The Tracks of Winifred Holtby
Following in the tracks of Winifred Holtby
On a trail over the flowing hills,
A hare gallops through the rising corn,
A kestrel hangs on the edge of the wind,
Wings fluttering.
Nothing changes.
The ghost of Vera Brittain
Strides alongside us
Informing us of injustice and inequality,
As we traverse the Dales.
The rolling hills of England,
Falling away towards the pastel, misty trees in the distance.
The sun sends slanting beams
Striking the church
Of Rudston, nestling in the valley,
As time stands still
In a scene that has never changed
And we are transported.
Only the monolith stands the test of time.
The socialist dream consumed by the conflagration of lies.
As Winifred and Vera become lauded brief flickers
Shedding light on life from a niche in history
From where equality, tolerance and fairness
Were worth fighting for.
Opher – 28.4.2024
Socialist writers and friends, pacifists, feminists and activists, these two colossi strode these hills, shared their vision for a better world and wrote their dreams.
They fought for a better world, a socialist vision in which intolerance and elitism, misogyny and greed were replaced by a fairer system, a meritocracy blind to race or gender, social class and status. They wrote honestly to bring a better world into reality.
Their vision was consumed in the fires of capitalist greed. People made money out of their work. Their dreams were never realised.
Yesterday we walked those hills, following in their footsteps, basking in nature. It was as if we had gone back in time. The fields, trees and village were arrested in some unholy time-warp. No signs of modernity were visible. Our eyes saw the same as theirs.
Yet the world of their day was unrecognisable.
Their dreams incinerated on the altar of profit.
We visited her grave.
It Should be Safe!
The world is a safe place!
People do not want to kill.
They want to raise their families
And have a field to till.
They’ll gladly give you a drink
Or share with you a meal.
They’ll give you a place to stay
And let you eat your fill.
People are warm and friendly
They all like a hearty laugh.
They’ll welcome you in
With a place beside the hearth.
It’s the politicians and businessmen
Who get it all wrong.
With their xenophobia and greed
They sing that different song.
When we are led by the wrong people
This is what we find:
When you close your borders
You end up closing minds.
Opher – 3.6.2019
Everywhere I have travelled around the world I have encountered friendly indigenous people. They would do anything for you, take you in and feed you. I have also found officious bureaucrats who are cold and mean.
Perhaps I have just been lucky?