i wonder how we will commemorate the 1000th anniversary of the norman conquest in 2066. if i live to see it, i’ll be an old man. will it lead to an examination of viking influence on british life? i’m pretty certain i’m of viking blood. i identify as blonde, despite what that spotty french teacher said when i was 13 (she said, in french, first, ‘sit down if you have brown hair,’ and second, ’n.n. benn, sit down, you have brown hair.’
‘no,’ i said, ‘it merely looks brown. i can assure you that deep down, invisibly to the naked eye, my hair is blonde.’
anyway, most countries have been subject to multiple instances of conquest and revolution. the french seem to guillotine their ruling class every couple of hundred years. whereas our fossil landlords in britain seem to have been landed and gented since time immemorial. our systems are dysfunctional and eccentric. whereas germany, france and italy and, who all lost wars or were occupied in the last century, have benefitted from at least attempting to come up with rational systems of government.
i was in paris recently – everywhere you look you see the slogan ‘liberté, égalité, fraternité.’ much preferable to betty two regina and chuck three rex.
the love epochal. n.n. benn 