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on guard
IN YUNG GUNS WE TRUSTthreat? self-determination?people get ready ~ n.b. Graffito on a low-rise social housing development in a beautiful, wooded district on the north side of Birmingham, Alabama. Not just scrawled on a wall, but painted large across the building. At first, my response to these words was that this slogan, for it is →
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on Ukraine
ask “What was it for?””We are liberating landwithout people on…” ~ n.b. The first quoted line, reported in The Guardian in the UK, are words of a citizen of a town liberated from the retreating invaders. The second, (same source), from a Ukrainian soldier making his way through the ghost towns of the temporarily, but →
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on music
never walk alonewith hope in your heartsIranian blues ~ n.b. Music-maker, Shervin Hajipour; poet, Mona Borzoi; footballer, Hossain Mahini; all arrested for voicing protest at the death in police custody of Mahsa Amini. Mahsa had been arrested for failing to meet the strict dress code for women in Iran. She died three days after being →
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on Ukraine
the year advances fasttilt of Earth shortens each daylight fades in men’s eyes ~ m.b. This pointless exercise moves toward full cycle and at what terrible cost. CLP 03/10/2022 →
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on time
we met over musictalked about race, religionhis six years prison one fifth of his lifeincarcerated for what?he has a temper ~ n.b. We talked at first about football, then of other tribal connections; churches, family, gangs. His is doing a lot of work the Black Panthers would applaud, my tribe just watches football. There are →
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on time
eventuallyfresh-mown grass, birdsong, flowersweary bones laid down ~ n.b. I was struck by the calm, orderly, well-maintained expanse of a large cemetery on the north side of Elvis Presley Boulevard in south Memphis. Respite from chaos. It’s a shame that such respect is not shown for the living. James, who was waiting for the bus →
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on Ukraine
human rights abusedno excuse, who’s for this war?hands up everyone! ~ n.b. Referenda being used by occupying forces to skim over, or gloss up the rationale for creating a war. It’s been said that these exercises are no better than voting at gunpoint, CLP 27/09/2022 →
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on cash
I’ll buy you a mealbut I won’t just give moneyyou said you’re hungry ~ n.b. Talk me through that again. Hungry means ‘food’ right? A young man, in a desperate condition, scarred, nervous, tired and dirty asked for a dollar for food. I said I’d get him some food, (we were stood outside a hamburger →
Journey of Words 