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The poem “The Gentler Art” by Maureen Browne read by the poet herself at the Society of Classical Poets online Poetry Symposium on June 28, 2025:
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Video created by Andrew Benson Brown.
To be perfectly honest, Michael, I never know how what I write will strike a reader. Sometimes things just work…
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You write some exceptionally fine lines, Armaan. For one example from each poem: Wrong means reaching. Wrong means getting at…
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Thank you for describing my lines with such appreciation, Bhikku Nyanasobhano. The qualities you mention are what I could hope…
Maureen you eloquently have touched on the atrocities of humanity, punctuating it with your last line; ” never again, we said”,….a haunting message for each of us.
Thank you for sharing.
A powerful piece you read, Maureen, accompanied by a well-chosen, atmospheric piece of music to add to the poignancy of your words.
Combined, they emphasise the impotency and hollowness of those words we often bandy, ‘Never, again!’
Your words are made all the more poignant as events unfold in the Middle East, Eastern Europe and elsewhere.
Thank you, Maureen. The publishing of this audio comes at an interesting time, too, as Xi and Putin were just recently caught talking about how long they can live now thanks to organ transplants. The undercurrent here is that they have organs on demands from people who are unwilling and are being used as a living organ bank. One of the most notable groups is Falun Gong practitioners:
https://www.theepochtimes.com/world/censorship-concerns-raised-after-chinese-state-media-pulls-video-of-xi-putin-organ-transplant-discussion-5911588
China’s state-owned broadcaster has rescinded international wire agency access to hot mic video footage of Chinese and Russian leaders discussing longevity and organ transplants, an effort that shows the Chinese regime’s fear of attention on the topic, critics say.
The open mic exchange between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese leader Xi Jinping took place in Beijing on Sept. 3, as the two leaders walked together ahead of a military parade commemorating World War II.
Xi, at the parade, told Putin that “these days at 70 you are still a child,” prompting Putin to remark that continued organ transplants could allow one to live younger and even reach immortality. Xi, in response, said it is predicted that there’s a chance of humans living to 150 years old.
The conversation became global news and sparked discussions about the Chinese regime’s state-sanctioned forced organ harvesting, a taboo topic in China. CCTV has since taken down the livestream video that captured the exchange and removed the moment from replays.
I wrote a story about forced organ transplants in China about fifteen or so years ago. The story was based on the fact that executed prisoners’ organs were legally allowed to be harvested by the state.
The gist of the story was about a Chinese citizen giving blood as his patriotic duty, then being arrested and imprisoned for a capital punishment crime. In the end we learn that the prisoner has a rare blood type, the same as a prominent politician’s son who needs a liver transplant.