Thanks, Doug.

I'm never sure if all readers will always 'get' cultural, political
and certainly local allusions. There's a lot I don't 'get' in a lot of
stuff I read, both locally and overseas. But I enjoy writing and
reading such. So happy that the swing of it, so to speak, worked, even
if there were obscurities of reference and connection.

In Australia, though we're mostly a non-religious country individual
by individual according to census data, the various christian
religious cults still have an enormous sway in the public arena. The
roman catholic church and the ALP (Labor, the more marginally less
conservative party) have had a close alliance right from the
beginning. And a lot of LNP front bench parliamentarians (the
conservatives) say they are catholics and a lot of others have some
declared protestant alliance - there's a fair bit of protestant
corporate happy-clappy stuff about these days. A previous PM, who also
was a woman (always a bad career move in Australia, ma-a-a-ate), got a
lot of stick for not being a christian believer (as well as being a
women, and being childless). I really don't get why anyone listens to
these views - and I think the big 'yes' vote reflects the way a lot of
people may agree with me (or not, just a guess) - but the blocking and
the hate-mongering by certain christian types within parliament or
close to it has made this a long, drawn-out mess of a thing. And it
still may not succeed. And, yes, here too, there will always be the
anti-types ensuring that guilt and harm are rained down on people,
especially children and adolescents, all in the name of some being
other than themselves. There's no god of love in any of this, for
sure. And those people ain't going anywhere real soon.

J
________________________
Jill Jones
www.jilljones.com.au

Latest book: Brink, Five Islands Press
http://fiveislandspress.com/catalogue/brink-jill-jones

----- Original Message -----
From: "Poetryetc: poetry and poetics" 
To:
Cc:
Sent:Wed, 15 Nov 2017 09:15:52 -0700
Subject:Re: Snap: Same Love Goes Harder

 I liked the poem, Jill, though I didn’t quite ‘get’ ll that it
was doing, thought the collage effect of other events worked well.

 Watching from over here, & wondering why it took Oz so long anyway,
I’m even ore fascinated by the inside stories emerging in this
exchange. Although it was a bit of a ‘sell’ here, it went through
the sky didnt fall, & it’s been years now, all gong well (despite,
of course, the always continuing backlash from the anti types who will
alas always be with us (in Alberta fighting against
GayStraigihtAlliances in schools, clubs where the kids can feel safe,
but the Cons want to have teachers out them all to their parents,
whether they want that or not).

