r/Socialistpoetry Jan 21 '23

Socialist Poetry

7 Upvotes

I am a 71 year old libertarian socialist and writer, this webpage is part of my life’s work:

https://davyking.com/politixMIX.html


r/Socialistpoetry Aug 18 '22

After a long discussion

2 Upvotes
ISHIKAWA TAKUBOKU                        1185-1912   

After an endless discussion

The way we read, the way we discuss,

And the way our eyes shine

Match the young in Russia fifty years ago.

We discuss what we should do.

But, there is no one who with a clenched fist bangs on the table

And declares: 'VNAROD'

We know what we are seeking after;

We know what the people are seeking after;

And we know what we should do.

We know more than the young in Russia fifty years ago.

But, there is no one who with a clenched fist bangs on the table

And declares: 'VNAROD'

They are the young who gather here;

They are the young who always give the world what is new.

We all knew that the old would die soon, and victory would be ours.

Behold how our eyes are shining and how hot is our discussion!

But, there is no one who with a clenched fist bangs on the table

And declares: 'VNAROD'

Ah, though the candles were already replaced three times,

And the bodies of small bird lice float in the tea-cups,

And young ladies are as eager as they ever were,

There is tiredness in their eyes after a long discussion.

But, there is no one who with a clenched fist bangs on the table

And declares: 'VNAROD'


r/Socialistpoetry Aug 09 '22

Greed

2 Upvotes

Greed

why don't rich people retire?

we trade time for money

once necessities are covered

the time we sell

is worth more to us

than money

greed is the fear of poverty

gone malignant

you can't turn it off

it grows like a tumor

once an adaptive strategy

against an irritant

hustle mode

gets stuck

unprepared for success

young people

program themselves

to hoard

when it comes

they miss it

fail to cash out

and live in fear until death


r/Socialistpoetry Aug 04 '22

Coupons - José Antonio Rodríguez

4 Upvotes

Coupons José Antonio Rodríguez

That was the year I wished
our sentences had no periods.
The year you said something meaningful
about a constellation. The year
I pretended to see it because
that was the one thing I was good at.
I smiled through all our arguments
and you reminded me that English
was not my first language.
I said let’s go sit under
the old high school bleachers
because that’s what people do in movies
when they want to see things from a distance.
But there was a concrete stadium instead
and under it only public restrooms.
That was the year I thought
a high school diploma could fill
the hole in my stomach. You grinned
when I wrote h.s. graduate
on my Burger King application.
We said nothing when we found out
the pay was minimum wage, how
I’d still need coupons to eat there,
the ones from the junk mail.

November 15, 2012


r/Socialistpoetry Jul 28 '22

did you notice?

6 Upvotes

did you notice?

in a capitalist world

people don't cry

when people die

they shelter themselves

in a steel box

of stoicism

they harden themselves

to the luxury

of feeling

no drama

they have seen enough

drama

she is in a better place

no more need

for dollars

no more layoffs

recessions

debt

born too soon

before the death

of hustling

people wait

for death

in silence


r/Socialistpoetry Jul 20 '22

Throwing Eggs at Thatcher

3 Upvotes

Poem by Joe Williams

I threw an egg at Thatcher.
Not the real one, but the statue
they put up in Grantham,
which is the closest you can get
since she’s been ding dong dead

Full poem here


r/Socialistpoetry Oct 19 '21

Politics & Poetry with Jeremy Corbyn, Len McCluskey & Melissa Benn

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2 Upvotes

r/Socialistpoetry Jul 08 '21

New Discord for Leftist Culture Workers

4 Upvotes

Hello comrades! I wanted to share a new Discord server I’ve made called “Bread and Circuses” focused on creating a community/network of leftist content creators/culture workers/artists to collaborate together, support each other, learn from each other, and share our work. It’s still very barebones but I really want the server to grow with the community vs dictating how it will be from the jump. So if anything I’ve said interests you and you write poetry, we’ll be waiting for you over at https://discord.gg/9j6rURMWZa


r/Socialistpoetry Jul 06 '21

Plague Songs (featuring Sara Levy) - Burial

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5 Upvotes

r/Socialistpoetry Jun 09 '21

The Poet Geoff at James Connolly Festival 2021

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3 Upvotes

r/Socialistpoetry Mar 07 '21

Support socialist poets in Protean Magazine Issue 3, member of the Poets Union

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4 Upvotes

r/Socialistpoetry Dec 24 '20

"Tax the rich, read the Morning Star!" - Pete the Poet

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4 Upvotes

r/Socialistpoetry Dec 24 '20

Those magnificent men

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1 Upvotes

r/Socialistpoetry Oct 21 '20

Two Americas

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2 Upvotes

r/Socialistpoetry May 30 '20

Diane di Prima REVOLUTIONARY LETTER #9

4 Upvotes

REVOLUTIONARY LETTER #9

advocating

the overthrow of government is a crime

overthrowing it is something else

altogether, it is sometimes called

revolution

but don’t kid yourself: government

is not where it’s at: it’s only

a good place to start:

