Stop it!

This poem, written by my father Eugene V. Etler on the eve of World War 2 presciently foresees the consequences of the intransigence of  the bourgeois democracies of his time in their refusal to fight the spectre of fascism then stalking Europe's corridors. By letting Spain succumb to Franco's fascist minions the fate of millions who would eventually die on the killing fields of Europe and Asia and in the ovens of Germany was sealed. 

Tragically we are living in similar times. But the enemies of the world's people now reside in Washington D.C. and the capitals of supposedly democratic Europe rather than the axis capitals of Berlin, Rome and Tokyo. The US and its NATO henchmen have inherited the mantle of Hitler and Mussolini, Franco and Tojo.

So once again, 75 years later, the world's people must raise their voices in unison and shout ----

Stop it!

In the name of humanity

What is this all about?

The papers declaring

The papers, as if, gloating

Barcelona is falling

Barcelona has fallen.

What is this all about

Who is victorious

And who are the dead?

Franco's armies push on!

Who stands in the background?

Who saves Spain from its death?

Are we the people –

Reading

Of Hitler's joy

And Mussolini's threats?

Are we the people

Reading

France stands aside

England cautious – saves her hide.

In the name of humanity

What is this all about?

Are we but the readers of papers

The puppets pulled by the silent wordings

Of scrupulous papers rejoicing

The downfall – the end of a country?

Why do we sit and shed the bitter tears?

The unfinished sighs?

The collapse of all feeling

Reading and hearing

Spain is about to die.

In the name of humanity

What is this all about?

Millions are starving

Babes are crying

Send your money

Feed a mouth

Fill a stomach.

Is this the way

To stem the tide

Let your conscience ride?

Send a dollar

Push aside

The thought

My country betrayed me

It closed its eyes

To the betrayal

Of a sister country.

For the telegrams we did send

The demonstrations we did hold

The speeches spoken

The parades protesting

The boys who fought

All this –

Yes, the people spoke –

And our country ignored us –

Death, it said, to Democracy

We will not lift the embargo.

Oh, God, in the name of humanity

What is this all about?

The airways acclaiming

The victory march,

The ministers, of countries, reciting

The funeral march.

This is the end of three years battle

This is what we fought for

Overwhelming defeat

The devil made cry

Of people – Die!

This is the end of three years battle.

Democracies – look to your fate!

Rome, Berlin – have made it too late

For you to change your course.

France, England, America, accept your fate.

Over the map of Europe

Will crawl the fingers of hate.

The Devil perched

War God

Destruction

Spain is Dead.

In the name of humanity

What is this all about?

If Spain is dead

Then long live Spain?

If Democracy is dying

Then let it die?

If the terror of fascism is coming

Then let it come?

If the dark ages are once more to be with us –

Let them come?

If we are all to meet destruction's end –

Let it meet us?

Crowded together?

For shelter?

Dying men?

This is what we have lived for?

Our parents of the past

Seeds of our living

This is what you have given birth to?

And planned for?

Cowardly men

Unfit to live

Morality uncrowned

Insanity crowned

Strutters of war

Demagogues of crime

Uplifted to a Godly halo

Long live our leaders

Death to the people.

In the name of humanity

What is this all about?

Has Spain met defeat?

Is this the end

Must we say farewell

Is Spain now Austria

Is Spain Czechoslovakia

Is it finished

Have the dead died in vain

Have we still time

To stem the tide?

Cry you voices of the people

Let the consciences of the world hear you.

Spain must be saved!

The embargo must be lifted!

France to the fore!

England's lion roar!

Defeat of Chamberlain!

Down with Daladier!

Where is the people's front?

Sanctions against Germany

The same to Italy.

Together

Oh, God, yes

Together

Let it ring out

Let it be heard

One God almighty shout

The world together

You – the people of the world –

China

Spain

Italy

Japan

France

America

England

Germany

All you countries

North and South

East and West

Of Asia, Africa

Europe and America

Together

Cry it out

You must

You must

Stop Fascism

In the name of humanity

Stop it!

