Last night at 8pm the BBC broadcast Enoch Powell’s ‘rivers of blood’ speech on Radio 4, in full. Weighed down by the prevalent racism in British society and institutions, I decided to dedicate the time of the broadcast to writing a ritual poem: an attempt to heal & transmute whatever energies it is in my power to transform through creativity. During that time, instead of listening to the voice of hate speaking through our public institutions – again – I devoted my time to listening to the voices and the stories of the people of the diaspora, whose lives are inflected by the brutal and traumatic consequences inflicted by speeches like these. This poem – a durational ritual performed for one hour from 8pm to 9pm during the time of the broadcast – collages quotations from several recent articles in The Guardian and is interspersed with lines from M. Nourbese Philip’s Zong!. I’m likely to redraft this several times to give it more shape and greater rhythm, but I present it here now, unaltered, in its first iteration in the form of its complete durational ritual incarnation/incantation.
Whispers of Windrush
Saturday 14thApril
2018, 8pm:
I sit
by
the radio
switched / off
not
listening
to Enoch
Powell’s
rivers
of blood
speech
witness
to:
the racism
of
this nation
: in the
silence :
echoes :
voices :
of the
Windrush
generation
– the ship sailed –
we thought
we
were British…
Albert Thompson, 63
It’s like
I’m being
left
to die
Judy Griffith, 63
It affects
you
mentally
physically &
spiritually
the truth is
i felt
like
i didn’t
exist
no
status
no status
immigration status
settled status
disputed status
Chasing Status
no status
no status
virtually
invisible &
nothing to prove
it
still angry that
I have
to prove it
documents to prove
he is
asking me to
prove that
I’m British
British
I am British
I don’t feel
British
I am British
he is a
British
Citizen
really struggling
pressure she is
under
– weight of
circumstance –
to prove that
she is
British
impossible
without
papers
the rains came
the loss arose
the rains came
the truth was
the aim is
to create
refused permission
hurting me
the most
prolonged ordeal
never
naturalised
renewed attempts
to remove
her
really hostile
Home
Office
humiliation
newly hardened
brutal treatment
this government
I’ve suffered
Paulette Wilson, 61
forced
removal
is necessary
the ship
sailed
the loss
arose
the truth is
it broke
my heart
refused permission
to work
denied
access
to health
hurting
me most
deliberately
traumatised
by her
experience
really hostile
locks
you
out
of the
system
unlawful
made homeless
Renford McIntyre, 64
almost fell
apart with
stress
1971
Immigration // Act
illegal
immigrant
evicted
from
evidence
of
citizenship
unresolved
status
country of
origin
– the ship sailed –
return to
their
deportation
centres
really hostile welcome
to the United
Kingdom
provide
paperwork
divide
nation
not a glitch
in the system
ensnared embarrassed
encourage harassment
newly hardened
worst heartache
leaving her homeless
John Clarke, 71
in the
country
is necessary
the subject
in property
the loss
arose
the truth was
black Caribbean
men &
women
being targeted
the negroes is
the truth was
the loss arose
weight
of circumstance
hostile
environment
made homeless by
the aim is to
took my job
away
disrupted status
overstayer
no status
find no record
not on the
system
vulnerable
person
escaped
eviction
worst
heartache
longstanding
right of entry
Home Office
failed
Yarl’s Wood
removal centre
cruelty
by design
prove his
citizenship
broken
up
& critiqued
unfairness &
injustice
of it.
adversely
affecting
black
Britons
Paul Tate, 53
refused permission
rules introduced
anger
humiliation
hurt me
most
hostile
the aim is
unlawful
aggressive
pursued
denial
refused
refusal
banned
evicted
leave
the country
the ship
sailed
the rain came
made homeless
by the
HomeOffice
in less than
the truth is
to murder
is necessary
the subject
in property
the negroes is
etc
to prove it
to prove that
produce
British passport
documents
to prove
Hubert Howard, 61
grew up
here
disputed status
settled status
no status
Chasing Status
virtually
invisible &
rarely acknowledged
became depressed &
then homeless
sent out of
the country
in the night &
deported
made homeless
without
papers
produce papers
to prove
the right
to come here
to be here
to live here
a British
Citizen
produce documents
to be
told he was
not British
working &
paying taxes
the truth is
is necessary
the aim is
targeted
how much
I’ve suffered
naturalise
naturalisation
disputed status
no status
to prove it
the weight
of circumstance
affects you mentally
physically &
pressure she is
under
to prove that
to prove that
to prove that
she is British
I am British
to prove that
i am British
a British Citizen
aggressively pursued
never naturalised
prolonged ordeal
under the
impression
he was
a British
Citizen
to prove that
with the State
deliberately
doing it
the ship sailed
the rains came
the truth was
the truth is
the truth was
the truth is
the loss arose
the aim is
to create
here
in Britain
a really
hostile environment
for illegal
immigrants
the 2014 & 2016 Immigration Acts
the Immigration Act
1971
second reading of the
1968 race relations
bill /she presided over
seven
immigration bills
and
45,000
changes
to immigration
rules
to prove it
to prove that
the weight of
circumstance
forced removal
refusal
denied
really
hostile
hugely
traumatic
asking me
to prove
that
I’m British
I’m still angry that
I have
to prove
it broke my heart
discrimination
60 years after
Windrush
the song that
echoes
in Zong!‘s silences
the ship sailed
the rains came
the loss arose
it broke
my heart
the truth is
I don’t feel British
I am British
if i’m not British
then what
am i?
British
Citizen
Settled
Status
he is
British
I am
British
I couldn’t eat
or sleep
I don’t know
unlawful
inflicts
mentally
physically &
spiritually
what am i?
| 9.02pm
Sally-Shakti Willow 