Held back

Just back from the Green Party (England and Wales) Conference in Chesterfield. It was a sobering conference, with messages about the human rights abuses in Uzbekistan, condoned by the US and UK, by considerations of population and conflict, and updates on Peak Oil. The main problem for me personally was that the Index of Governance Motion was referred back (of which more later). As usual, the real conference was conferring with people. A chance exchange with Brian Leslie just before the Review led to 30 minutes of frantic scribbling, with the following result:



HELD BACK



Unutterably sad
they burnt the ash tree
there, where it fell
because they could not
find a way to use its
strength.


Unutterably sad
they burnt those creatures
stinking, in piles
because they would not
use the means they had to
cure.

Unutterably sad
Uzbekistan screams
under the lash
because the dark lord
wants land, to launch his
strike.

Unutterably sad
that mathematics
- a body count -
is not a subject
to which we, we may give
thought

Unutterably sad
that those who love life
should so fall prey
to operators
who hold us all back with their
lies




(c) Richard Lawson
Chesterfield 07-03-2005