'Donate a Poem for Freedom' is a fundraising campaign for Freedom Bookshop after the firebombing 1/2/13. If you are a poet/know a poet who would like to contribute, here is a link to the facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/DonateAPoemForFreedom
The collection will be published via LULU and proceeds will go to Freedom Bookshop.
Submission topics: freedom, liberty,oppression free speech.
Deadline: 1st March
The following is one of my own contributions.
Hungry for Freedom
So long as a human being thirsts for freedom and is shackled in a concrete cage without charge under a policy universally condemned called administrative detention I will sound alarms.
and if my poetry drifts towards polemic I will make no apology with the absence of the unseen in mainstream news I will spread their dreams and hopes.
So long as bulldozers destroy peoples homes and walls are built that divide and uproot I will raise my voice.
and when peoples lands are stolen daily from under their feet I will not be cowed into silence.
When rules of law are twisted that allow voices to be unheard I will not feign blindness pretend ignorance I will try to be an echoe.
and if some are allowed to steal the richness from peoples souls I will stand up and stamp my feet.
and will proudly raise my fist proudly raise my fist.
Lawrence Ferlinghetti I consider to be one of my favorite poets, a legend who in 1953, founded the City Lights bookstore.A prominent voice of the wide-open poetry movement that began in the 1950s, he has written poetry, translation, fiction, theater, art criticism, film narration and essays. Often concerned with politics and social issues. His work countered the literary elites definition of art and the artists role in the world. Though imbued with the commonplace, his poetry cannot be simply described as polemic or personal protest, for it stands on his craftmanship, thematics and grounding in tradition. Born in Yonkers, New York in 1919 , an activist whose beats still goes on, still brave enough and daring to challenge peoples beliefs, a painter too, but still active as a poet 90 plus years young. His life has seen him act as a catalyst for numerous literary careers and for the Beat movement itself, publishing the eaerly work of Allen Ginsberg, Kerouac and Gary Snyder.
Making poetry accessible to all, with his lucid views he has long watered my senses. His bookstore quickly became an iconic literary institution that has embodied social change and literary freedom. A truly remarkable person, and a great inspiration.
What follows is what I would regard as his tour de force,although a work in progress, it is a a fine poetic manifesto nontheless, that proves he's still got the edge, still got the force.His innovative poetics incorporate slang, pop cultural references wry humour to examine the human condition. Here he shows us his purpose, I guess its up to us to do it ourselves.
I am signalling you through the flames.
The North Pole is not where it used to be.
Manifest Destiny is no longer manifest.
Civilisation self-destructs.
Nemesis is knocking at the door.
What are poets for, in such an age? What is the use of poetry?
The state of the world calls out for poetry to save it.
If you would be a poet, create works capable of answering the challenge of apocalyptic times, even if this meaning sounds apocalyptic.
You are Whitman, you are Poe, you are Mark Twain, you are Emily Dickinson and Edna St. Vincent Millay, you are Neruda and Mayakovsky and Pasolini, you are an American or an non-American, you can conquer the conquerer with words.
If you would be a poet, write living newspapers. Be a reporter from outer space, filing dispatches to some supreme managing editor who believes in full disclosure, and has a low tolerance for bullshit.
If you would be a poet, experiment with all manner of poetic, erotic broken grammers, ecstatc religions, heathen outpourings speaking in tongues, bombast public speech, automatic scribblings, surrealist sensings, streams of consiousness, found sounds, rants and raves- to create your own limbie, your own underlying, your ur voice.
If you call yourself a poet, don't just sit there. Poetry is not a sedentary occupation, not a "take your seat" practice. Stand up and let them have it.
If you would be a poet, invent a new language, anyone could understand. If you would be a poet, speak new truths that the world can't deny.
Through art, create order out of the chaos of the living.
Make it new news.
Write beyond time.
Reinvent the idea of beauty.
Question everything and everyone, including Socrates who questioned everything.
Be subversive, constantly questioning reality and the status quo.
Strive to change the world in such a way that there's no further need to be a dissident.
Hip Hop and Rap your way to liberation.
Your poems must be more than want adds for broken hearts.
Words can save you where guns can't.
Give a voice to the tongueless street.
