This poem is not a member
of Palestine Action. This poem
does not invite support for
Palestine Action, nor is it
an event that supports
Palestine Action, nor is this
poem reckless as to whether
it will encourage others to
support Palestine Action, aware
that it could encourage support
for Palestine Action, and unreason-
able in taking that risk. This poem
is not wearing clothing or
carrying articles in public
which may arouse reasonable
suspicion that it is a member
of or supports Palestine Action,
nor does it publish an item
or logo which may a-
rouse reasonable suspicion
that it is a member of or supports
Palestine Action. This poem
does not fundraise, give money
to, or hold funds intended for
Palestine Action. This poem does not
support Palestine Action.

This poem understands that direct
action taken against the eco-
nomic and military structures
waging genocide in Palestine,
against banks and fact-
ories, fences and war-
planes, constitutes serious
damage to property designed
to influence the government (or
an international governmental
organisation) to end the genocide
in Palestine and so under the Terror-
ism Act 2000 constitutes terror-
ism, which cannot be permitted
in a democratic society.

This poem understands that dam-
age to steel and glass, rubber and i-
ron by a person who is not
a member of the police, arm-
y or secret service of a UN
member state is prosecutable
under the Terrorism Act 2000, un-
like damage to femur and lung, eye
and liver by a person who is
a member of the police, army
or secret service of a UN
member state and so to every
practical purpose not prosecutable
under any national or inter-
national law, or by any act
other than by putting terrific
meat into the teeth of property.

This poem understands it is
subject to investigation
by members of the po-
lice, army or secret ser-
vice of a UN member state
to see if it has been reck-
less, that members of the
police, army or secret
service of a UN member
state, wearing the faces
of friends, may once again
enter its life and its loved
ones in order to uncover
any support for Palestine
Action, or for any future
action which might end
the genocide in Palestine,
given that such action may
also be prosecutable under
the Terrorism Act 2000, and so
this poem invites the loving
state into the clarity of poetry,
asking whatever reader may
come whether within or be-
tween its lines there is anything
that could be construed un-
der the Terrorism Act 2000
as saying the words which no-
one in a democratic society must say:
“I support Palestine Action”.

Josie Giles is a writer and performer from Orkney, now living in Leith, Edinburgh. She has published a verse novel Deep Wheel Orcadia (Picador, 2021) and two collections of poetry  Tonguit (Freight Books 2015) and The Games (Out-Spoken Press 2018).

Poetry submissions to thursdaypoems@gmail.com