About poetry

Poetry paints life, cancer takes it
Poetry means it, cancer fakes it

Cancer can not write, create,
Feel or think, illuminate,
Wipe your brow, commiserate

You're fucking rubbish, you are, cancer
Not a writer, player, dancer
Bring nothing useful to the table
Can't tell a joke 'cos you're not able

Poet Jason Pilley put together an anthology of poetry, printed 300 copies, and he and others gave them away on London's South Bank on a June Saturday while performing poetry.

Splendid.

Janine's poem, 'Turn Up The Heating' was included.

Published in Solidarity 397, 9 March 2016

Once the Military Service Act come into force in 1916, men aged 18-41 had to apply to a Military Tribunal if they believed that they had a reason not to be drafted. The majority had health, work or family reasons, but 2% were Conscientious Objectors (COs): men who objected to military service because they objected to war.

From its declaration of war in 1914, Britain’s ruling class appealed to patriotism to boost its support and its military recruitment. By 1916 both were flagging. On the pages of socialist newspaper The Herald, poets used verse to question both nationalism and the war’s aims. When the government asked men to fight for King and Country, was it shielding its true motives?

Published in Solidarity 396, 2 March 2016.

Published in Solidarity 394, 17 February 2016.

A century ago, with Britain at war, the Woman's Dreadnought published this poem:

CHRISTMAS EVE
- to man the comfortable

The Morning Star carries an article about the Stand Up And Spit chronicling of 1980s ranting poetry. Janine's in there.

Interesting radio interview with Tim Wells about ranting poetry, from about 18:30, including a mention of Janine!