“One does not establish a dictatorship in order to safeguard a revolution; one makes a revolution in order to establish a dictatorship.” —George Orwell

We are the fearsome force for good
who’ll overthrow your neighborhood;
abolish cops, fight day and night
until the wrong are thinking right.

Just close your mind and take a knee.
Then hush your mouth. Think us not me.
We are your kith. We are your kin.
We’re here to free you from your sin.

We think you’ll like this day and age;
we’ve tidied up each history page.
We’ve cancelled all that’s gone before;
denied your truths (which we abhor),

smashed your statues, burned your books,
annihilated all that looks
offensive to our precious kids.
The Western World has hit the skids.

And so it must and so it should.
We’re doing it for your own good.
There’ll be no trace. There’ll be no proof.
We’ll own the past. We’ll own the youth.

Let virtue reign. Hail purity.
All justice starts with anarchy.
We’re fighting for equality.
Come join our brand of liberty.

And if you don’t—if you resist,
we’ll just ensure you don’t exist.

.

Susan Jarvis Bryant is a church secretary and poet whose homeland is Kent, England.  She is now an American citizen living on the coastal plains of Texas.  Susan has poetry published in the UK webzine, Lighten Up On Line, The Daily Mail, and Openings (anthologies of poems by Open University Poets).


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40 Responses

    • Susan Jarvis Bryant

      Thank you very much, Joe. You, Mike and James inspired me with your latest poems on the madness and mayhem of our times. I am very pleased with the chosen picture. I saw this very statue unveiled by Queen Elizabeth II when I was eight years of age. The ignorance of the vandals stating Churchill was a “racist” just goes to show they didn’t do their research on the guy he beat.

      Reply
      • Joseph S. Salemi

        The words “racism” and “racist” are meaningless today, since all they have become are merely weaponized terms of attack, to be used exclusively against any white person who declines to debase himself, or apologize for his cultural identity.

        Many years ago (in Whitby, England) I spoke to a man who was the caretaker of the ruins of the old abbey there. We had a wonderful talk on many subjects, both historical and archaeological. At one point he said “I’m proud to be an Englishman, and proud to be a Yorkshireman!” His name was Leslie Stainthorpe.

        I’m sure if I had pressed Mr. Stainthorpe he would have gone on to say that being an Englishman and a Yorkshireman was the very best anyone could be, and he was deeply grateful for having that identity. Which is EXACTLY what an ancient Greek would have said about being Hellenic, or an ancient Roman about being Roman. Both of them would have said that anyone NOT a member of their group was a “barbaros,” and therefore unlucky and unfavored.

        This isn’t “racism,” whatever that stupid politicized term might mean now in the mouths of the rioting scum in our streets. It is simply the normal pride and self-respect that anyone has for his racial and cultural identity.

        Was the caretaker of the ruins at Whitby a “racist” because of his devotion to his English and Northumbrian heritage? Was Winston Churchill a “racist” because if his obvious belief in English superiority? Belief that one’s own group is better than any other is a normal human feeling, and if it is absent in you, you are a degenerate.

        Right now, here in the U.S., anyone who dares to put up a sign or post a message on-line which says “It’s Okay To Be White” is subject to arrest and prosecution. Think I’m lying? Just try it.

        If you don’t smell the coffee now, your olfactory glands are dead.

      • Susan Jarvis Bryant

        Dr. Salemi, thank you very much for this wonderful tale from Dracula territory. I love Whitby. Goths descend upon it for a festival every year in the name of Stoker’s literary legend, and Trenchers of Whitby is the best fish & chip shop in the U.K.

        The lovely Yorkshire gentleman, Leslie Stainthorpe, is the quintessential Englishman of a forgotten era: my father, my grandfather, all the men I knew when I was growing up in England – men who were proud of their country and proud to belong to it. The U.K. is almost lost now. The people have been duped by a treasonous government and their vote has been thwarted at every turn. One cannot tell the difference between the Conservative and Labour parties. They all stand for the same thing – themselves and the amount of money they can make from their skullduggery. The word “racist” is meaningless. If everyone’s a racist, no one’s a racist, and, by today’s definition you’re a racist if your view doesn’t align with the Marxist/Globalist new order. My olfactory glands are working overtime and the stench coming from this current dictatorship is rank.

