I'm genuinely excited about the next 12 months. Everything is changing around us, history is being made every day and the old certainties are feeling just a bit uncertain. For example, bank managers need never feel so grand, nor should we ever believe that they are.
Just lately I've been revisiting the poetry of Adrian Mitchell. His death just before Christmas left me stunned and pricked to realise we're none of us here for ever. It also lead me to pull out a copy of Bloodaxe books excellent dvd and book from 2008 called 'in Person.' To just hear and see Adrian Mitchell read out loud his poems 'Beattie is three,' 'a puppy called puberty', 'human beings,' Back in the playground blues' left me feeling glad for his life as well as so grateful that Neil Astley and Pamela Robertson-Pearce stepped out to meet Adrian some time in January 2008 to make their film.
As more madness unfolds in Gaza I rather wish the Israelis had leaflets dropped on them with a few of Adrian Mitchell's wise and wonderful words, especially from 'Huma beings'-
"You're human/not british/not american/not israeli/not palestinian/you're human... we all start out human/we all end up human/human first/human last/we're human or we're nothing/nothing but bombs/and poison gas/nothng but guns/and torturers/we are human/let's try to be human/dance!"
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AuthorAdrian Johnson writes fiction, poetry and journalism. Since 1996 his work has appeared in The Guardian, Poetry News and others. He is a teacher of English and drama and occasional cultural producer. He is always happy to read or perform at a lovely place near you and lives near Birmingham, UK. Archives
June 2015
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