We are posting the poem Now Ukraine by Jim Aitken which will be published by Culture Matters in Jim’s forthcoming book Declarations of Love. NOW UKRAINE 1. Yes, it is absolutely ghastly and gruesome. Yes, Putin is responsible for war crimes because war itself is a crime, a failure. I started marching during the Vietnam…
Popular Culture, Brexit And One Nation Toryism
The following article by Jim Aitken, first appeared on the Culture Matters blog. There was a palpable sense of euphoria on the BBC during the morning after the night before of the General Election of December 12, 2019. It had a feeling of glee about it; a childish excitement that the un-English dragon of socialism –…
Review of ‘Quines’ by Jim Aitken
We are posting this review by one of our contributors, Jim Aitken, of Quines, Poems in tribute to the women of Scotland, written by Gerda Stevenson (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gerda_Stevenson). This review was first posted by Culture Matters. Accompanying illustrations of textiles are by artists from EDGE: Textile Artists Scotland. A FEARLESS GAZE OF HOPE – ‘QUINES’ …
JIM AITKEN WRITES AN APPRECIATION OF TOM LEONARD
Jim Aitken, poet and playwright, has written an appreciation of the Glasgow poet, Tom Leonard, who died on 21st December, 2018. It can be seen on the Culture Matters blog at:- http://www.culturematters.org.uk/index.php/arts/poetry/item/2972-ach-well-all-livin-language-is-sacred-an-appreciation-of-tom-leonard _________ also see:-
In Search of Middle England
The political commentator said: The new leader of New Labour will just have to make himself more acceptable to Middle England.’ Being a traveller, a geographer even, I searched my atlas for Middle England. I could find no such place so I wandered around the post-industrial Midlands instead. Without luck I wondered if my Scots…
White Pete
To give it this obscene nickname is to make it seem attractive and much less harmful than it is like calling cocaine simply ‘ coke’ or the atom bomb ‘ Little Boy’ to render the screams of children the impotence of their parents their frantic hope for remedy without mention whatsoever and to still light…
Savings in the Down-Turn
Savings Efficiency ones or just savings Public sector restraint And reducing waste New realities demanding These new measures For we all have to tighten our belts During this down-turn Which refuses to say What we are all saving for And who we all are While we still fight wars And order Trident Mark 2 As…
Clearances
From Dornoch we moved further north not as north as where she was born but north enough to understand; to understand her returning She sat there beneath the sculpture Of ‘The Emigrants’ at Helmsdale, Moved by the woman looking back To the strath that was once her home. For she too had to leave here…
Blunderwall
Originally published in Emancipation & Liberation Issue 8, Autumn 2004. This wall between us slowly grows slinking along the dusty earth like some snake in the desert sands Once in Jericho it fell down by those who now do the building the heirs of the trumpet blowers Once Belshazzar saw the writing on the wall,…
Beggar
They all have their stories. This one, young and ageing, says that his stepfather was ‘a brutal bastard.’ And in those greying eyes that have seen far too much I can still sense the child whose world went upside down. But this lad has moved on, now dreams of survival on the harsh, concrete street…