Bloggers for Hope

STATUS QUO

Re-listening to sixties' protest songs
recalling fledgling dreams.
We thought then if folk would only hear
the world's ways would change
in a revolution of peace and love.

Our mono records revolve on turntables
engineered for stereophonic sound.
Deafened by and deaf to heavy metal
we wonder how much our sons
will do to change their parents' world.

Gerald England

I wrote this poem in 1984. It was published in Folio (UK, 1986) and Sacrifice The Common Sense (USA, 1991). It is included in my collection Stealing Kisses (New Hope International, 1992). In 1997 it appeared on the internet in an ezine or website called Grape probably now defunct.

Things have moved on not just from the sixties to the eighties but from the eighties to the noughties. The poem shows its age. Stereos have been superceeded by CD players which are being superceeded by Mp3 players.

So what has prompted me to publish the poem again? It was a post by Fancy Sweden urging me to support Bloggers Unite - Humans right - Bloggers for Hope. It reminded me how youthful hope and enthusiasm still remains even though age has brought us pragmatic cynicism. Part of my response to her was

Yes there ARE things we can do to help in spite of the problems and yes highlighting these things is important, but however many bloggers post a banner on their blog, that of itself will do nothing to change the hearts of those who need to change.

Sharing understanding has to be a useful thing and blogging across the world does much to aid that amongst individuals.

Just displaying a banner does nothing and possibly deludes some people into thinking they've done something when they haven't.

She didn't dismiss me as a party-pooper or a hypocrite but understood.

So I've made this post, nonetheless, and provided the link. Will joining Blogger's Unite really make any difference, or just give you a warm glow of having done something when in reality you've done nothing.

Reader, decide for yourself.