this but September 16th marks Dydd Owain Glyn Dwr/Owain Glyn Dwr,Welsh/Cymry natonal hero, known in English as Owen Glendower in honor of the uprising that began on this day, that sparked his stand against the English crown. The following is a poem in his honor

Hail Owain, a nation's hero
heir to Cadwalder the blessed
for years he wandered among his brethren
resurrected the feeling of pride and love of country
defender of the common people, never to be betrayed
hatched and fed our fledgling dreams 
to this day his inspiration fires.
He saw the people of his land
writhing under, tyranny and misrule
until one fair day in September 1400
Glyndwr attacked the town of Ruthin,
raised his standard high, left it in flames
took possession of the lands of Lord Grey

the slumbering Welsh dragon awoke to breathe it's fire.

Welshmen hastened from all parts of the country to join him
and in short time he had a huge rebel army under his command,
over the coming years, great victories were heralded
churches followed towns into flames,
the castles of Abergavenny and Crickhowel,
Caerphilly and other castles fell,
and the Bishops palace at Llandaff raised.

panic and fear  gripped  the Englshman's heart

Henry IV sent his army to Owain's home at Sycarth
and in revenge burned it  down to the ground,
but this saw Owain's  army cutting of their supplies
and saw them scuttling back to England in rapid haste.

At Machynlleth he created a Welsh Parliament

and here was crowned Prince of Wales,
he gallantly told the Parliament gathered
of his plans to build and create great Universities,
and promised to restore the old laws of Howell the Good
King Henry though managed to stop him in his tracks
And in 1405  took mighty vengeance,
saw many Welsh rebels brutally slain
for Owain, sadly came defeat after defeat,
but faithful friends clung to him to the end
until he simply disappeared  became a myth and legend.
To this day his resting place remains unknown
Centuries have passed, but his name forever honored
by us Cymry, because he was the peoples champion,
his ideals continue to inspire his beloved nation
still haunted by his lightning vision, fight for freedom  
yonder his light shines on all who believe in his cause
hoping  one  day will rise again  to liberate his people.  

The Bogus Woman - Kay Adshead

The Bogus Woman by Kay Adshead is curently touring England and Wales. An African woman arrives in a strange country fleeing for her life, seeking safety and asylum. Having committed no crime she is indefinitely confined, interrogated, humiliated and abused. She witnesses the cruelty of the authorities and their casual disregard for an individuals  human rights. This strange country is England.

' a passionate story about the experience of one African woman arriving on these inhospitable shores... Adshead tells it with such spare poetry and blistering rage.' - The Guardian, Lyn Gardner

In 2008, the Bogus Woman played to over 3,500 people during a sell ot run at Theatre by the Lake - in the Lake District.It was evident that this powerful and poetic one-woman play should be shared with a wider audience.
Tragically, seven years on, the asylum debate still remains at the centre of British politics and the play continues to be just as relevant and challenging. Krissi Bohn (Coronation Street) once again delivers Kay Adshead's outstanding monologue-bringing to life the 51 sharply etched characters who retell the experience of this young woman.
My local Amnesty International Group will have a stand in the foyer at tomorrow's performance here in Aberteifi/Cardigan.

For tour dates and bookings click here :-

http://theboguswoman.com/tourdates

Congratulations Jeremy Corbyn, hope has returned

Well done Jeremy Corbyn, a new day has dawned. It is so good to see this country alive again with passion, people talking about values, integrity, going against mainstream consensus, despite the propoganda of the right wing media.
It is obvious that a mighty shift has occurred across the land of Britain, as we witness this historic victory, a party has elected an individual with a clear radical alternative voice. About bloody time. A new kind of politics has emerged, just what the country needed, standing against austerity, capitalism, giving power back to the people. I have noticed in the last few weeks how his voice has invigorated people turned off by the political machine, that crushes hope.
I do not endorse any political party by the way, but I think that the chances of a better, fairer, stronger Britain are greater now with Corbyn as leader of the Labour party. Now we continue, on the road to a more positive future,  for fairness, against injustice, planting seeds of resistance.
Time to celebrate, as hope is returned,  time now to garner strength, to continue our endeavours in kicking the bloody Tory's out of power.  Creating a brand new system, that cares for the unemployed, the disabled and the sick, that serves the real needs of the people.
A revolution of the mind is being sown.