Peace in Harlem
--Eugene V. Etler

Another of my father's poems that is as relevant today as the day it was written. In the 1930s Father Divine captivated his multi-racial audiences. Both black and white worshipers swooned to his sermons. Father Divine, like other charismatic leaders, was neither all good nor all bad. He did good works but also deflected people away from engaging in the active struggle for social and economic justice.

Wikipedia states: Father Divine claimed to be God. Some contemporary critics also claimed he was a charlatan, and some suppose him to be one of the first modern cult leaders. However, Father Divine made numerous contributions toward his followers' economic independence and racial equality. Father Divine was a contemporary of other religious leaders at that time such as Daddy Grace, Charles Harrison Mason, Noble Drew Ali and James F. Jones also known as Prophet Jones. Another minister by the name of Jones would play a significant part in a brief struggle to gain control of the Peace Mission following Divine's death - Jim Jones, of the 'apostolic socialist' movement Peoples Temple.

What follows is the poem "Peace in Harlem" that captures the contradictory nature of Father Divines mission.

Peace in Harlem -- Eugene V. Etler

There is a new kind of peace to be found
And that is in Harlem.
It is a peace that is wonderful.
A peace that wrecks havoc
With the human mind.
It's a peace that's set to a rhythm
It's a peace that cries
Let's escape from this everyday life
Let us enter into the realm of our minds.

Let us forget hunger and poverty
And forget that we are the down trodden.
For we will find ourselves equalized in the cry of ----- Peace -----
Peace – Father – Peace.

Peace!
God is wonderful
And Father Divine is God.

Father Divine is God -----

Yes, brothers and sisters
I came under the fold
Under the fold of Father Divine
And I'm here
And I say
Father Divine is wonderful.

He plucked me from the streets
And he made me what I am today
A good woman
Yes, brothers and sisters, a good woman.

What was I
A thief
And what am I today?
A good woman.

Father Divine
Blessed be his name.
He took me from the streets.
He fed me and clothed me
And he showed me a light
And he showed me how to fight
That evil of sin -----

Yes, he took me in
And he fed me
And he clothed me
And he showed me
The heavenly path.
Yes, brothers
Yes, sisters
He gave new birth to me.

Oh, yes.
I was reborn
And God did it
And God is
Father Divine.

And I'm here and I say
Sing your praises
To him -----

He is wonderful
Wonderful, wonderful -----
Peace – brothers
Peace – sisters.

Oh, Father
Oh, Lord
Your presence is mine.
You're here.
You've entered my sinful body.
You've bathed me
With the light of your presence
And I thank you,
I thank you, I thank you –
Oh, Father -----
You are wonderful!

Father Divine is a lovely thing
  Father Divine is a holy thing.
Father Divine is a lovely thing
  Father Divine is a holy thing.

And the darkness of the bodies
Printed gaily in the dresses
Swaying to the rhythm
Escaping to the rhythm
Of -----
It's wonderful to be in love with Father Divine
It's wonderful to be in love with him.
And over and over and over
To the clapping of the hands
And the beating of the feet
And the swaying of the bodies
And the lightning in the eyes
Oh, it's wonderful to be in love with father
It's wonderful to be in love with him.

Oh, the madness and the rhythm
The fanaticism and the rhythm.
What are we and where are we
Down below in this cellar?
What is this –
Swaying of the bodies
Contortions of the bodies
Confessions of the souls
Cleansing of the souls?

Is this something mad
Or is this something wonderful?

Perceive -----

Father Divine is God
And a little child shall lead them.

Father lifted me
When nothing else would help.

For it's Father  Father  Father
    Father  Father  Father
That re-echoes in your ears
And brings your blood
Pulsing to a million fears
For it's Father  Father  Father
    Father  Father  Father
Look at our tears
Our tears
Forming into a flood
Noah's flood
For the love of you --- Oh, Father!

It's Father Divine that you eat
And it's He that you sleep
And it's He that you love.
Oh, it's Father  Father  Father
    Father  Father  Father
Listen to your children
Listen to your children calling -----

And it's beat
And it's clap
To the rhythm
Of the Lord
To the Lord
Our Father
Father Divine.

