Jonathan Oates

I love you, Earth.
I want you to be okay, 
Which is to say,
Bio-massive
And diverse.

I love you, my family - Humanity.
I want you to be okay, 
Which is to say, 
Safe,
Happy
And free of poverty.

I love you, offenders major,
Although I have at times imagined you hanging from a scaffold
Or with your face smashed in.
I want you to be okay too :
Safe,
Happy
And free of moral poverty.

I love you, offenders minor,
Although I have at times had contempt for your irresponsibility,
Wilful ignorance or lack of courage. 
I want you to be okay : 
Safe, 
Happy
And free of moral poverty.

In loving these, I live and am : 
My Earth, 
My family - Humanity, 
Which is to say,
Jonathan.

What if?

What if it doesn't work? 
What then? 
What if the First World War ended because the Germany Navy - armed - turned on Berlin? 
What if the NHS and the welfare state came about when the British Army - armed - returned home? 
What if violence doesn't speak non violence, as Malcolm said? 
What if illegal detention, collateral murder, and the death of press freedom, 
Or, say, children marching around, mass extinction and existential threats are less interesting than the lawn, or Kim Kardashian? 
What then? 
What then?

On Waterloo Bridge

Tomorrow, on Waterloo Bridge,
I might be asked : 
"How did you get here?"
And I might answer :
"On the Ball line via Milton, Blake, Paine, Morris and Orwell."

If Not Now

When will you act?
When the standpipe croaks
And there is no food? 
When the wind blows?
That is too late. 

On the government's decree,
Or an address by Her Majesty?
Perhaps when you hear it on the BBC?
Too late.

How about when teachers, lawyers, reverends and grandmothers
Keep getting themselves arrested,
And would-be parents refuse to have children,
And kids are striking from school?
All happening now.

No.
You must be waiting for your family, colleagues, and neighbours to move.
Then you will know. 
But that is you.

Regina v Oates

We met in April last year Regina.
You wore blue.
I wore beige. 
You said there was nothing to worry about;
Bade me move from where I stood;
Then arrested me, 
Unlawfully.

You asked me for my personal details, Regina;
Put my things in a bag; 
Tried to ID my phone. 
You said it was to see whether it was stolen; 
Asked whether I was dependent on any substances,
And smiled when I said,
'Water.'

You locked me in a cell, Regina,
On a school-gym blue mat,
Opposite an excrement caked seatless toilet.
You said that's nothing to worry about
When I heard a young man's cries - and banging - not being attended to; 
And brought me ready-meal and water, 
And Watership Down. 

You probed inside my mouth, Regina,
For my DNA;
Took fingerprints and photographs. 
You said there was someone here to see me; 
Gave me pills for sunstroke and stomach; 
And released me under investigation, 
Around midnight.

We met again, in August, Regina.
You wore navy, or grey, or black. 
I wore grey.
You said little to me on that occasion, 
Beyond acknowledging my plea;
Comporting yourself badly, for a court of law; 
And convicting several like me.

We met twice more in December, Regina.
Your dress was the same. 
So was mine.
You said the causal nexus was too weak to support a defence of necessity;
Asked whether I had heard Jonathan Freedland on Radio 4;
And convicted my fellow defendants
And me.

I did not appeal your verdict, Regina.
Likely unsound,
My advice was you'd not decide on legal grounds. 
You said you'd not punish me without further offence,
Imposed costs, 
Victim surcharge, 
And a record hence.

I saw footage of you on television this year, Regina.
You wore pink, 
Or some pastel shade, I think.
I know you said 'We'll meet again.'
Well we might o'er the 65,000 more than usual you've killed, year to date. 
For them, the causal nexus was stronger;
The reform of your character - still outstanding - too late.