New Times,
New Thinking.

  1. Culture
  2. Poetry
7 December 2023

The NS Poem: Sabotage

A new poem by Rebecca Farmer.

By Rebecca Farmer

Coming soon! It will be – luxury!
Swear it by the light, by the light
of a fluorescent painted moon
that’s been all over the world
but rests now above the entrance
to the cathedral of power where
mountains of coal once belted
out smog and London’s electricity
into a black and white world
that knew the difference between
what was right and what was wrong.
Shine a light, shine a light into
the darkness of the dark night.
Four Doric chimneys and all that brick
what you might call iconic before 
you go inside to experience
the oh so real nightmare world
of ‘unforgettable corporate gifting’
and everlasting lip gloss that lies
in front of you, and you realise
that what you must now do is shop.

Rebecca Farmer’s latest pamphlet “A Separate Appointment” is published by New Walk Editions

Select and enter your email address Your weekly guide to the best writing on ideas, politics, books and culture every Saturday. The best way to sign up for The Saturday Read is via saturdayread.substack.com The New Statesman's quick and essential guide to the news and politics of the day. The best way to sign up for Morning Call is via morningcall.substack.com
Visit our privacy Policy for more information about our services, how Progressive Media Investments may use, process and share your personal data, including information on your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications.
THANK YOU

Topics in this article :

This article appears in the 07 Dec 2023 issue of the New Statesman, Christmas Special