LAST VERSES

2000–THE PRESENT

 

4 – A CENSOR COMPLAINS

Poem: Alasdair Gray © 2005
 

Each day leaves more past to be digested, blended

into memory through the ministry

of sleep and dream.

 

Each poem leaves more truth to be digested, blended

into history through the ministry

of print and speech.

 

Born by a revolution, my regime

sprang from words, made history, held it tight,

dreaded more truth,

 

Good poets dumbed or died or fled abroad.

Only they knew the truths I silenced

better than me.

 

At last my regime died of dull language.

A new regime thinks truth cheap, the past unimportant.

The young agree.

 
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