See the rose through world-clored glasses.
Be an eye among the blind.
Be naive, non-cynical, as if you had just landed on earth, astonshed by what tou have fallen upon.
Dig folk singers who are the true singing poets of yesterday and today.
Think subjectively, write objectively.
Like a field of sunflowers, a poem should not have to be explained.
Haunt bookstores.
Cultivate dissidence and critical thinking. First though may be worst thought.
Sow your poems with the salt of the earth.
Don't ever believe poetry is irrelevant in dark times.
Make new wine out of the grapes of wrath.
Be the gadfly of the state and also its firefly.
Poetry is making something out of nothing, and can be about nothing and still mean something.
from Poetry as Insurgent Art New Directions Press 2007
This weekend marks Bradley Manning's 100th day in captivity without charge.
This track is by Cor Cochion Caerdydd a Welsh Campagn group who work timelessly to raise awareness about world injusstices and illegal acts of war, which we have been witnesses to in recent years.
Profits from the sale of this single go towards the legal defence case of this heroic Welsh America, and thereafrter to the international peace movent via C.N.D Cymru.
Blowing whistes on war crimes is not a crime. While criminal bankers enjoy immunity because 'they are big to fail,' Bradley Manning faces life for exposing the truth.
A tribute to one of my favourite
singer, songwriters.
We sailed upon a lunar sea, passed cracks in horizons, with submerged dreams, plunged the depths of oceans. Under the influence of heady, sweet wine, moved towards nearest perimeter, primal navigators, looking like stowaways.
Taking many directions, we couldn't find our way back home, followed blossoming fragments that made us sway, as the wind tore the clothes right of our backs, lost kind souls kept on calling, in the distance we saw the twinkling of lights, heard bells that softly rang, like voices of the elements. A rainbow tribe joined the congregation, our playground full of adventure, helped rid ourselves of staleness, as we tumbled, roared through time and space.
Stars sang, as we sailed on through, with our slurred words of endurance, as pages rained down, littered with inspiration. All through the night, riptides toar us away, from deep swells of trouble, as a shaman blew wisdom, with soft gentle breath, the music of the spheres played on and on, and the deeper we sang, we discovered, everyone is love.
Thia video was made in the land of the Gadigal people of the Eora nation, whose sovreignty never ceded.
The video was made by the following BDS supporters
Camera: Fabio Cavadini
Lightning and Sound: Amanda King
Music (oud and daf): Mohamed Youssef
Music recordist: Richie Belkner
Music composer: Osloob of Katibeh 5
Video editor: Adrian Warburton
Produced by: Rihab Charida and Aamer Rahman
Thanks to Salwa El-Shaikh, Jason De Santolo, Stephen Dobson, Fred Deveson, Sally Osborne and Theo Fatseas.
Video in order of appearance:
Mutulu "M1" Olugbala
Peter Manning
Milan Ring
Lowkey (Kareem Denis)
Tuva El-Shaikh
Kerrie McGrath
Fatima Mawas
Awate Suleiman
Anthony Loewenstein
Anika Moeen
Asmer Rahman
Currently consumer confidence has plunged as a result of the horsemeat scandal and supermarkets are desperately trying to reassure shoppers that the food we buy is safe and correctly labelled.
But mislabelling in supermarkets is actually a wider issue- and in the case of produce from illegal Israeli settlements it has been systematic and long standing.
All Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories are illegal under international law. Many shoppers who wish to buy ethically avoid buying from suppliers who profit from the crimes of occupation. To do that you need to know where the food you buy is coming from. Recently their have been thousands of emails sent to supermarket CEOs calling on them to follow the Co-operative's lead in implementing an ethical sourcing policy, and not using companies which deal in produce from the settlements.
Their is a broad consensus among Palestinian civil society, about thhe need for a wide and sustained Campaign for Boycott, Disvestment and Sanctions. These kind of actions are effective economic, political and cultural expressions of action, with many people joining this call. As a means of expessing their dissatisfaction with Israels apartheid policies.
