political poetry?

[scootergeek]

Anybody else ever take a stab at writing something politically or socially relevant without being too naff? I've written a few poems that I think qualify, but generally they aren't political enough for "political people" and are too political for those whose politics begin and end in the polling booth.

"You'll never change their minds."
I'm told,
But I won't go quietly.
I won't be a Pastor Niemöller,
Waiting to speak truth,
Until the truth is unspeakable.
I'll confront them,
With what weapons I possess,
(The lessons of my mentors,
Combined within me,
Sharpened in this manner)
Trying to match a fact,
To every lie,
And understanding and context,
To every strangled,
And misunderstood fact.
Polemic for polemic,
With all that I have.
Because evil lives in acquiescence,
And changing their minds was never the point.

cheers,
scott

[Bazza]

I've never wrote any political poetry myself but I enjoy Attila The Stockbroker & John Cooper Clarke.

Does anyone have any material by Seething Wells (aka Swells)? He was one of the support acts at the Redskins debut gig and put out an album of political poetry. Swells can now be found writing for www.playlouder.com

[scootergeek]

I've heard a fair bit of Attila the Stockbroker's stuff, my friends are huge fans and one scheduled his last trip to Europe around Attila's gigs on the continent. Seething Wells I hadn't heard of, and I'll be on the lookout now.

cheers,
scott

[Bazza]

There's a bit about Seething Wells and Attila on the Redskins website - www.geocities.com/neither_washington_nor_moscow1/debutgig.jpg