Ever United

Together we stood strong and tall,
United outside Ealing Town Hall
Strong and tall
With placards held high
Resolute and unphased by the Police nearby.

We stood as one to make a stand
To demand the Council understands
That its plans to sever 7 libraries
Are challenged through protest audibly

Resolute and unphased by guards nearby
As Councillor Bell ‘ignored’ raged decries
With a video and voice, camera and mic
Together we stood warrior-like

No colour, class or creed divide
United outside and filled with pride
To defend our libraries borough-wide
With UNISON and residents side by side.

Resolute and unphased by the Police nearby
We stood together bonafide
Borough librarians came in force
Whose plight thousands of us endorse

No offence but stuff your draft strategy!
Our libraries are a lifeline legacy
With paid, skilled professionals
To instil a love of literacy in us all

Community libraries offer no panacea
And doomed to fail with unpaid volunteers
Unpaid and synonymous of chattel slaves
Different words but the concept remains the same.

Cocooned in chambers as dusk drew nigh
Councillor Bell tried to ignore raged decries,
While pedestrians and drivers passing by
Applauded and cheered for us outside

Together we stood strong and tall
United outside our local Council
By any necessary legal means
We’ll stand Ever United in all extremes

Akuba 13th June 2019

Photo by Paul James, on behalf of Hanwell Library Users Group