Getting Fucked About, a poem by Arthur Adlen and read by Dave Hayward (Bravid)
The photograph shows Arthur speaking in Skelmersdale.
Getting Fucked About
people on benefits, people who are sick
people in wheelchairs, people on sticks
people with cancer, people without arms …
Arthur Adlen died on 17th September 2018.
Arthur’s website: Arthur Adlen
Read the review of Arthur’s book of poetry Memoirs of a Breck Road Buck
Hear Arthur’s poems previously broadcast here
Buy Arthur’s book at News from Nowhere
Permalink
These poems are an excellent tribute to Arthur. They show both his fierce working class creativity and also his deep humanity with his experience of love and connectedness to others. Most are robbed of this via our socialisation and economics which requires us to jettison so many facets of our nature, usually unconsciously. Arthur refused this. I didn’t know him too long, I wish it had been longer, but hearing this work, read in tribute to him, really brings home his character.
Permalink
These poems are an great tribute to Arthur. They show both his fierce working class creativity, as here, or his connectedness to those he loved and who loved him. The topics are varied and rich. To many, the forces of socialisation and economics, amongst other factors, preclude analysis of the external world and it’s structures, as well as the capacity to be introspective and to reflect. This didn’t apply to Arthur and these sides of his character shine through in these excellent readings by his friends. I wish I’d known him longer.
Permalink
Apologies for the almost duplicated 2nd comment. It appeared that my first, sent earlier today, hadn’t gone up so I sent it again, trying to remember the gist of what I’d written.