On World Book Day : Books still have the Power to change the World.

Today marks World Book Day, in an increasingly digitalised age, books I  believe still have the power to change the world. Like many people, I guess, I still get trapped by the allure of the internet, a tool, that I use most days, but as I write this piece, in my trusted library am surrounded by books, and when not here, at home or wherever I happen to be, I still  like to stick my head in a book, turn some pages, that continue to challenge and inspire. A thirst and taste first harnessed by my mum, and subsequently the local library.
Despite the tragedies and terrors of the world  books can still restore some kind of hope, can provide a form of sustenance to people in similar circumstances across the globe,  a vast flow of communication that have served to remind us of our shared humanity's vast diverse cultural heritage. Precious trickles, like water that allow us to grow. Books still have the capacity to change and challenge the worlds problems and provide people with the means to educate themselves, and like love itself words of course have no borders.
Personally books are a form of addiction for me, one that I am glad that I have succumbed too, much better for my health than certain substances that are also readily available. I buy most of mine nowadays from charity shops and the few small inependent booksellers that remain,  places so worth supporting, wonderful spaces, balms for the imagination.
At home I am lucky, I still have plenty to choose from, to hold my fascination, dusty old tomes, dangerous, magical, subversive, that cement ideas of mine together. Surrealists, dreamers, dissenters, outsiders, rebels,magicians, poets, experimental fragrances that always take me somewhere special. Thought provoking fuels that offer me equally comfort, confirmation and validation.
World Book Day is a time to celebrate everything book and reading related that enable us to engage in making another world possible. To enjoy and celebrate the power that different stories, tales and narratives have, to allow us to see the world through other peoples eyes, new perspectives that can help us find paths to build a better world to live in. Because books allow us to live creatively, think on our own terms, to travel portals with no need of passports.
The day hopes to bring people together through a love of books, to encourage people, especially children to read books, it also seeks to promote peace, tolerance and understanding and respect among each other for other cultures and traditions. 
So today this post is my way of celebrating the power of books. Sadly though their will always be those that seek to control what we read, because books retain the  power to move, transform and enrich individuals lives, open us up to change,and to help reshape significantly the world that we live in and make a difference.
Sadly my local library is currently under threat because my local council is planning to downsize it by 75%, and relocate it to a place that parents of young children , the disabled and others  will have no access to,  with no thought of the future, even though current landlord has offered this temple a rent free guarantee for the next  five years. It  simply does not make sense. The council is simply succumbing to our Governments monstrous cultural vandalism and savage cost cutting, that  is taking place across the land, it is not to late to save it, so please sign the following petition, and would urge anyone reading on World Book Day to fight to save any library under threat in your own community.:-
https://www.change.org/p/ceredigion-county-council-keep-cardigan-library-open-4d60e2d8-890e-4276-8c04-f5aeb8ceafcb
In the background now  the sound of children singing, enjoying the power of books, actively encouraged by our friendly librarian.
Books I hope will long have the capacity to mould, and sustain us.
I will end with some quotes, the first  from Heinrich Heine ( 1797-1857) German essayist and romantic poet :-

" Where they burn books, so too will they in the end burn human beings. "

" You cannot open a book without learning something. " - Confucius

" A book must be  the axe for the frozen sea within us." - Franz Kafka

" Hungry man , reach for the book, it is a weapon." - Bertolt Brecht 

No one deserves to be teargassed, looking for shelter

Poetic response to events that have recently taken place in Calais and on the Greek/Macedonian border. Published on I am not a silent Poet Blog :-
https://iamnotasilentpoet.wordpress.com/2016/03/01/no-one-deserves-to-be-teargassed-looking-for-shelter-by-dave-rendle/  
Their pain is our shame.


No one deserves to be teargassed,
looking for shelter,
treated like savages, given no respect,
hope destroyed left in tatters,
reason left beyond recognition,
tears now drown the soil,
that once sustained them,
that acted as a bridge,
between life and death,
laughter and solace now lost,
as politicians seem not to care,
whether peoples dreams survive,
air now heavy in bullshit and tyranny,
my heart bleeds too,
as I witness this hell from afar,
innocent beings punished and forsaken,
memories already haunted, cloaked in grief.
 

