it’d be Pablo Neruda’s death.
Poisoned by two hitmen dressed
as medics because my poetry
upset the chief.
If I could choose my writing
it’d be Pablo Neruda’s writing.
Not just for the Nobel prize
or the best poem ever
about a cat
Not just for the passion,
the love, or the way he
inspired the working man,
but because he shamed a dictator
with his pen.
If I could pierce a junta’s defences using
words that live decades longer
than military rule, then
I’d be happy to write
a poem to die for.
© Charlie Lambert
Charlie Lambert is a former journalist and sports broadcaster who turned to a different form of media in 2016 when he started writing poetry. He is among a group of poets who have contributed to the anthology in support of human rights, 'Write to be Counted', published this month by the Book Mill. He lives in Liverpool.
