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Regime Change- Andrew Motion |
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 Andrew Motion
Poet Laureate, Andrew Motion, puts pen to paper about conflict in Iraq
On today鈥檚 programme the Poet Laureate Andrew Motion read his new poem, 鈥淩egime Change鈥, about the fighting in Iraq. It is 鈥 he said 鈥 an anti-war statement. A number of listeners have sent in emails asking us to publish the words. So click on the icon on the right hand side to hear his recital or read the text below.
REGIME CHANGE
Advancing down the road from Niniveh
Death paused a while and said 鈥楴ow listen here.
You see the names of places roundabout?
They鈥檙e mine now, and I鈥檝e turned them inside out.
Take Eden, further south: at dawn today
I ordered up my troops to tear away
its walls and gates so everyone can see
that gorgeous fruit which dangles from its tree.
You want it, don鈥檛 you? Go and eat it then,
and lick your lips, and pick the same again.
Take Tigris and Euphrates; once they ran
through childhood-coloured slats of sand and sun.
Not any more they don鈥檛; I鈥檝e filled them up
with countless different kinds of human crap.
Take Babylon, the palace sprouting flowers
which sweetened empires in their peaceful hours
I鈥檝e found a different way to scent the air:
already it鈥檚 a by-word for despair.
Which leaves Baghdad 鈥 the star-tipped minarets,
the marble courts and halls, the mirage-heat.
These places, and the ancient things you know,
you won鈥檛 know soon. I鈥檓 working on it now.鈥
Andrew Motion
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