        As ever, I appreciate your viewpoint. It never fails to validate my train of thought – a good thing in these days of isolation, invalidation and eradication if one doesn’t kowtow to the thought police.

      • Sally Cook

        Dear Susan -Thank you for stirring the pot o
        There is so much substantive stuff on this site
        Due to my seemingly unending computer problems, I don’t know if you will recieve any part or all of this; it may not go through at all, but I must say you and the others have done a great service to the tattered rags of world sanity. Many thanks, dear friend. Am longing to join in the fray again.

      • Susan Jarvis Bryant

        Sally, your visit to my page is a wonderful treat – it’s lovely to have you back again. Thank you very much for your kind comments. I hope your computer problems die down soon and you’re able to return to these discussions with your fine artist’s eye. You have been sorely missed!

  1. Rod Walford

    I can only echo all that Prof Salemi has written above. The term “racist” has been hijacked as have the words marriage, wicked, sick and so many others.
    I’m quite certain that the colour of a man’s skin was very far from Mr Stainthorpe’s mind when he made his statement about being proud to be an Englishman from Yorkshire.
    Well written Susan and right on point. Your finale says it all.

    Reply
    • billyboy

      The liberals have done blacks a great disservice by convincing them that they should riot, maim, or kill every time they are “triggered” by a simple word…the N word. Much like the main character in the movie “DUNE” where he was taught a secret and powerful word that would make his enemies literally explode. It is a simple word, but I can control people by using it…how diabolical.

      Reply
      • Susan Jarvis Bryant

        billyboy, thank you for your comment. I think our entire language is in danger of being hijacked. The “trigger” list is growing by the hour. There are so many words we can’t use, I’ve lost track. And that is the whole, insidious idea. We are being confused and shut down for a purpose, and I think the purpose is becoming more obvious every day. The last time we were this close to losing our freedom was WWII – this is serious.

    • Susan Jarvis Bryant

      Thank you very much for dropping by, Rod. I knew you would recognise and appreciate Mr. Stainthorpe’s frame of mind. Isn’t it ironic that the powers that be push for diversity when they couldn’t be more opposed to it when it comes to the culture of the Western world. All Western world history and culture are to be quashed. All diversity of thought from anyone defending Western world values are to be stamped out. How hypocritical. How wicked.

      Reply
  2. Norma Okun

    Justice is in space or surely would have been pulverized. A human face is kindness and so shall be at any hospital. These cries for fairness are not to be confused with ego ridden mortals who destroy and say things they don’t mean.

    Reply
    • Joseph S. Salemi

      How do you know what these rioting and destructive people mean? Are you clairvoyant?

      Reply
      • Norma Okun

        The desire to do some pulverizing and burning buildings to me it is anger that is not useful and serves no purpose to honor justice.

    • Susan Jarvis Bryant

      Thank you for reading and commenting, Norma. I am pleased to hear that you are opposed to pulverizing and burning buildings in the name of justice. Things have got way out of hand.

      Reply
  3. Jan Darling

    Chillingly brilliant, Susan. I do so love your writing. It’s like a neatly bandaged wound.

    Reply
    • joespringza

      Well said! It’s compelling for those who see it, but likely won’t land with those who need it most.

      Reply
      • Susan Jarvis Bryant

        Thank you for your comment, Joe. I am sad to say I am inclined to agree with you.

    • Susan Jarvis Bryant

      Jan, I love your comment. It’s a poem in itself! I appreciate you popping by to read and hope things are a lot more peaceful where you are.

      Reply
  4. David Watt

    Susan, you have comprehensively exposed the myth that Western cultural identity must be erased in the name of fighting racial injustice.

    Prof. Salemi is quite right in saying that pride in identity (personal or cultural) is normal and natural.