And you can't keep quiet
And you must keep moving
Sing  Sing  Sing  Sing
And it's the piano
And it's the drum
African piano
African drum
Together
It's rhythm
Rhythm
God's rhythm
Oh, body get a moving
Sway body
It's the Lord that's in you
And you go to shake
You can't keep quiet
That's rhythm
God's rhythm got a hold of you
Just got a hold of you
And it's calling for you to shake
God is calling

Father is calling
Oh, listen to us Father
We feel you Father
And -----

I love to feel Father's love
Flowing through my veins
 love to feel Father's love
Flowing through my veins -----

Father Divine is wonderful
And Father Divine is God -----

Oh, Father
Father

Peace!

Peace is found in Harlem
A new kind of peace
And Harlem has flocked
And taken to their bosoms
Peace as their byword
For happiness.

Yes, Harlem has escaped
No more is hunger a problem
Though the belly is empty.
No more is sickness a problem
Though pestilence stalks its way
Through Harlem's streets.
Yes, poverty is gone
And Harlem starves
But life is wonderful
Wonderful
For a new messiah has risen
Father ----- Father Divine


Peace!

Into the Fire

Long Live The Egyptian Revolution:  July 25th -

Into the Fire
by 13 Senses



Come on, come on
Put your hands into the fire
Explain, explain
As I turn and meet the power
This time, This time
Turning white and senses dire
Pull up, pull up
From one extreme to another
From the summer to the spring
From the mountain to the air
From Samaritan to sin
And it’s waiting on the end
Come on, come on
Put your hands into the fire
Explain, explain
As I turn and meet the power
This time, This time
Turning white and sense dire
Pull up, pull up
From one extreme to another
From the summer to the spring
From the mountain to the air
From Samaritan to sin
And it’s waiting on the end
and now I’m alone I’m looking out
I’m looking in, way down
The lights are dim
and now I’m alone I’m looking out
I’m looking in, way down
The lights are dim
Ooooh
Come on, come on
Put your hands into the fire
Come on, come on

To the Tyrants of the World

The inspiring movement of the Arab people continues to gain strength. Today the Egyptian people have joined their Tunisian sisters and brothers in marching against the tyrants who have oppressed them. One of the features of this mass movement is that the protesters have been chanting the poem Ela Toghat Al Alaam ("To the Tyrants of the World") written by the famous Tunisian poet Abul Qassim Al Shabbi.

To the Tyrants of the World
by Abul Qassim Al Shabbi

Here is a version sung by Arabic songstress Latifa



Oppressive tyrant...
Lover of darkness...
Enemy of life...
You have ridiculed innocent people's wounds
Your palm is soaked with their blood
You deformed the magic of existence
And planted the seeds of sorrow in the fields
Wait, don’t be fooled by the spring, the clearness of the sky or the light of dawn
For on the horizon looms the forboding darkness, the rumbling thunder and the blowing winds
Beware for below the ash there is fire and he who grows thorns will reap wounds
You have harvested the heads of mankind and the flowers of hope
You have watered the heart of the Earth with blood
And it has been soaked with tears until drunk
The river of blood will sweep you away and the fiery storm will devour you

Who Would Jesus Bomb?

Who Would Jesus Bomb?
---David Rovics

I've seen you in the markets
I've seen you in the streets
And at your political convention
Talking of your crusade
Talking of your nation
And other things too terrible to mention
And you proclaim your Christianity
You proclaim your love of God
You talk of apple pie and mom
Well I've just got one question
And I want an answer
Tell me, who would Jesus bomb?

Maybe Jesus would bomb the Syrians
'Cause they're not Jews like him
Maybe Jesus would bomb the Afghans
On some kind of vengeful whim
Maybe Jesus would drive an M1 tank
And he would shoot Saddam
Tell me, who would Jesus bomb?

