This stanza was written on a Monday morning, after “The Guardian” quoted a speech Theresa May is due to make today. It includes this sentence : “I ask MPs to consider the consequences of their actions on the faith of the British people in our democracy.” Tomorrow her “deal” is expected to be voted down in the Commons.
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It is thought that the poet John Skelton wrote his satirical poem “Speak, Parrot” while living in the sanctuary of Westminster. For the medieval laws of sanctuary still operated in England at that time, leaving certain delegated areas under church jurisdiction. It meant that a significant number of people were able to live beyond the reach of state powers, and therefore, by extension, “safe” from state, or secular, law enforcement. It has been suggested that while Skelton, safe in the sanctuary of Westminster, was writing his poem attacking Cardinal Wolsey, the cardinal was continuing in his efforts to modernise the state, efforts which included doing away with the laws of sanctuary…
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Jez is a fundamentalist. He abides by the iron rules that keep his head together, and have done all his life. He dare not break free. The nation pays for his incapacity, amongst so much we are paying for just now – including humankind’s inability to bear very much reality.
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Will our troops be allowed to fraternise with the “enemy” over Christmas ?
The content management of my blog has been “updated” by remote. I still haven’t got the hang of most of the changes. One of them is that every time I make a small editorial alteration, those people who are notified of a new post by email, get notified all over again. I’m sorry for that. As soon as I can get it to behave with more consideration, I will !
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References
“Que pensez-voz, Parrot ? What meneth this besynes ?” from Speak, Parrot by John Skelton (c1460-1529).
“Human kind/Cannot bear very much reality” from Burnt Norton by TS Eliot (1888-1965)
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