Love Plus Anarchy

 

 

 

There’s a graffiti

That has a heart in red paint,

Then the letter ‘A’ –

Inside a circle.

 

After love plus anarchy

A bright, smiling face

Follows the sign for “equals”.

 

It’s on dull concrete.

It’s just done with a few strokes

To remind people

That free of bullies,

School bullies or state bullies,

Life isn’t chaos

Only leaderless,

Cooperative, and more fun.

 

True revolution

Is to be happy.

Love plus Anarchy means Smiles.

Taking your life back.

 

It’s only natural.

Babies are born anarchists.

Why lose the habit?

 

‘Anarchy won’t work’,

Says every misery-guts,

Forgetting history.

 

On Tristan da Cunha,

A lone volcanic island

In the Atlantic,

Its inhabitants –

The survivors of shipwrecks –

All lived together

For two hundred years

Without a single murder

Or even fist fight.

 

Everything was shared –

No wealth accumulated.

They were quite happy.

They had no leaders

As shown by a curious fact:

Letters were sent there

Addressed to “The Chief”

Or to “The Senior Official”

Or once “To the King”.

 

But no one answered

Because no one opened them.

There were no leaders.

 

A British frigate

Which landed there once

Found all these letters.

 

When the islanders

Were asked about the letters

They said that no one

On their volcanic

Island paradise had fitted

Any such titles.

 

The islanders tried

To explain they were all leaders

And, to the island,

Mainland society

Seemed a quaint rebellion

Against anarchy.

 

Beneath dull concrete

Paradise may lie in wait,

Like a volcano.

 

Heathcote Williams