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
You don't sound very happy - cheer up.
ReplyDeleteThanks Gideon, I am completely happy now you have said that.
ReplyDeleteSeriously though, if we're in touch with what is going on, we're bound to be sad sometimes. Or angry. Or sometimes we can laugh at the idiocy of it all. But sadness is a legitimate emotion.
I wrote it years ago, but that's no excuse, because I chose to put it up today.
I assume "they burnt those creatures" relates to the foot and mouth?
ReplyDeleteI totally understand your feelings and indeed the need for sadness without which we wouldn't appreciate happiness.
I've read your poem about ten times now and like it (in a weird sort of way).
Yes, foot & mouth. I was the Green Party campaigner for vaccination, and was pretty deeply traumatised by that.
ReplyDelete10 times! I'm impressed. Thank you very much.
During the foot and mouth outbreak my company was employed to decontaminate facilities involved with bovine research.
ReplyDeleteWe soon realised that the policy of reaction over prevention meant unlimited budgets and fair to say we made hay whilst the sun shined.
If that money had been used in prevention the budget would have been less than a third of the final bill.