I'm slightly early, but I thought I'd use the inter-festival break to reflect on 2017, and some matters arising for me to address. One of these matters is to try and answer a question that two good friends asked me a couple of years ago. Both these gentlemen work with me on musical projects, and are very knowledgeable about my lyrics and poetry. As such, they were both well-informed enough to ask me why I write so much about the dark side of life. One had said previously that my works were about as cheerful as a combination of episodes of Coronation Street and Eastenders - neither of which I ever watch, as I find them too depressing.
Looking back over my blog posts this year, I suppose the same could be said about them. Terrorism features largely, as does OFSTED, army veterans and Mack the Knife. Personalities mentioned include Teresa May, Diane Abbott and Bonnie Prince Charlie. Some people may well find this a recipe for depression, but first, I must answer my friends' question. When they first asked me, I own up to having been evasive, largely because I hadn't thought about it seriously.
When I first began writing lyrics and poems, I did try to include lighter themes. I wrote a number of pieces which covered such humorous areas as jealous hedgehogs, Liverpool pub singers, jilted birdwatchers and oversexed bus drivers. One of the main reasons I began writing serious stuff only was hearing a recording of myself narrating a poem called "The Caller's Lament", which made me cringe. I determined never to write anything so embarrassing again. And I didn't -I began to write on serious themes only from then on, as it seemed to me that I wrote far better on such subjects.
Well, that's one reason. However, writing exclusively in such a way can lead to some people forming a superficial impression that the writer must 1. be a miserable so-and-so and/or 2. deliberately out to depress and sadden people.
In the case of 1, I don't know whether people find me morose personally or not (I can imagine the comments coming on!😃😃), but this can be easily disproved by referring to an artist who faced similar accusations in his lifetime: Leonard Cohen. He was constantly ridiculed for the supposedly depressing nature of his lyrics. His critics (and admirers) called him "Laughing Lennie" ; Clive James described his work as "Doom from a Room". Yet, people who worked with him spoke warmly of a friendly, humorous man whom they were happy to work with. The author is not his or her body of work.
On the second count, I think it absurd to suggest that any writer gets out of bed in the morning saying to him or herself: "I must write something depressing today". For instance, when, on November 16, I wrote a poem which I posted on this blog about the murder victim, Kaan Aslan, I wanted to mark this terrible event and honour his name. To suggest that I wrote that poem simply to depress people is both ridiculous and highly insulting to both myself and the memory of Kaan Aslan. Writers write on serious themes because they are moved to do so, because they care about an issue, not because of a desire to spread unhappiness for its own sake.
Returning to 2017, and to the picture of Santa above, I am reminded of an email that I sent, partly in jest, earlier in the year. In the message, I said that I was writing from a front-line city. After sending it, I suddenly realised that London really is a front-line city. So is Manchester, New York, Berlin, and so are many others. In the UK this year, 37 people have been killed by terrorists and 350 injured, many with what are euphemistically described as "life changing" injuries. I am glad to have remembered them on this blog, and do not intend to stop writing about such events.
Far from wishing to sign off the year on a mournful note, I would like to end positively, by paying tribute to two heroic people who stood up to terrorists in 2017: PC Keith Palmer, who died defending the Houses of Parliament on March 22, and the brave young Australian nurse, Kirsty Boden, who died trying to help the wounded and dying during the London Bridge atrocity on June 3rd. Along with many others who fought back and defied the terrorists, their deeds inspire us to face the future bravely.
Have a Happy and Courageous New Year!
PC Keith Palmer, on duty outside the Houses of Parliament.
Kirsty Boden, who died trying to help others.
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