It might have escaped your notice that a new Government has been elected in Britain. OK, there has been a lot of talk about the Tory cuts, but really, the new leader is keeping quite a low profile, it seems to me, going about his business by stealth.


The first poem of this new issue, by Siôn Owen, takes a look at the Conservatives’ proposals to re-open the mines. It’s hardly a secret that the word Thatcher is an official swear word in the Valleys, so like Siôn, it did occur to me that this suggestion was a bit of an affront, to put it mildly. The other take on it might be that it was a form of apology, or an attempt to right wrongs, perhaps even seek forgiveness. I think it would take a pretty gargantuan effort on the Tories’ part, far more than idle words and promises for the former mining communities to forgive them however. And besides, it doesn’t really ring true that the Conservatives would ever be apologetic about anything.


And yet, re-opening the mines does make sense, I think. Conservationists (as opposed to Conservatives) may disagree, but I spoke to someone from Merthyr at a party, shortly before the election, who did think it was a viable option. Apparently, machines rather than men could be sent below to do the mining work itself, leaving all the operational work to men from the surface. I suppose it is an irony that, being honest, mining could never have ever been especially appealing work, requiring a great deal of hard labour, carrying a lot of physical risk, for a low wage, but better this than to face a future of no job at all. This new way of mining might be extremely costly, but if it brings more jobs to the affected areas, and more prosperity to the area in general, then that can only be a good thing.


If we were in America rather than Wales, we would of course be talking about the election of the Republican party (leaving aside the farcical situation of it in fact being a form of coalition government – “Coalition Brings In the Coal” I can see the headlines now, ahem). The original idea for this issue of Square was that it would be an American issue (tenuous link, I know). I made a trip stateside earlier in the year, and you can, if you choose, read a full, unedited account of my trip, which had absolutely nothing to do with poetry whatsoever. As with most of Square’s themed issues, it’s fallen a little flat on its face. Writers I’d hope would submit from the US have failed to do so, for example. But there is a short story by American-born (and former Square Writers’ Circle member) Barrie Llewellyn.


Aside from that, we have contributions by other ex-Square writers, David Foster Morgan and Shelagh Middlehurst. Mao Jones takes a look at the excellent 24 hour poetry event which took place in Swansea in April, there are more book reviews, a review of a play and of y aohr John Squire exhibition,some microfiction, plus, of course, heaps more poetry,


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including the second ever overseas contribution, this time from Davide Trame of Italy. Guest Fonts for this issue: Futura Condensed Extra Bold Normal and Coca Cola 2


. Nc ik t


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