On the brink with narrow men.

Posted on by celfypridd

On the brink with narrow men.

The Cold War overshadowed most of my childhood

fear was latch hooked on everyday things

it was the Reds they said would do us harm

…

Fear went on through my teenage years too,

the continuous threat nuclear arsenals posed,

the bombers of all sides armed and ready to go.

….

Polaris submarines lurked in the deep oceans,

and Cruise missiles came in as a late addition.

But something changed something called détente.

…

Even so the wars continued they just found another way

around that inconvenience it was simple

they just stopped calling them wars.

…

But now we’ve all caught amnesia

and fear is spreading everywhere

politicians can’t seem to help themselves.

…

Ladling fear wherever they can

it’s an all too obvious narrow man’s plan  

while the dismantling goes on.

…

Of Education, the National Health Service,

Social Care and so much more

it’s easy to spot the distraction of fear

…

While the narrow men shout watch for the reds

but the same time get into the Chinese bed 

remember there is a collective amnesia at large

…

Soon we’ll hear the justification for war

soon we’ll hear the need for boots on the ground

in whatever land is decided by the narrow men.

…

And now we’ve got drones and assassinations

Taking place without a Judge in sight

no rights, no wrongs, just cold-blooded executions.

…

And the ramping up of the war of words

to justify, bamboozle and hoodwink

that the actual threat is their stupidity.

…

and were all living in that fear time again.

and nothing has been learned

nothing has changed the narrow men

the narrow men keep getting richer and the poor poorer.

©robcullen2018.

The Power of Denial

Posted on by celfypridd

The Power of Denial

Hind Rajab May 3rd, 2018 – 29th January 2024.

Denial of Responsibility. Denial of Knowledge. Complete Denial.

…

Looking pleased with themselves they all stand together

Shaking hands on the podium, reassuring hands-on shoulders

They shake hands again, they smile to the camera

As if they are friends, intimates even, maybe not so far.

…

The voice of five-year-old Hind Rajab pleads

with those on the phone, the emergency services,

to rescue her, to save her – Has she been forgotten?

…

Ceasar parades his Prefects, the rulers of the new Empire

Starmer has wrapped himself in the robe of Pontius Pilate.

He sees nothing and has washed his hands, in any case.

Nothing to see, he gives nothing away, his face expressionless.

…

Remember the voice of five-year-old Hind Rajab pleading

with those on the phone, the emergency services,

to rescue her, to save her – Has she been forgotten?

…

The New Caesar shows the plans for Gaza’s future.

Eighty thousand people were killed and butchered in this place. No matter.

Many bodies have not been found, bones buried under rubble.

Bones that were once children, mothers, fathers and entire families.

…

Remember the voice of five-year-old Hind Rajab who pleaded

with those on the phone, the emergency services,

to rescue her, to save her – Why can’t you come and get me?

Has she been forgotten? Is her life forgotten?

…

Hegemon Netanyahu says it’s unfair that the Palestinians force

The Israeli army to kill them – they brought it on themselves.

If they didn’t live there in our land, we wouldn’t need to remove them.

No one sees we are being forced by Palestinians to kill them.

….

Victim blaming. Denial of Responsibility. Denial of Knowledge.

Complete Denial. It’s not our fault. They brought it on themselves.

…

Remember the voice of five-year-old Hind Rajab who pleaded

with those on the phone, the emergency services,

to rescue her, to save her – why can’t you come and get me?

Has she been forgotten? Is her life forgotten? Is she forgotten?

…

Rob Cullen   27/01/2026.

Strangers Light.

Posted on by celfypridd

In these times will we light the stranger’s candle?

It’s something that I’ve done

for as long as I’ve had a family.

Lighting a candle in a window

on Christmas Eve

for any stranger walking

home to their own family.

Or maybe a child of my own

making their own journey

in their own lives, in their own way.

–

©robcullen261225

Originally written in 2010.