Look back to the slum
that was Sophiatown, Johannesburg,
in the bad apartheid days.
Trevor Huddleston, the white priest,
bought a naughty boy a trumpet;
clapped both hands over his ears
as the black boy practised.
Hugh Masekela blew and blew,
his jazz trumpet sounding the joy
injustice tried to suppress,
making them dance in Africa:
I’m Not Afraid, Soweto Blues,
No Borders; ever expanding
this legacy of love.
© Sue Norton
Sue Norton has had poems published in various magazines. She was a prizewinner in the 2017 Rialto/RSPB Nature Poetry competition.
Blackpool Rock
Jimmy Armfield: BBC Radio 5 live's John Murray on his friend and colleague
Blackpool rock
The name
Runs right through
Not with garish
Mis-placed pass of thought
That modernity is
But
Humility
Captain
Keep us warm
© Mark Coverdale
Mark Coverdale was born in Darlington, grew up in the hills of Saddleworth. He now lives in London, writing and performing poetry around the subjects of politics, homelessness and social justice. Twitter: @cov_art Blog: www.cov451.com
