Bernard Kennedy (20 May 1956 / dublin)

The foreign minister spoke
in hushed and saddened serious tones,
' these abuses will never again be condoned,
by any government,
of any religion or ideology'

Never again?

And cotton is picked by two million
children as young as seven,
for three pence a kilo.

Never again?

and apples by migrants, no minimum wage,
no house, and laptops made
at eighteen hours a day
for thirty two pence an hour.

Never again?

oranges for juice- women at sixty hours
a week, below the miniumum wage,
and diamonds, with children at seven years,
Never again?

shirts sewn by forced labour,
coffee picked, as young as six
no school.

never again.

St.Amnesty, pray for us,
st. integrity, hear our prayer.
And Rimbaud to my heart speaks thus
an Illumination
''L'air sobre de cette aigre,
campagne alimente fort activement
mon atroce scepticisme'.