Today’s show is a tribute to British poet/playwright/actor Heathcote Williams. Actor Alan Cox reads Williams’ accusatory, vibrantly disturbing poem, “An Old Man and a Young Man in Gaza.” The poem ends, “Israel’s vision of itself was once / As a ‘light unto the nations.’ / It has no need of the fearful hatred, / Fuelling its bombs and its bullets, / Unless it wishes to fade away – / Putting out the light that might enable it / To see the stranger as a friend.” Complete version available here:
http://stopwar.org.uk/poetry/an-old-man-and-a-young-man-in-gaza#.U8v1aqhRfQr)
In addition, Jack reads Williams’ scathing “Hollywoodland,” an examination “Of a death cult idolizing its fearless and glamorous screen killers / In a town named after holly, full of pricks and drawing blood.” Williams writes,
Auden said, “Poetry
Makes nothing happen,” but he
Was completely wrong.
The world that you know
Can be made to change its shape
With just one poem
Poured into your ears
Then into your brain and heart,
And no bills to pay.
Poetry can make
Everything happen at once.