  1. kill head of Dow Chemical

  2. destroy plant

  3. MAKE IT UNPROFITABLE FOR THEM to build again.

i.e., destroy the concept of money

as we know it, get rid of interest,

savings, inheritance

(Pound’s money, as dated coupons that come in the mail

to everyone, and are void in 30 days

is still a good idea)

or, let’s start with no money at all and invent it

if we need it

or, mimeograph it and everyone

print as much as they want

and see what happens

//

declare a moratorium on debt

the Continental Congress did

‘on all debts public and private’

& no one ‘owns’ the land

it can be held

for use, no man holding more

than he can work, himself and family working

//

let no one work for another

except for love, and what you make above your needs be given to the tribe

a Common-Wealth

//

None of us knows the answers, think about

these things.

The day will come when we have to know

the answers.


r/Socialistpoetry Mar 29 '19

Poetry I made a very rough English translation of "Arbeiter von Wien"

6 Upvotes

We are the builders of our society

Not the ones who have plundered its wealth.

They will soon learn that their own selfish interests.

Will never override those of our health.

.

Chorus:

So, fly, you glorious, you red banner,

Along the path that Marx foretold,

That we're the future of our planet

We are the workers of the world!

.

Rulers of workplaces, rulers of nations,

Your reign of terror will finally die.

When the people learn of a better future,

Your best hope is that our mercy is high.

.

Chorus

.

What other lies will you conjure tonight?

That your way is moral, or your power's right?

The people are starting to see through your gas lights,

They have a hope that the future is bright!

.

Chorus

Edit: mobile formatting is worse than capitalism


r/Socialistpoetry Nov 28 '18

Poetry Circus - Mick Theebs

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1 Upvotes

r/Socialistpoetry Nov 19 '18

Revival

6 Upvotes

This subreddit was looking rather dead,

So I thought I'd share my love of red

In hopes that other comrades would

Submit the work they thought was good

So if you've got a flair for writing,

And the workers need uniting

Write a poem; we could start

A revolution with our art


r/Socialistpoetry May 05 '18

"commodity chains" - about Latin America and the continuity of imperialism

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6 Upvotes

r/Socialistpoetry Apr 26 '18

Once in a lifetime the longed-for tidal wave of justice can rise up, and hope and history rhyme... Seamus Heaney

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6 Upvotes

r/Socialistpoetry Mar 11 '18

a cloud in trousers

3 Upvotes

r/Socialistpoetry Feb 08 '18

Revolution

5 Upvotes

REVOLUTION


The world is quite bad!

But there's a solution!

What needs to be had

Is a revolution!


So, you are a slave?

And you don't like that, no?

Be sure to be brave!

Then, your lords, overthrow!


You don't like a thing?

Use violence, then bolt!

You don't want a king?

Then stand up and revolt!


Capitalism's wrong?

Something you're despising?

Have heart and be strong

Then start an uprising!



This way works always!

If we just stand up all!

They'll listen to us!

We will be standing tall!


r/Socialistpoetry Jul 26 '17

John Beecher - Report to the Stockholders

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2 Upvotes

r/Socialistpoetry Jun 06 '17

Henry Lawson - Faces in the Street

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1 Upvotes

r/Socialistpoetry May 03 '17

ee cummings

4 Upvotes

16 heures

l'Etoile

 

the communists have fine Eyes

 

some are young some old none

look alike the flics rush

batter the crowd sprawls collapses

singing knocked down trampled the kicked by

flics rush(the

 

Flics,tidiyum,are

very tidiyum reassuringly similar,

they all have very tidiyum

mustaches,and very

tidiyum chins,and just above

their very tidiyum ears their

very tidiyum necks begin)

let us add

 

that there are 50(fifty)flics for every

one(1)communist and

all the flics are very organically

arranged

and their nucleus(composed

of captains in freshly-creased

-uniforms with only-just-

shined buttons

tidiyum

before and behind)has nucleolus:

 

the Prefect of Police

 

(a dapper derbied

creature,swaggers daintily

twiddling

his tiny cane

and,mazurkas about tweak-

ing his wing collar pecking at his im

 

-peccable cravat directing being

shooting his cuffs

saluted everywhere saluting

reviewing processions of minions

tappingpeopleontheback

 

"allezcirculez")

 

--my he's brave...

the

communists pick

up themselves friends

& their hats legs &

 

arms brush dirt coats

smile looking hands

spit blood teeth

 

the Communists have(very)fine eyes

(which stroll hither and thither through the

evening in bruised narrow questioning faces)