‘A Progressive Englishman Speaks to Jews’ by Damian Robin The Society June 23, 2021 Culture, Humor, Poetry 8 Comments . In black and white terms, I would say, __You’re all more white than olive, Take Einstein, Rothschild, Proust, Bizet— __all Western, bourgeois, stolid. Sephardic or Mizrahi breeds, __Hasidic, Ashkenazis, Your culture’s rich though my heart bleeds, __tough luck back with the Nazis. To say you’re still at risk’s absurd, __you’re safe down Zion’s warren— You’ve got your home, your Dome, your herd, __and don’t look really foreign Just normal as a Scottish laird … __(no foreskin ‘neath his sporran). . . Damian Robin is a writer and editor living in the United Kingdom. NOTE TO READERS: If you enjoyed this poem or other content, please consider making a donation to the Society of Classical Poets. The Society of Classical Poets does not endorse any views expressed in individual poems or commentary. Share this:Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to print (Opens in new window)Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)Trending now: 8 Responses Margaret Coats June 23, 2021 Very wittily done, Damian. Do I detect a bit of a spoof on the progressive Englishman’s rosy-cheeked spectacles (concerning risk in the present)? Many progressives are confused about their attitude to Jews. One knee needs to knock Nazis, but the other supports a certain breed of Middle-East terrorism active today. If I were quicker at versifying, this comment might end with rattles as liberal knees knock against one another. Reply Damian Robin June 23, 2021 It’s ironic that that so much of the early socialist movement was pushed forward in England by Jews. Some of whar’s going on in the UK is David Baddiel’s “Jews Dont Count” https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/jews-dont-count-by-david-baddiel-review-a-furious-look-at-antisemitism-86q3vptlg Reply Damian Robin June 23, 2021 Good point Margaret. Knock-kneed cock-knees going off half-cock come to mind. Reply Damian Robin June 23, 2021 And generally now https://paresky.substack.com/p/what-would-you-do-if-you-werent-afraid Reply Margaret Coats June 24, 2021 This is a good short overview of the upswing in antisemitism and how some intelligent people are addressing it. And unlike the Sunday Times, one can read it without signing away one’s online privacy. Reply BDW June 25, 2021 This striking, tennos-like poem is reminiscent of early Pound. It also neatly flips the pattern found in the magnificent lyric “Up Beat”. In execution, the poem, with its rich diction and knowledge are reminiscent of PostModernist sonneteer Robert Lowell, and are suggestively Miltonic. Part of the poem’s power resides in its balance of tragedy and humour. Undoubtedly, it is a poem that will find little acknowledgement, and possibly minimal sympathy, in the benighted atmosphere of the 21st century; but it does indicate a widening range in the poetic talent of Mr. Robin. Reply C.B. Anderson June 25, 2021 If I hadn’t detected your irony, Damian, I would have taken you to task for having suggested that Israelis should be nonchalant when Persian militants rain down missiles on Israeli neighborhoods. But, happily, you knew exactly what it was that was on your mind, and you communicated it perfectly. Reply David Whippman June 27, 2021 Cleverly written. As a British Jew myself, I am sickened by the way that old prejudices are re-emerging (usually thinly disguised as “antizionism.”) I could say it was ironic – but of course, according to the gent pictured (the one with the shorter beard) I am not endowed with a sense of irony. Reply Leave a Reply Cancel ReplyYour email address will not be published.CommentName* Email* Website Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Notify me of new posts by email. Δ This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
Margaret Coats June 23, 2021 Very wittily done, Damian. Do I detect a bit of a spoof on the progressive Englishman’s rosy-cheeked spectacles (concerning risk in the present)? Many progressives are confused about their attitude to Jews. One knee needs to knock Nazis, but the other supports a certain breed of Middle-East terrorism active today. If I were quicker at versifying, this comment might end with rattles as liberal knees knock against one another. Reply
Damian Robin June 23, 2021 It’s ironic that that so much of the early socialist movement was pushed forward in England by Jews. Some of whar’s going on in the UK is David Baddiel’s “Jews Dont Count” https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/jews-dont-count-by-david-baddiel-review-a-furious-look-at-antisemitism-86q3vptlg Reply
Damian Robin June 23, 2021 Good point Margaret. Knock-kneed cock-knees going off half-cock come to mind. Reply
Damian Robin June 23, 2021 And generally now https://paresky.substack.com/p/what-would-you-do-if-you-werent-afraid Reply
Margaret Coats June 24, 2021 This is a good short overview of the upswing in antisemitism and how some intelligent people are addressing it. And unlike the Sunday Times, one can read it without signing away one’s online privacy. Reply
BDW June 25, 2021 This striking, tennos-like poem is reminiscent of early Pound. It also neatly flips the pattern found in the magnificent lyric “Up Beat”. In execution, the poem, with its rich diction and knowledge are reminiscent of PostModernist sonneteer Robert Lowell, and are suggestively Miltonic. Part of the poem’s power resides in its balance of tragedy and humour. Undoubtedly, it is a poem that will find little acknowledgement, and possibly minimal sympathy, in the benighted atmosphere of the 21st century; but it does indicate a widening range in the poetic talent of Mr. Robin. Reply
C.B. Anderson June 25, 2021 If I hadn’t detected your irony, Damian, I would have taken you to task for having suggested that Israelis should be nonchalant when Persian militants rain down missiles on Israeli neighborhoods. But, happily, you knew exactly what it was that was on your mind, and you communicated it perfectly. Reply
David Whippman June 27, 2021 Cleverly written. As a British Jew myself, I am sickened by the way that old prejudices are re-emerging (usually thinly disguised as “antizionism.”) I could say it was ironic – but of course, according to the gent pictured (the one with the shorter beard) I am not endowed with a sense of irony. Reply