Lets welcome refugees not arms dealers

On the weekend before the appalling arms fair begins in London, lets not forget that the arms trade is a new form of intervention, that maintains and develops dominance-dependent relationships, that encourages repression and violation of human rights. Militarism leads to massive allocation of human and material resources to research and production in the military sector in all countries.. 
It is truly shameful that the arms fair is allowed to return to the shores of Britain every year to plough its deadly obscene trade. An event that should be condemned for the crimes against humanity that it causes. How is it that regimes criticised for appalling human rights abuses can  be given  official invitations by the  Government to attend  this sickening arms and security fair in London. Counties welcomed like Azerbaiijan, Kazaksthan, Thailand and Egypt, despite gross infringements of civil liberties.
A fair that fuels and profits from the current refugee crisis. It is bloody shameful and disgusting that the UK Government welcomes arms dealers with open arms -  fuelling helping conflicts across the globe- while at the same time refusing entry to refugees fleeing these wars.
A truly sickening spectacle in which arms dealers that are complicit in slaughter all over the world are allowed to set up stall here, whilst being promoted as a supposedly legitimate trade event.
The DSEI arms fair is a sickening global  display and showroom for bloodshed and profit, and should not be allowed to return to Britain again.
Today many people will be protesting in a big day of action against this immoral arms fair. Marching and blockading  saying refugees not arms dealers.

Lets welcome refugees not arms dealers - reading out messages to David Cameron.

9/11 Never forget

On this day a US backed coup killed  60,000 people to install a dictatorship in Chile over the democratically elected President Allende. Yes the events of the other September 11, were tragic and criminal, but the overthrow  of the democratic elected government of Hile on September 11, 1973 was a terrible watershed too.
Hundreds of real and suspected Allende supporters were gunned down in Santiago soccer stadium, that had been fashioned into  a torture center and concentration camp. Across the nation, in the streets and military detention centers, Pinochet's fascist regime murdered and tortured tortured thousands in the first few months after 9/11/73.
1 milllion  Chileans were forced into exile. To this day for Chileans this day is remembered as the day that marked the beginning of a 17 year reign of terror, when a dark shadow was cast upon the nation.A day that still has a profound resonance in daily life.
What was to follow was years of  dictatorship,repression, torture, forced disappearances and fear.
We should never forget.

Love's cry.

(for Jane)

Love's cry occupies waves of thought,
follows sky, earth, sun and moon,
more powerful than any government,
weaves a sweet fabric, sings freedoms tune.

In a darkening world, awakens senses,
dances alongside, curves of existence,
with skin and bone, we gratefully receive,
as she embraces all, across the globe.

Consists of magic and understanding,
is often watered down and diluted,
by forces of hatred and division,
but continues to fill silenced voices.

A touch that's near in any impossible season,
with her kiss rescues, feeds, everlasting reason,
there are moments when she will be very quiet,
but most of the time, you will hear her mighty roar.

Difficult to see, when the whole world is screaming,
when humanity is  daily being battered and broken,
but unregulated when darkness draws near
it's light is never far from returning clear.

Will sprinkle it's light, among the degradation,
among the suffering poverty and hunger of the world,
beyond debates in parliament or the United Nations,
it's heartfelt reason will be forever released.

Ancient and modern is it's tribal pulse,
in the night and day in her power exults,
it's spark could unite us all, if we were not too blinkered,
I think it is the only good thing that can hold us together.

In desperate times, we all need something to cling too,
something clear, like in the morning when the sun rises ,
or when time, awakes you from sleepless dark nights,
love's cry can't stay away, can be the safest feeling in our hearts. 

It's patience is finite, and it's fuse is quick to ignite,
with it's power can overcome any regime,
can  build and grow, overthrow times of burden,

with wings of desire, allows us to stay human.

love like every beautiful poem is an act of resistance,
can break through walls, and levels of understanding,
trust it, guard its essence well, hold it close.

can change everything that you have known.

A poem for Liz ( on the anniversary of her reign)

( The reality is that the Queen has succeeded only in serving the monarchy and the status quo. It is now time for the country to look to the future and to choose a successor through free and fair elections, one who can genuinely represent the nation https://republic.org.uk/what-we-do/news-and-updates/long-reign-reason-reform-not-celebration-republic )

The world is run by a cadre of  fools,
in this country Queen Liz rules,
today we remember 63 years,
seven months and two days, of her reign
but her majesty, did not want any fuss,
I couldn't agree more, how about you?

