DAY EIGHT – Harry Giles

EXTREMIST

extreme is
extreme missed

at stream as
is tree mist

as ream must
ask re us
ex street is
a steam twist

ex de re me is de
ax de ray my is de
ax it re me st
ax it ax it axes exist

* * *

axes exist axes exist axes
exist axes exist axes exist
axes exist axes exist axes
exist axes exist axes exist
axes exist axes exist axes
exist axes exist axes exist
axes exist axes exist axes
exist axes exist axes exist
axes exist axes exist axes
exist axes exist axes exist
axes exist axes exist axes
exist axes exist axes exist

axes exist axes exist axes
exist axes exist axes exist
axes exist axes exist axes
exist axes exist axes exist
axes exist axes exist axes
exist axes exist axes exist
axes exist axes exist axes
exist axes exist axes exist
axes exist axes exist axes
exist axes exist axes exist
axes exist axes exist axes
exist axes exist axes exist

* * *

For too long, we have been
a passively tolerant society
saying to our citizens:
as long as you obey the law,

we will leave you
alone. It’s often meant
we have stood neutral
between different values.

And that’s helped
foster a narrative

of extremism
and grievance.

 

 

Harry Giles is a writer and performer from Orkney, where he’s currently researching the Orkney language. His next publication is the long poem sequence “Drone”, as part of “Our Real Red Selves” from Vagabond Voices. He blogs at http://harrygiles.org/blog/