Allan Kolski Horwitz

1994

20 good men and women

tried and tested

forged in fire

standard bearers of the people’s needs

and dreams

veterans of dispute and strike

mobilisers/organisers/negotiators

with

simple tastes – fish ‘n chips, bread ‘n coke

simple dress – jeans, t-shirts, ragged jackets

simple offices – hard chairs, small desks, posters on the wall

simple cars – dented jalopies

complex minds put to the service

of the Common Good

whose uncommon powers

analytical critical

made a difference

working from dawn till dusk

in the cut and thrust

of struggle

pansi poverty

pansi inequality

pansi racism

pansi sexism

then the workers special congress grants a mandate:

leave us, go into the people’s parliament

join with the comrades who fought beyond the borders

and on those soft seats

put your hardened hands

and speak out the resolutions we take

the demands we make

of others and ourselves

2014

ah, twenty good men and women

how hungry you were

how hungry we still are