THROUGH THE IRON CURTAIN

The rise of what is termed “Communism” in Russia and many parts of Europe has had a lasting impact upon our world. So-called Communism in Europe has never got beyond the state control and management of countries’ economies and way of life and would be better known as “State Capitalism.” It never reached its ideal situation of the state in time withering away and allowing ordinary people to manage and control their local and national economy but it did instigate reactions and revolt throughout Central and Eastern Europe which marked the decline and death of this level of control although arguably much of this still exists in modern Russia. This quartet of poems, both historical and socio-political in content, chart different perspectives of the rise and decline of Communism partly viewed from a third person observation and partly both from the view of a real person I have renamed Gnome, whose account of his flight from Hungary to live in the UK I poetised, and also from my own experiences behind the Iron Curtain in August 1974 when I was interrogated about my intentions and purposes there. In the case of the longest poem, “The Red Circle,” explanatory notes have been added to facilitate the understanding of key figures and events. As some of its cantos were also set to music, notes were added to assist the reader. The last poem. “Twenty Years Later,” reflects on the developments since the fall of Communism and where it has left the people.