[George Simmers]

October Snakeskin will be one of our theme issues, and its topic will be Politics.
I set this challenge because we live in odd political times, when old certainties seem to be shifting and new possibilities can seem very disconcerting.
I ought to tell you that I am not especially fond of some kinds of political poems. I don't much like the sort that are expressions of resentment and negativity, or attempts to get easy laughs from obvious targets. Wit and satire are welcome, but I'd like to get beyond stock attitudes.
What am I hoping for? Poems that intelligently describe modern life and conflicts, poems that describe the political process, poems that observe where we are today politically, poems of analysis and poems that point positively to a future. It's a big ask, I know, but some excellent examples are already coming in.

Please send your poems to editor@snakeskin.org.uk, preferably before September 26th.

[Julie Steiner]

I'll give this a bump, in case others missed it, too. I have a lot of the sort of political poem George ISN'T looking for, but a few that are more hopeful. Maybe others will be inspired in that direction, too.

[George Simmers]

Thanks, Julie. I've been sent a lot of negative poems - attacking a particular politician (Guess which one is attacked most fiercely.) or asserting that all politicians are selfish and corrupt. Some of these are very well done, and in other issues I might have used them. But this time I'm hoping for poems that look deeper, preferably with some sort of hope. Some very good ones have already arrived, but there is still room for more.