    Reply
    • Susan Jarvis Bryant

      David, I really appreciate you reading and commenting. We are living in very troubling times and Dr. Salemi’s observation goes a long way to alleviating the guilt many are feeling just for being proud of their country. Many have been brainwashed into shrinking in guilt just because they’re patriotic or white, and that is not right. What sort of world is that for all the children who are unable to choose the colour of their skin? So sad.

      Reply
  5. Jeff Eardley

    Powerful stuff Susan. I read this whilst watching the awful mayhem in Portland on TV. The Sky reporter said that this would end, but badly. Unfortunately it looks as though she could be right.

    Reply
    • Susan Jarvis Bryant

      Thank you for reading my much grittier poem. We’re living in terrible times at the moment, and I sincerely hope we all pull through and things don’t escalate beyond repair.

      Reply
    • Susan Jarvis Bryant

      Thank you very much, Dave. I really appreciate your wonderful observation. It was passion and despair that compelled me to write this poem and I’m glad I managed to get my feelings across. What sad and infuriating times we are living in.

      Reply
  6. Yael Sauzedde

    Lovely poem! It would make a great contemporary Bluegrass song; I can hear it in my head. Thank you for sharing your art with the rest of us.

    Reply
  7. Susan Jarvis Bryant

    Thank you very much for your inspirational comment, Yael. I’m just getting familiar with Bluegrass and love it. What a great idea. If only I was musically inclined, I’d be getting my poetry out to a much wider audience. It’s exciting to think you can hear the song in your head.

    Reply
    • Yael Sauzedde

      I’m happy to hear that you like the idea of a Bluegrass song. The melody popped into my head spontaneously while I was reading your lovely poem several times over to savor the meter and the rhythm. I’m only an amateur musician, but between my family and friends I can probably put enough people on this to make a whole song out of it. We have recording equipment so I’ll be able to share the results with you.

      Reply
      • Susan Jarvis Bryant

        Yael, I am honored and really look forward to hearing the end result.

  8. Yael Sauzedde

    Working on it…Difficult to get people together in one room these days. I’ve got the guitar chords and melody, the fiddle and the vocals, now I need to convince my banjo, bass and mandolin friends to offer their talents on this project, and we’ll have it. I’m having fun with this song already, thanks!

    Reply
    • Susan Jarvis Bryant

      Yael, I’m thrilled to hear of your progress and I’m sure your enthusiasm will rub off on all your musicians. I am thrilled you’re having fun with this project. I’m very excited myself. I had no idea my poem would be inspiration for a song and look forward to hearing it when it’s ready. Here’s wishing you every success with the creative process.

      Reply
      • Yael

        Susan, with the way things are going it doesn’t look like any of my musician friends will leave the house or play again anytime soon. So before I forget how it goes, I’ve done the next best thing and jammed out to your poem by myself in front of the cell phone. If I ever do get it recorded as a Bluegrass arrangement in the future (with me on the fiddle where I belong) I’ll let you know, but it doesn’t look likely at this point in time.
        https://youtu.be/_cFwtR1W_Pk
        Thanks for the inspiration, I had fun with this one. Great poem!

      • Susan Jarvis Bryant

        Yael, I am over the moon! Thank you so very much for your gift of a song… to think that my poem inspired this musical gem is wonderful. You make my writing worthwhile and for that I am most grateful. OX 🙂

      • Susan Jarvis Bryant

        Yael, I asked Evan to feature your beautiful song beneath my poem but it appears the video has been disabled from playing on other sites. Is there is any chance you could fix it at your end? If not, no worries – the link is fine… but it would be even better if your talent was at center stage.

      • Yael

        Susan I’m totally flattered that you like my little musical rendition. I think it wouldn’t embed on the website because of the original upload settings which I chose. I re-recorded it today, gave it the correct title of your poem and then uploaded it to YouTube with the embedding feature enabled. Evan should be able to stick it on the web page now:
        https://youtu.be/0VVW5ejDlqM

      • Susan Jarvis Bryant

        Yael – absolutely wonderful. Thanks again for this… Mike and I have been singing along, the tune is so catchy and fits perfectly with my poetic message. The marvelous Evan has fixed it.

