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on Ukraine
original sinreimagined in slaughterfear of losing face ~ n.b. Somehow the self-importance of one man perpetuates the maiming and murder of civilians, deaths of combatants from both sides and the pointless destruction of villages, towns and cities. CLP 11/10/2022 →
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on Ukraine
let us not pretenda Russian life has less worthdeaths are not victories ~ n.b. War mentality dehumanises us all. CLP 10/10/2022 →
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on streets
empty eyes, blackenedfingernails, frayed cuffs, alonethrong gets down and dirty ~ n.b. Nashville, Tennessee, ‘The Recording Capital of the World, (as I heard a man in a check shirt, jeans, cowboy boots and a cowboy hat label the place to two men in check shirts, jeans, cowboy boots and cowboy hats), is a busy place →
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on time
take it to the streetcity walls a buzz with hopea new Birmingham ~ n.b. Stronger together. Who painted this? Do we fete the artist, applaud the message, or live and work for a stronger, shared future for the peace and security of us all and those who are following in our footsteps? This artwork is →
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on love
take the freedom walkfirehoses, dogs, prison barsfour girls as angels ~ n.b. Birmingham, Alabama, once the frontline of the hate line, a victory for love. I studied at Birmingham Polytechnic in the period 1978 – 82. Coming to its namesake city has been an education. Real friendly place, as the locals might say, but do →
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on Ukraine
sat in their silosweapons of horrific strengthattention focused ~ n.b. Whatever my thoughts on this, writing them would only trivialise the seriousness of the current situation humanity now faces. →
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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 →
Journey of Words 