More infomation on this subject can be found below
Quintillian was a Roman writer on rhetoric, and during the reign of the Emporor Domitian he was charged with the education of the Emporor's two great-nephews. It is with their training in eloquence that Quintillian concerns himseld in his Institutio Oratoria - the most thorough treastment of an orator's education in classical literature. Here Quinttilian deals with how the orator may make the best use of falsehood. Politicians take note.
' Sometimes, too, we get a false statement of facts; these, as far as actual pleading is concerned, fall into two classes. In the first case the statement depends on external support; Publius Clodius, for instance, relied on his witnesses, when he stated that he was at Interamna on the nght when he committed abominable sacrilege at Rome. The other has to be supported by the speaker's native talent, and sometimes consists simply in an assumption of modesty, which is, I imagine, the reasonwhy it is called a gloss, while at other times it will be concerned with the question at issue. Whichever of these two forms we employ, we must take care, first that our fiction is within the bounds of possibility, secondly that it is consistent with the persons, data and places involved, and thirdly that it presents a character and a sequence that are not beyond belief: if possible, it should be connected with something that is admttedly true and should be supported by some argument that forms part of the actual case. For if we draw our fictions entirely from circumstances lying outside the case, the liberty which we have taken in resorting to falsehood will stand revealed. Above all we must see that we do not contradict ourselves, a slip which is far from rare on the part of spinners of fiction; for some things may put a more favourable complexion on portions of our case, and yet fail to agree as a whole. Further, what we say must not be at variance with the admitted truth. Even in the schools, if we desire a gloss, we must not look for it outside the facts laid down by our theme. In either case the orator should bear clearly in mind throughout his whole speech what the fiction is to which he has committed himself, since we are apt to forget our falsehoods, and there is no doubt about the truth of the proverb that a liar should have a good memory. But whereas, if the question turns on some act of our own, we must make one statement and stick to it, if it turns on an act committed by others, we may cast suspicion on a number of different points. In certain controversial themes of the schools, however, in which it is to be assumed that we have put a question and recieved no reply, we are at liberty to enumerate all the possible answers that might have been given. But we must remember only to invent such things as cannot be checked by evidence: I refer to occasions when we make our own minds speak (and we are the only persons who are in their secret) or put words in the mouth of the dead (for what they say is not liable to contradiction) or again in the mouth of someone whose interests are identical with our (for he will not contradict), or finally in the mouth of our opponent (for he will no be believed if he does not deny).'
Quintillian, The Institute, trans. H.E. Butler, Heinemann, 1921
Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), better known as drones, have crept into modern warfare as quietly as the airborne killing machines themselves and on the whole, media reporting on them has been just as subdued.
Last week, the veil of silence was finally lifted when two of the most important and influential newspapers in the United States - the New York Times and the Washington Post - ran stories on a secret airbase in Saudi Arabia from which the US military has operated its 'drone war' campaign over Afghanistan, Pakistan and Yemen for the past two years.
However, as the story broke, it also came to light that reporters at both newspapers had known about the base long before the story went to print. They had agreed to conceal newsworthy infomation at the request of the US intelligence establishment, on the basis that reporting the truth would have harmed American national security interests.
The complicity of journalist with government officials to keep the base a secret has been justified on grounds of national security but the issue has raised troubling questions of when military secrets- as defined by the government - pull rank on the public duty of the fourth estate to inform.
-
trouble, trouble,boils and bubbles
with the bedroom tax, a storm is brewing
as the government makes their friends rich,
while making the rest of us poor,
with their voices of capital drown our song.
Time for some love making, time to keep warm,
feel the touch and comfort of raptures arms,
taste and feel the anchor of love,
that makes their power redundant,
in acts of unconditional embrace.
Surrender to gentle heartbeat,
that simultaneously melt and mend,
in the morning awake,
paint the days with passion,
follow ports of possibility.
We wake make buds,
then petals, then leafs.
outside darkness drives
in the other direction,
we struggle on,
connecting others.
hand on hand
shoulder to shoulder,
draw breath, reach out
resusicate hungry mouths,
ah, it's a beautiful feeling
this thing called love.
Samer Issawi is currently living his last hours inside an Israeli prision hospital after over 200 days on an open-ended hunger strike demanding justice and his freedom since July 29th 2012. Being illegally detained without charges or given a fair trial since July 2th 2012. He is still placed in solitary confinement.