I've seen you on the TV
And on the battleships
I've seen you in the house upon the hill
And I've heard you talking
About making the world safer
And about all the men you have to kill
And you speak so glibly
About your civilization
And how you have the moral higher ground
While halfway around the world
Your explosives smash the buildings
Ah, if you could only hear the sound

But maybe Jesus would sell land mines
And turn on his electric chair
Maybe Jesus would show no compassion
For his enemies in the lands way over there
Maybe Jesus would have flown the planes
That killed the kids in Viet Nam
Tell me, who would Jesus bomb

Yes I hear you shout with confidence
As you praise the lord
And you talk about this God you know so well
And you talk of Armageddon
And your final victory
When all the evil forces go to hell
Well you'd best hope you've chosen wisely
On the right side of the lord
And when you die your conscience it is clear
You'd best hope that your atom bombs
Are better than the sword
At the time when your reckoning is here

'Cause I don't think Jesus would send gunships into Bethlehem
Or jets to raze the towns of Timorese
I don't think Jesus would lend money to dictators
Or drive those SUV's
And I don't think Jesus would ever have dropped
A single ounce of napalm
So tell me, who would Jesus bomb?

You're Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go

You're Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go
---Bob Dylan


Madeleine Peyroux

I’ve seen love go by my door
It’s never been this close before
Never been so easy or so slow.
Been shooting in the dark too long
When somethin’s not right it’s wrong
Yer gonna make me lonesome when you go.

Dragon clouds so high above
I’ve only known careless love,
It’s always hit me from below.
This time around it’s more correct
Right on target, so direct,
Yer gonna make me lonesome when you go.

Purple clover, Queen Anne’s lace,
Crimson hair across your face,
You could make me cry if you don’t know.
Can’t remember what I was thinkin’ of
You might be spoilin’ me too much, love,
Yer gonna make me lonesome when you go.

Flowers on the hillside, bloomin’ crazy,
Crickets talkin’ back and forth in rhyme,
Blue river runnin’ slow and lazy,
I could stay with you forever and never realize the time.

Situations have ended sad,
Relationships have all been bad.
Mine’ve been like Verlaine’s and Rimbaud.
But there’s no way I can compare
All those scenes to this affair,
Yer gonna make me lonesome when you go.

Yer gonna make me wonder what I’m doin’,
Stayin’ far behind without you.
Yer gonna make me wonder what I’m sayin’,
Yer gonna make me give myself a good talkin’ to.

I’ll look for you in old Honolulu,
San Francisco, Ashtabula,
Yer gonna have to leave me now, I know.
But I’ll see you in the sky above,
In the tall grass, in the ones I love,
Yer gonna make me lonesome when you go.

Life is Sweet

Life is Sweet
---Natalie Merchant



It's a pity
It's a crying shame
He pulled you down again
How painful it must be
To bruise so easily
Inside

It's a pity
It's a downright crime
It happens all the time
You want to stay little daddy's girl
You want to hide from a vicious world
Outside
Don't cry
You know the tears will do no good
So dry your eyes

Oh, your daddy
He's the iron man
Battleship wrecked on dry land
Your mamma
She's a bitter bride
She'll never be satisfied
Do you know?
And that's not right

But don't cry
You know the tears will do no good
So dry your eyes

Oh, they told you life is hard
Misery from the start
It's dull
It's slow
It's painful

But, I'll tell you life is sweet
Inspite of the misery
There's so much more to be grateful

Well, who do you believe?
Who will you listen to?
Who will it be?
'Cause it's high time that you decide
In your own mind

I've tried to comfort you
I've tried to tell you to be patient
They are blind
And they can't see

Fortune gonna come one day
They're all gonna fade away
Your daddy, the war machine
and
Your momma, the long and suffering
Prisioner of what she can not see

For they told you life is hard
Misery from the start
It's dull
It's slow
It's painful

But, I'll tell you life is sweet
Inspite of the misery
There's so much more to be grateful

So, who will you believe?
Who will you listen to?
Who will it be?
Because it's high time that you decide
It's time to make up your own
your own state of mind

Oh, they told you that life is long
Be thankful when it's done
Don't ask for more
be grateful

But, I'll tell you life is short
Be thankful
Because before you know
It will be over
'Cause life is sweet
Life is, oh, so very short
Life is sweet
And life is, oh, so very short
Life is sweet

And life is sweet
And life is sweet