On 12 December 1982, 30,000 women held hands around the 6 miles (9.7 km) perimeter of the Greenham Common Air Base, Newbury, Berkshire, in protest against the decision to site American cruise missiles there. I was there and wrote this poem afterwards. It was a momentous day, a show of what love, peace and solidarity can do - the base was closed some time later.
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They moved the wisp, the frightened space
That hides behind the moon
And what they did, this shadow race
these pioneers of magic
was burst the colour
through the fence
the heavy metal chickenwire
without the aid of guns
The witches sit
they will consider
how to get the magic
over the fence
under the wire
how to keep their blackened eyes
and sprawling, ravaged
wisps of hair
away from cross-fire
The other side the cold hearts lie, uncomplicated
with never a wish the card won't provide
the soldiers hold their steely glances to the sky
For they don't see the moon
or dissenchanted birds migrating
No, they only see the space
where rockets fly.
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