For 'England'
A Poem by Dr Edward Loveman
Silencing whistles, hush, quiet
then, benighted performances
begin, bordering belonging --
A voice cuts through pandemonium
"Yes, God, England, Jesus come on."
Declarations of allegiance
(re)enforce social hierarchies
securing assumed Englishness
mimicking accents, just 'joking'
"Zee za die Deutschland, du piss off."
Lull in play, momentary pause
surrounded by symbols of St George
'our' saint born Cappadocia, Türkiye
contradiction ignored, howling
"Crusaders! go to holy war."
Proud of your divine nation, sing
hope and glory, celebrating
empire, industry, slavery.
Legitimate patriotism?
"(Screaming) Long live our noble King."
Replenish, clink bottles, no thoughts
of journeys, histories, labors
from hops to beer, hybrid, global
no, just hangover guarantees
"Two sips for each 'fitty' you see."
Governors of identity
what is feminine, masculine
White, multiple layers involved.
A platform for hatred hidden
"That horrible Sturgeon woman."
Game on the line, us versus them.
Via active unawareness
viewers motivated desire
for inclusion means othering
"Ugh their cornrows, tattoos, and skin."
Naïve enactments of Englishness.
Intolerance to difference
ceases in your support of sport?
Stay comfortable believing this
"They are the problem, them, not me.”
A Statement by Dr Edward Loveman on his process
For ‘England,' is a poem (which has also been performed as spoken word) that tells an ironic story of nostalgic love for a fictional identity. It is based on my recent short-term sensory ethnographic research which used a ‘Goggle-Box’ method to capture the emplaced experience of audiences watching major sporting events. Each stanza speaks to the way in which social hierarchies were (re)defined, (re)produced, and (re)enforced without necessarily recognising the inequities to which behaviour, ideology, and language was attached. Though not composed of couplets, the poem is inspired by the Gazhal tradition of invoking melancholy, love, and longing, to create a sardonic ‘ode’ of patriotism that reflects the juxtaposition of playful ridiculousness and harmful seriousness of celebrating nationhood.