The Praise of St David's Day Showing the reason why the Welch-men Honour the leeke on this day

Today as has become traditional I mark St David's Day/ Dydd Dewi Sant. Saint David is the patron saint of Wales. This day was chosen to  commemorate St David's death on this day around 589 AD. It has been celebrated as a national day within Wales since the 18th century.
The Praise of St David's Day is reprinted from They look at Wales (1941) from an early black-letter broadside  in the British Museum library. It refers to the original Trojan  of the  Welsh  people. According to Geoffrey of Monmouth in the twelfth century, Brutus of Troy conquered Britain and fathered  the British people. Disputed by English scholars in the nineteenth century, this view of history remained gospel for patriotic Welshmen 'till the eighteenth century.


Who list to reade the deeds
   by valiant Welch-men done,
Shall find them worthy men of Armes,
  as breathes beneath the sunne;
They are of valiant hearts,
  of nature kind and  meeke,
An  honour on St David's Day;
   it is to wear a leeke.

The Welch most ancient is
   of this famous land,
Who were the first that conquered  it,
  by force and warlike hand.
From Troy stout Brute did come,
 this kingdome for  to seeke;
Which was possessed by savage men,
 then honoured be the Leeke.

He having won the same,
  and  put them to the sword :
Of Brute did Britaine first take name,
 as Chronicles record
The Welch true Brittaines are,
  whose swords in blood did reeke,
Of Pagan men being heathenish,
  then honoured by the Leeke.

And know if you would know,
  why they the Leeked do weare;
In honour of St David's day,
  it plainly shall appeare.
Upon St David's day,
  And first of March that weeke,
The Welch-men with their foes did joyne,
  then honoured by the Leeke.

And being in the field,
  their valour they did try;
Where thousands on both sides  being slaine,
  within their bloods did lye.
And they not knowing how
  their friends from foe to seeke;
Into a Gardem they did go,
  where each one pulld a Leeke :

And wore it in his hat,
  their Countrymen to know ;
And  then most valiantly they did
  o'ercome their warlike foe.
Then were noe colours knowne,
  or any feathers eeke;
The feathers first  originall,
  it was the Welch-mans Leeke.

And ever since that time,
  the Leek they use to weare,
In honour of St David's day,
  They doe that Trophy beare.
A Reverend Bishop was
  St David mild and meeke,
And 'tis an honour that same day,
  for them to wear a Leeke.


All the best on this day, heddwch/peace
happy St David's day/ Dydd Dewi Sant.

She is a dancer of hope and the creator of my dreams

Edgar Degas - Dancer adjusting her shoulder strap 1900

The  journey of life can be very uncertain and unpredictable - it can leave us frightened and  vulnerable.  Life is very precious indeed, and at the end of the day we need health and wellness to enjoy our lives to the fullest.  I arrived at my partners the other day,  who has been unable to walk or get out of bed for last 6 months  or so because  of treatment for cancer, but she has gradually been getting stronger,  and has never given  up hope, which has been an  invaluable gift for me as well. I hear her music all the time nowadays.
As I've said, she's been getting a bit more mobile, aided by her trusted zimmer frame, but increasingly, casts it aside. She has always liked dancing, has missed not going out  to musical soirees for a bit of a shuffle and a groove,  so imagine my surprise when I glanced her through her kitchen  window, and could hear the sound of the Peatbog Faeries blasting from the stereo, their she was in what was an uplifting moving experience, dancing unaided, reminding me that despite the odds she still sparkles and shines her light in abundance. She did not do this  for long, but it was a joy to behold, and each day now walking  has slowly got more easier, more natural, but still a long way to go.
Everyday now she will practice a little unaided  dance for  ten minutes or so , that will be movement enough I hope to sustain her and remind  herself that there is always hope on the horizon. Bucket loads of it. I have witnessed it in her laughter and smiles. Our bond gets stronger too, which is not a bad thing,  I will end with a quote by Albert Einsten :-

" We dance for  laughter, we dance for tears,
we dance for madness,we dance for fears,
we dance for hopes, we dance for screams,
we are the dancers, we create the dreams."