 Doug
 > On Nov 15, 2017, at 5:43 AM, Jill Jones  wrote:
 > 
 > Hi Bill,
 > 
 > The poem uses snippets of headlines and stories that I found in
online
 > new sources, Australian and overseas (hence, tories and
conservative),
 > on one of the days near when the Macklemore guy was scheduled to
sing
 > at the NRL grand final - late Sept from memory. Not sure I remember
 > who 'crime boy' is, it was simply a headline or story. The
Macklemore
 > song was Same Love, which was certainly in all the news at the
time.
 > The go harder thing was taken from this: "Frances Abbott has
doubled
 > down on her support for the 'yes' campaign in defiance of her dad,
 > urging rapper Macklemore to "go harder" in an Instagram post on
 > Thursday afternoon."
 > 
 > Yes, I've seen the attempts to attack migrants, the working class,
 > so-called bogans as the boogie people in all this. You're right, it
 > doesn't really make sense. There's always someone to blame. I blame
 > politicians. They're the ones who foisted this on us.
 > 
 > But, as someone suggested, maybe with the 'yes' vote and the
Socceroos
 > win tonight, that 15th November could become Australia Day. It's no
 > more an outlandish suggestion than any other but of course has
 > Buckleys.
 > 
 > I want to be more heartened than I am but the whole thing was very
 > wearing, especially for us. I think I was feeling simply tired of
 > having my life spread out in public every day. I actually found
myself
 > withdrawing from being out (so to speak) and about. Anyway, let's
see
 > what is next.
 > 
 > Thanks,
 > Jill
 > 
 > ________________________
 > Jill Jones
 > www.jilljones.com.au
 > 
 > Latest book: Brink, Five Islands Press
 > http://fiveislandspress.com/catalogue/brink-jill-jones
 > 
 > ----- Original Message -----
 > From: "Poetryetc: poetry and poetics" 
 > To:
 > Cc:
 > Sent:Wed, 15 Nov 2017 09:31:42 +0000
 > Subject:Re: Snap: Same Love Goes Harder
 > 
 > Well, I thought it was heartening, Jill, despite having no time for
 > the
 > Libs’ gambit and hating the unnecessary and predictable damage
the
 > the
 > plebescite discussion brought on.
 > 
 > Not sure what your poem is doing. Who might Crime Boy be?
Turnperson?
 > Abbott? Perhaps I need to know more of the pop tune you reference?
 > Going
 > harder has been necessary in the face of predictable attacks.
 > Ironically
 > the No case has linked Muslims, Chinese, Lebanese and the like with
 > hard-ass Oz proles who want them to go ‘back home’.
 > 
 > Strange days indeed but at least there was not a Trump/Brexit
-style
 > backlash this time.
 > 
 > Bill
 > 
 > On Wed, 15 Nov 2017 at 8:06 pm, Jill Jones wrote:
 > 
 >> Hi Andrew,
 >> 
 >> There seemed to be a huge number of 'yes' votes from older woman -
 > the
 >> message appeared to be we want our kids and grand kids to be
happy,
 >> whatever ... So I'm told. And who'da thunk the NRL would be more
 >> proactive than the Gumment and getting that Macklemore bloke over
 > from
 >> America to sing Same Love at the grand final. Indeed, the support
 > from
 >> straight folks has been extraordinary and heartening.
 >> 
 >> But I'm also ambivalent - it was a huge huge waste of money, time,
 > and
 >> the emotional costs - let's not get started And it unleashed a lot
 > of
 >> hate that I don't think will get back in the box. And as you say
we
 >> have to listen to a bunch of old and not so old gasbags witter on
 >> about it when they should just vote (and should heve voted without
 > a
 >> non-binding postal vote). Shame on them, both parties. But ...
 >> 
 >> As for marriage - dunno ... And it's not legal yet, anyhow and
 > that's
 >> more than a step away, still.
 >> 
 >> J
 >> 
 >> ________________________
 >> Jill Jones
 >> www.jilljones.com.au
 >> 
 >> Latest book: Brink, Five Islands Press
 >> http://fiveislandspress.com/catalogue/brink-jill-jones
 >> 
 >> ----- Original Message -----
 >> From: "Poetryetc: poetry and poetics"
 >> To:
 >> Cc:
 >> Sent:Wed, 15 Nov 2017 16:51:32 +0800
 >> Subject:Re: Snap: Same Love Goes Harder
 >> 
 >> Were you happy with this result? All the churches' money couldn't
 > buy
 >> a No
 >> vote! And yet we still have to listen to the pollies on the hill
 >> bicker and
 >> fight - when the people have already spoken! (88% in my old
codgers
 >> age
 >> group voted YES! Good on them!)
 >> 
 >> Do you plan on getting married?
 >> 
 >> Andrew
 >> 
 >> Virus-free.
 >> www.avast.com
 >> 
 >> On 15 November 2017 at 16:45, Jill Jones wrote:
 >> 
 >>> Hi Patrick
 >>> 
 >>> This has been happening here for a few months.
 >>> 
 >>> http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-11-15/live-blog-same-sex-
 >>> marriage-survey-results-ssm/9134066
 >>> 
 >>> https://www.brisbanetimes.comau/politics/federal/samesex-
 >>> marriage-postal-survey-love-has-had-a-landslide-victory-
 >>> as-yes-wins-20171113-gzkk7f.html
 >>> 
 >>> etc
 >>> 
 >>> ________________________
 >>> Jill Jones
 >>> www.jilljones.com.au
 >>> 
 >>> Latest book: Brink, Five Islands Press
 >>> http://fiveislandspress.com/catalogue/brink-jill-jones
 >>> 
 >>> ----- Original Message -----
 >>> From: "Poetryetc: poetry and poetics"
 >>> To:
 >>> Cc:
 >>> Sent:Wed, 15 Nov 2017 08:38:42 +0000
 >>> Subject:Re: Snap: Same Love Goes Harder
 >>> 
 >>> I get the feel of disturbed times -reactions chaos -and some-one
 >>> still
 >>> trying
 >>> 
 >>> thanks Jill cheers P
 >>> 
 >>> On 15/11/2017 08:07, Jill Jones wrote:
 >>>> Because of today's happenings I thought I may as well post
 > this.
 >>> It's
 >>>> a 'snap' made a little while back, but not so much of a while
 >> back.
 >>>> 
 >>>> Same Love Goes Harder
 >>>> 
 >>>> Crime boy and the ire of conservatives
 >>>> is a flop in the big top
 >>>> 
 >>>> Pornography is the critics’ tip
 >>>> 
 >>>> I cracked down body-shaming trouble
 >>>> on the front line
 >>>> 
 >>>> The Ashes a slum
 >>>> but ‘Same Love’ ‘go harder’
 >>>> 
 >>>> ‘there’s no excuse’ for
 >>>> Air France emergency and alien
 >>>> pictures a flop a crack down
 >>>> 
 >>>> Sinister reality fake geniuses
 >>>> and Vettel’s engine trouble
 >>>> 
 >>>> ‘Tweets from angry old white men’
 >>>> makes the ire go harder
 >>>> 
 >>>> For arms sales and Uber
 >>>> ‘couldn’t possibly comment’
 >>>> 
 >>>> Go postal go harder
 >>>> 
 >>>> A flop accusation costly error
 >>>> 
 >>>> ‘Same Love’ thousands march make more
 >>>> to the top of the charts
 >>>> 
 >>>> Survival polls ‘hang the tories’
 >>>> 
 >>>> Gay anthem the power
 >>>> 
 >>>> I cracked the door
 >>>> and the love goes harder
 >>>> 
 >>>> ________________________
 >>>> Jill Jones
 >>>> www.jilljones.com.au
 >>>> 
 >>>> Latest book: Brink, Five Islands Press
 >>>> http://fiveislandspress.com/catalogue/brink-jill-jones
 >>>> 
 >>>> 
 >>> 
 >>> 
 >>> 
 >> 
 >> --
 >> Andrew
 >> http://hispirits.blogspot.com/
 >> Books available through Walleah Press
 >> http://walleahpress.com.au
 >> 
 >> 
 > 

 Douglas Barbour
 [log in to unmask]
 https://eclecticruckus.wordpresscom/

 Recent publications: (With Sheila E Murphy) Continuations &
Continuations 2 (UofAPress).
 Recording Dates (Rubicon Press).
 Listen. If (UofAPress):

 There was the usual amount of corruption, intimidation, and rioting.

 Sir Charles Petrie