There have been many more Palestinian hunger strikers before him; Khader Adnan, Hana Shabi and Mahmoud Sarsak.
They have gone on hunger strike to allow their voices to be heard. Protesting against the inhumane conditions that they live in. Using nonviolent means to express their plights. In 1943 their was Ghandi and in the 1980s their were the Irish hunger strikers, which at the time got a lot of attention in the world wide news and drew a lot of support, but today the international media is ignoring the plight of the Palestinian hunger striker.
Back in October 2011, Issawi was released as part of the Shalit prisoners exchange deal, and they were told their would be no restriction on their movement, however eight months after his release, Issawi was re-arrested in Hizma. Israel claimed that he had broke the terms of his release by leaving Jerusalem, yet Israels own maps show that Hizma is within the borders of the municipility of Jerusalem. Proving that Israel never abides by any agreement or treaty and ignores all international laws. This has happened to many other Palestinians released under the prisoner exchange agreements.
Samer's life now hangs in a thread, back in December 24th he released a short message via his lawyers ' My detention is unjust and illegal, just like the occupation is. My demands are legitimate and just. Thus I will not withdraw from the battle for freedom, waiting for either victory and freedom - or martyrdom.'
His condition is now critical, having lost more than 80lbs of weight, vision worsening day by day, continuous diarrhea, acute B12 vitamin deficiency,excruciating pain , vomiting blood, with great difficuly breathing, but still he remains shackled. Still bravely battling on for his freedom and for that of others.I have raised the issue with my local M.P , perhaps you could do the same. Remember too the company G48 that provides equipment for the prison administration. G48 realises that they are used in non-humanitarian ways against Palestinian prisoners. It must be held accountable for its responsibilty to these prisoners and its partnership to the occupation in its inhumane practices.He is currently living his last hours, this plight of administrative detention, is barbaric and must stop. He has a right to live , to not die without a charge. His situation is urgent and critical and is the worst since he started his strike. According to the Red Cross he is in his last dying moments.Still hungry for freedom.
Samer himself has lost many family members over the years, murdered by the Israeli occupation. In 1989 his grandmother Fatima was shot by the Israeli Occupying Forces.Hunger strikes have proven to be an effective means for Palestinian Political prisoner to protest. They are protesting against the inhumanr conditions that they are forced to live in. These non-violent hungers have arippling effect on all Palestinian prisoners. Their movement has commenced many detainess passing away and others gaining freedom. Their protest a peaceful weapon of resistance has been largely ignored by the B.B.C using cruel and bizzare excuses for doing so http://electronicintifada.net/content/bbcs-cruel-excuses-ignoring-palestinian-hunger-strikes/12072. I urge you to write or subit a complaint on line about their lack of reportage on this issue, which clearly shows a form of bias.
I for one will not forget them.
Captive Bird - Fadawa Fagan
The echoe of your melody reaches us, flying over narrowness with love, over the bars.
Captive bird, blend of darkness and pain.
Sing, yes, because if the iron deprives you of the vast sky.It will never be able to shut our ears.
Sing, yes, because the grip of the night never closes the way of hope.
Your song reminds me of your times bent from the sands of time. When with a light step, you would free
your wings, to the cloister shadow of jasmine, they were leading you to the womb, and you told us about the
dreams, and the pride and the strength you would laud, and closer you would get the stars to the ground,
and we listened to the fiellds made green by you, the splendour of hillocks, and the whisper of perfumes,
pride without rising,unless you win. .
Sing bird for u, from prison, over the humiliation and beyond the darkness, a horizon still full of dreams.
A sun yet readily ambush. White glory of light sings happily, sings a future homeland for our dreams,
sings of vivid dreams not lost. Sing yes, for the hope is always there, the road is still and radiant,
although around us, the anger of the night thickens.
from Nablus 1st March 1917 till 12th of December 2008
Poem translated by Elettra Luisa
Hunger - Doc Jazz ( Free Samer Issawi)
song dedicated to the courageous Palestinian hunger strikers among those held in so called administration detention by the occupation forces of the Zionist entity that calls itself 'Israel. This song was inspired specifically by Samer Issawi on his 199th day of hunger strike at the upload of this video.