No to Trident

The Government is planning to spend more than £160 billion on four Scottish based submarines  whose only purpose is to threaten the whole of humanity. Each warhead has 8 times the explosive power of the bomb that destroyed the Japanese city of Hiroshima in 1945. That bomb alone vaporised human flesh within a half mile radius and fatally burned thousands miles from the epicentre.
By the way by renewing Trident at the end of the day will be militarily  pointless. it will not deter terrorist attacks or nuclear blackmailers, but will simply make it harder for Britain  to encourage Nuclear disarmament  around the globe.
The majority of the British public of Britain  do not  want the Trident  Nuclear missile system. It is time to comply with our obligation under international law to accomplish the total elimination of our nuclear arsenal.
So solidarity with everyone marching against Trident today, As someone once said " If they can find money to kill someone, they can find money to help people." It is the will of humanity that will secure their destruction.

Cameron is a loser

( unedited poem , just arrived in library)

The N.H.S is a peoples pride 
but man in expensive saville row suit
would rather pour scorn and snide
should be ashamed of his policies
not how the other half dress,
because most of us are currently
caught up in his toxic mess
a Tory elitist of swaggering arrogance
scurrilous profiteer, robber of our heritage
many of us don't sing God Save the Queen
because as the Sex Pistols sang, she aint no human being
so Cameron time to put aside your pointless jibes
stop releasing to the nation your negative vibes
as you  pander to corporate lobbyists and big business
cutting peoples benefits while suffering from illness
a voice for his friends and the filthy rich
time for us to ignore you, give you the switch
you stopped listening a long time ago
left us with no room to grow
cuts for carers, the poor and vulnerable
your a viper in disguise, so very dishonourable..

Balancing Acts

Sadness fills the world, 
Tales of people escaping hatred and despair,
Persecuted, banished and exiled,
By dominating forces of injustice,
Looking, seeking, searching,
Now for freedoms scent,
A future, that gives welcome,
That allows doorways to be left open,
The colours of spring to return,
To embrace waves of existence,
A sense of balance to be restored.
No place for condemnation, fear or shame,
For those who have escaped oppression, death
Allow dignity to be retained, 
in places they now proudly call home.

Lets not forget those who did not make it,
Fellow human beings like you and me,
Travellers  and companions in time,
Bodies left broken, tired and exhausted,
After attempting perilous journeys,
Pathways of danger and confusion,
Blocked by illusionary borders,
Full of barbed wire and razor fences,
Where freedom comes at such a cost,
Hopes and dreams lay crushed,
On these voyages of necessity,
Lets offer kindness, and hospitality,
Balancing acts delivering landscapes of hope. 

Tell your MP:Don't cut ESA

Losing £30 a week  will not be an insentive  for getting people into work. The things holding people back are not willpower or willingness, it's bodies, minds, and employers who don't want to employ disabled people and help them make adjustments needed. DWP and Maximus incidentally have been actively sacking their own staff. 
For most of us placed in  the Work Related Activity Group of Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) Group, we are  are only still claiming due to  ongoing mental health problems. There are as many as a quarter of a million of us currently in this group.These proposals are frightening and alarming to most of us, since already. we find it difficult to heat our homes and eat, but the unrelenting savagery of this Government I guess does not come as too much of a surprise.
Should the Government  not be concerned  on fixing our broken system, rather than effectively blaming ill and disabled people by cutting the existing support and safety nets available to us. A cruel cut that will hit those hardest hit already. Despite having been found not well enough to work, we as a group of people are being threatened left, right and center. For many of us, our lives already a constant struggle for survival.
The House of Lords has already voted against  cuts to support for people who face massive  barriers to work, often because of our ill health and disability.  Now its time to tell our MPs to hold fast and stand against this cut. Our MPs  have the chance to vote against cut to ESA  next week. Make sure your own MP is on the right side of the vote, that does not  push sick and disabled people further from work but closer to poverty.Many thanks.

