Oh, not me, Heavens no. I have no wish to show you any of my poetry. It is the external world to which I refer (with its despatches of horrible, horrible haikus). I am no Psychologist, or even a Parapsychologist, merely a dotty old duke with a Baccalaureate of Hobohemianism and a Class Four Certificate in Looting and Pillaging. Nevertheless, I am quite certain I am not the only one to perceive our modern times as carrying an underlying mood. Not the great sensation of joy one would expect of an era marked by technological bounty and unending promise, but rather, a weary, high-strung drear.

Some have attributed the admittedly dire political state of our land to a widespread apathy among our youth. I hardly like to be contrary, but it seems to me that the reverse may be truer than would seem obvious. Many care deeply about these issues - after all, it is a fact little-recognised amongst the intelligentsia but widely in reality that politics begin and end with the mass populace and the elite serves only as a middleman, not the other way around. But who has the time? Time, it seems, is a commodity invented purely so it could be taken away from us. Modern life is defined by sleep-work-sleep-work-sleep-work worry-worry-worry sleep-work… and so forth. One barely has time to recognise one’s problems, let alone do anything about them. And in these ages characterised by individualism, an imposed resistance to all forms of community and group - a subject for a future periodical, to be sure! - even if one approaches one’s equals, hoping to pool efforts to combat shared problems, chances are slim that they shall have time and energy either.

Is it any wonder that radicals are so often dismissed as idle wealthy hobbyists? Is it any wonder that the spirit of resistance has become a spirit of tired pessimism?

But… every victory, every slim gain, brings more time, more energy, more freedom and sense of self… which brings the next victory a little closer. Every step makes the hill a little flatter. Whatever Mr Lenin might say, fie!