by Colin Dardis
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Plans to tackle misogyny in schools could take up to 20 years to have an impact on society, the safeguarding minister, Jess Phillips, has said as she outlined measures to protect women and girls. Phillips spoke the day after the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) estimated that 2 million women were victims of violence perpetrated by men each year in an epidemic so serious it amounts to a “national emergency.” —The Guardian, July 25, 2024 |
Fear for a lost generation,
already losing itself
inside a national emergency,
the beartrap of masculinity
lying in wait
on every fresh field.
But who needs teeth
or blade or object
when a fist is enough?
Hands closed by culture,
clenched by mistruth,
the lie of servitude.
Pray we can reform
the expectations
of millions:
divorce boy from incel,
girl from object,
violence from sex.
Colin Dardis is the author of ten poetry collections, most recently with the lakes (above/ground press, 2023) and What We Look Like in the Future (Red Wolf Editions, 2023). A neurodivergent poet, editor, and sound artist, his work has been published widely throughout Ireland, the UK and USA.