For me, just a representative of a monolithic institution,
what is her value, what is her contribution?
for some a strong figurehead as our head of state,
steadfast, constant, dutiful, regal, wise and respectful,
an image  carefully orchestrated by PR and media,
for others an undemocratically elected parasite, 
with vestiges of power and privilege, more than a tad outdated.

The Queen has survived this long, as head of state for one reason,
she has never had to face election, or to be held to account,
so for me, today is not the day for celebration,
but could be a good  one to press for radical reform,
time for Liz and co to embrace the modern world,
allow her loyal  subjects to debate and decide,
this gesture would indeed fill my heart with pride.

Maybe she could consider retiring,
move to a more modest little home,
her gilded palaces could be set aside,
to house refugees and the homeless,
now that would be a splendid idea.

Meanwhile outside her gates,
we wake again to disturbed reality,
empty hearts and broken dreams,
on roads of austerity, feeling too much sorrow,
our seasons garments lay tattered at our feet,
among the ruins, some of us refuse to bow,
we will not remain loyal to the crown no more.


( Viva La republic)

A life in pieces

( a found poem, I had been working on, where I have written a poem made from titles contained within my bookshelves, but following blog, it seems already had the idea too:-
 http://preselimountains.blogspot.co.uk/2015/09/the-book-shelf-poem.html
Nevertheless a fun experimental piece to do.)

A life in pieces, no logo,
small is beautiful, the shadows know,
beyond good and evil, sleepers awake,
in wildness the preservation of the world,
No, I'm not afraid.

Mi Revalueshanary friend,
you are therefore I am,
infinite justice, brighter than a thousand suns,
to care for the earth, lady sings the blues.

Welsh landscapes, concentric circles,
Axe handles, left out in the rain,
chasing black rainbows, facing demons,
out of the dust, to bedlam and half way back.

The dark stuff, a riot of our own,
beautiful losers, under the volcano,
prick up your ears, smiling in slow motion,
downriver, lipstick traces, let it come down,
up above the word, demanding the impossible.

A socialist faith, no gods no masters,
solidarity forever, the hill of dreams,
man's search for meaning, the quickening maze,
sunbathing in the rain, dancing on stones,
how late it was how late, rip it up and start again,
the days run away like wild horses over the hills.




( do you recognise any of the titles?)

War criminals not welcome here - No to Benjamin Netanyahu's visit to Britain.

Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly manipulated Israel into supporting ferocious and strategically meaningless slaughter in Gaza. Implicated in mass murder,and the cause of so much misery and desperation in the Middle East, despite of this on September 9th he will be greeted and welcomed by David Cameron as our good friend.When he should be calling foran imposition of sanctions and an arms embargo against Israel.
This is a man who in the summer of 2014 was responsible for Israel's barbaric assault on Gaza, in which over 2,200 Palestinians were killed, most of them civilians, including more than 500 children and much of Gaza left in rubble.
Under international law he can be detained when he comes over to visit. A petition calling for him to be arrested for war crimes when he visits the UK has already got close to 100,000 signatures.
There is a protest being called on September 9th from 11am to 1 pm, at Downing Street called  by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign and the Stop the War  Coalition.
I do not feel we should be offering him any hands of friendship, I believe he should be arrested.
Please sign  the following, that Netanyahu is not welcome in Britain, and that we regret our Government's support for the leader of an apartheid state.:-

http://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/105446


 .

Tell me about it

Imagine someone suffering from depression or anxiety and being told constantly to snap out of it, or just to smile. It is not as simple as that. Life can often  be too unbearable, time does not always have a magic formula. Can cause severe disturbances in mood, perception and behaviour. These can effect a persons ability to cope with life's demands and routines. Sometimes all we actually need is a bit of patience and understanding. Some sensitivity, some kindness.
It is not something that can be quickly overcome, and is not a sign of emotional weakness. Generally not a lot of people are that informed about mental illnesses, and come out with ill-informed, uneducated statements, that do not help one bit. The stigma that we can suffer from can be immense, we need to confront these stigmas, and keep challenging the fears, myths, and stigmas that still surround mental illnesses. Each source of stigma, is a barrier that is difficult to overcome, that can shatter hopes of recovery, leaving an individual  feeling devastated and isolated.
There are so many misconceptions that we have to unlearn, I for one have witnessed, that it is never an easy road, that anyone, regardless of their personality, lifestyle or background can suffer from.