  9. David Conrad`

    Dear Susan:

    I enjoyed your poems in this issue, especially the one on the BLT and Antifa.
    I write poetry of all sorts and have just published a collection entitled Wake Up Hill Poems: New and Collected. I do use many traditional forms, sonnets, villanelles, etc, but I don’t serve Western rhyme and meter slavishly. There’s a little Pound in my work. If you want you can find them on my website: https://wakeuphillpoetry.com/misecellanea/

    David Conrad
    Chester Basin, NS

    Reply
  10. Elizabeth Best

    Dear Susan Jarvis Bryant,
    I thoroughly enjoyed your well-structured, “Poem on BLM Riots”. I admire your rhyming choice, clever turns of phrase and the rhythm. What makes the poem very intriguing and worthy of close study is that it takes up two social positions simultaneously. First, it voices a position that is clearly anti BLM, a group that challenges the status quo in areas where it perpetuates injustice and social inequalities and police brutality. This opposing stance is conveyed initially in the title that highlights “riots” rather than “protests”. It is then developed throughout the poem skillfully, in a tongue in cheek fashion. For example it is evident in the suggestion that those who took a knee (in protest against police brutality) were closed minded and should “shut up.” Second, the poem voices many sentiments which underpinned the establishment of the current social systems against which the BLM is protesting. If this poem had been written sixty years ago, it would have been a perfect promotion of the attitudes to Black folk which lay beneath the inequalities and injustices that have prevailed since then. Ironically, what the poem blatantly abhors in its accusation of one group’s assumed intentions is exactly what it implicitly celebrates in another group’s actual achievements.
    Poems have many purposes: as lances, their sharp points can pierce the boils of society to heal the body politic; as bandages, they can hide those boils, stop the circulation of justice and keep a nation sick. To me, when a poem manages to blend sense and sound with sentiments that inspire, not mislead, it achieves a sort of sonic alchemy, psalm-like.
    I have seen no comments that challenge the sentiments expressed in this poem, but I could not simply “shut up” and let it pass. As Dr. Joseph S. Salemi, once said under different circumstances, “When you are a hated minority, the pressure to be silent is…more intense.”

    Reply
    • Susan Jarvis Bryant

      Elizabeth, thank you very much for your thought provoking comments on my poem. I can certainly see how my poem leaves room for the reader’s interpretation. What I was trying to make clear were the words of George Orwell in his quote above my poem. These words say everything about what is happening on our streets today. I would have protested along with the suffragettes. I would have protested along with Martin Luther King Jr. and the Civil Rights Movement. I certainly wouldn’t protest alongside BLM.

      You say, “BLM [is] a group that challenges the status quo in areas where it perpetuates injustice and social inequalities and police brutality.” This isn’t what BLM stands for. It’s a self-declared Marxist organization with an agenda that cares nothing for injustice and social inequalities. It cares about overthrowing the Western World and replacing it with a Marxist regime.

      As for your interpretation of those taking a knee as being “closed minded” and that they should “shut up” – that is from the perspective of the BLM group, not mine. Personally, I feel all those bowing and kowtowing to these Marxists are doing so because they’re either ill-informed, or they’re submitting to this organization (an organization backed by big government and huge corporations) to keep their jobs and reputations – they’re doing so out of fear.

      This poem would never have been written sixty years ago. If I had lived then, a totally different poem would have been written backing the agenda of MLK Jr. BLM have more in common with the KKK than they do MLK. They riot. They destroy. They kill. They want to defund the very cops that are saving black lives in Chicago. And they are racist.

      You say Dr. Salemi said; “When you are a hated minority, the pressure to be silent is more intense.” I have been silent on many political issues just because my opinion is unpopular. Like you, I can no longer “shut up and let it pass”. BLM/Antifa is a dangerous terrorist organization and I thank this site for allowing me to publish this poem.

      Reply

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