At the RMC, one memorable and seasoned activist took the time to enquire and listen to what was happening in my life. I told her that I had recently become without a home. In order to ease my concerns, she referred to the “loser” cartoon in the latest issue (PN 2538). I admitted that instead of understanding the meaning of the cartoon, it had both puzzled and saddened me.
Hearing this, my new friend recited the poem that had been referred to on the “loser’s” book in the cartoon. The poem was “Leisure” by William Henry Davies. The poem showed how great beauty, strength and nourishment of the mind can be lost in our everyday lives. The cartoon’s modern take on the poem was that we as consumers of information and technology are imprisoned and impoverished.
Later, my new friend later confided in me. Even though she used computers, there was a lot of the technological jargon used at the conference that she couldn’t understand; lamenting that perhaps her usefulness had gone – a great irony as she had played a vital part in the 10-year Afghanistan protest at Downing Street just the day before.
In hindsight, though deeply enjoyable, I feel our conference may have benefitted from including of poets, dramatists, and songwriters: low-tech, inspirational and accessable. In the words of Utah Phillips, “In a mass marketing culture, a revolutionary song is any song you chose to sing yourself. Welcome to the revolution.”