“The lamps are going out all over Europe, we shall not see them lit again in our lifetime” said British Foreign Secretary Earl Grey on the eve of the First World War which became a two-act drama with an interval – thirty-three years, lives lost in millions – upward of seventy-five… And now wars rage around the world again – Ukraine, Palestine, Sudan, and Myanmar to name a few, and Fascists reign in Russia, India, China, Hungary and Israel with further aspirant fascists waiting in the wings of the UK, France, Germany, and Italy. America has fallen in it’s own two part drama with interval, stage directions by Russia, technical directions by the Tech-bros…
“where can we find light in this never-ending shade?*”
Democrats must rebuild Democracy, their namesake, with acts of community and kindness from the grassroots up and relight the lamps…
* From Amanda Gorman, “The Hill We Climb”
Andrew Wilson, 2025
Over at dVerse Poets Pub, merrildsmith in Prosery invites us to write a piece of prose in under 144 words using the given line from Amanda Gorman, “The Hill We Climb” …
You’ve summed it up, Andrew. Thank you! We are headed toward fascism all over the world, as well as WWIII. The demented felon has the nuclear codes, and who knows who he has given or sold classified information to.
Yes, we have to work locally and in the state governments where its possible. There are also Republicans who are not MAGAs, who perhaps will fight for democracy, too.
Thanks, Merril – I can’t say it was a pleasure to write but there is a certain satisfaction in summing up the state of the world in under 144 words…
This is stellar writing, Andrew! The state of the world scares me sometimes …
You give the best comments Sanaa! Yes it is pretty scary – I do feel like it must have felt between the World Wars as the prospects got worse and it certainly isn’t the world I imagined I would grow old in – many people I know just don’t watch the news any more…
I fear that it must become much darker before we see the light again.
I’m sure you’re right Björn…
Trump acts / speaks before thinking. I fear what’s in store for us. We are only a few days into his reign and already the waves he has made are killer waves. Four years is a long time, I wonder if we Democrats can succeed in turning our country’s mindset around by the time 2028 rolls around. I am not optimistic.
I sometimes wonder whether Trump is as erratic as he seems or whether he his disruptiveness is partially planned… As for the Democrats – small acts of community and kindness would bypass the media and social media which never took much notice of “good news” anyway – I can’t see any other way to fight back, Helen…