https://speakout.38degrees.org.uk/campaigns/tell-MPs-dont-cut-esa?utm_medium=twitter

Vi Subversa ( Frances Sokolov Sanson 20/6/35 - 19/2/16;) - Poet of Subversion R.I.P

Sad to hear that Frances Sokolov better known by her stage name Vi Subversa, died yesterday passing away peacefully after a short illness , aged 80.
A hugely important figure in the music and counter-cultural movement often called Anarcho Punk. An inspirational voice  who leaves a strong legacy for all that listened to her. Brilliant poet, singer , writer, anarchist activist and front person  for the legendary Poison Girls, anarchist feminist band that between 1977 and 1989 were a potent force  in the international peace movement. They were one of the first Punk musicians to feature feminism in their music.
Her first public performance was at the Body Show at Sussex University in 1975. Then in 1979 at the age of 44, she released her first single with the Poison Girls.
Frances was much more, than a musician, she was a pioneer who  broke through society's taboos and restrictions. A true independent spirit with highly politicised lyrics,subversive from the outset, with anti-establishment attitude exploring issues of gender and sexuality, alienation, her voice was one of unbridled raw emotion, of hope and rage, that had the authentic ring of experience, in a husky smoke stained voice akin to Marianne Faithfull with a passionate edge. Making effective and clever points with intelligence rather than sloganeering. unafraid to tell us with gutso what she is thinking. with deft touches of humour.
Subversa was born of East German Jewish parents, spending two years in Israel in the late 1950's working in a ceramic pottery. She had two children Pete Fender and Gern Stone who both became members of Punk bands themselves. 
I was fortunate to see the Poison Girls play live at the 1985 Glastonbury festival, cracking.
Her words have lit pathways among the shadows of the world, releasing tides of resistance, to help shape and make the world a better place. Messages of powerful expression, that long will inspire.
Vi Subversa Rest in Power 

Poison Girls - Real Women

Statement - from Wargasm (my first introduction to the world of Vi Subursa)back in 1982

'

Poison Girls - desperate days

Poison Girls - Price of Grain

NUS No platform policy getting absurd.

I remember the day when "No Platform " was reserved for violent fascists, denying them public speaking opportunities. But now it seems it is being used to silence debate.
Currently there are some in the NUS ( National Union of students)  who are opposing a plan to invite Nick Lowles director  of the anti-campaigning  group Hope Not Hate,  to speak on an anti-racist platform because they claim he is  islamophobic. His organisation I have supported because of its campaigns to counter racism and fascism, who has actually  worked to challenge anti-muslim hatred and bias directed at them.
This  comes after a NUS LGBT officer called Fran Cowling accused Peter Tatchell - who has stood  up for the LGBT community for the past 30 years,a hero of mine since his battle for bermondsey in the 1980's,  risking his life and sustaining injuries, being mocked by rhe press, subjected to homophobic abuse by his political opponents, and arrested by the police as he fought  for equality and free speech - of being racist and transphobic .
Simply absurd and mindblowing. 
Two individuals who have stood yes against Islamist  extremism, but equally against anti-muslim prejudice. For unity and solidarity. against all hate. It seems that anyone making the case for free speech or expressing an opinion  nowadays contrary to those of others is subject to an intense, widespread and vitriolic attacks. Anybody who diagrees with them is blocked. They are branded racists, transphobes, bigots and sexists. in what seems like a witch hunt of McCarthyite dimension, aided by a virtual mob on facebook or twitter  ready to back them up.
When freedom of speech is systematically  threatened like this, I think we have a bit of a problem. 
At the end of the day think the NUS should concentrate on opposing those  Tory vermin currently in power, who are destroing everything  fair and decent here in the UK and taking aim at real spreaders of hatred and fascist threat, organisations like the English Defence Leaque,  Britain First and Pegida. We should not misuse the discourse of free speech.