The accompanying video is of Emma Kirkby (an old family favourite of ours) singing “Dido’s Lament”  by Henry Purcell. It’s one of the saddest pieces of English music I’ve ever heard, and so, is most appropriate.

I’ve modelled my poem around Dylan Thomas’ “Do not go gentle into that good night”, on the premise that the night we currently face is not, in any sense of the word, a “good” one.

The words of the title are from a placard carried by a Jewish woman in Germany, protesting on behalf of Palestine.

 

Do not go craven into evil’s night,

Those enemies of truth fear sunlit day,

War’s been declared upon Compassion’s light.

 

We Citizens know might cannot be right,

Let Poets’ words fork lightning bright, that they

Humanity’s path illumine this dark night.

 

So onwards, Comrades, onwards with the fight,

With artful words now ever our mainstay,

We’ll rage against extinction of Truth’s light.

 

Lest tyrants put the kind old sun to flight,

Speak out, speak out, let’s send them on their way,

Rage, rage against the power of evil’s might.

 

Against the fascist threat, men fought and died;

So that their suffering shall not be in vain,

Let’s rage against the hypocrites’ gaslight.

 

Oh Palestine, we see your tragic plight,

For courage to defend you, we now pray,

Shoulder to shoulder against that evil’s night,

We’ll rage against the power of tyrants’ might.