In memoriam.
–
I want to hear about the work you do
The charities to which you give your time
I want to hear your speeches.
I want to see you, holding your kids’ hands
Say, “That’s Jo Cox. You must have heard of her
A brilliant MP.”
I wish I’d heard of you before the day
Your name became so famous, suddenly.
We should have heard of you.
But politicians make their name with hate:
Either the hate they stir up in their speeches
Or hate stirred up against them.
I wish I’d known you in the present tense
I wish you had been famous for your life
And not the way you died.
Tom Juniper Poetry 