Today, 15 July 2016, marks the funeral of Jo Cox, MP for Batley and Spen who was murdered on 16th June whilst carrying out her constituency duties.  Jo Cox was a serious and committed Labour politician, previously a humanitarian worker.  She was also the mother of very young children. Nothing can make this awful loss better, but I was very touched that a good friend from Mauritius, who for many years made his home in the UK, sent me this poem to share our grief and belief in goodness above all else.

Here is Daniel Labonne’s poem:

ODE TO JO

A tribute to Jo Cox

A part of me died
On the cold pavement of Yorkshire
A part of me lied
When I smiled to greetings
The next day and every day hereafter

Warm blood dried
On the cold pavement of Yorkshire
A heartbeat stopped
When bullets popped out
From the loaded barrel of hate

Two children cried
On the cold pavement of Yorkshire
A father’s tears drowned
Words that will never fill
The gaping hole in young lives

A murderer lied
From the cold pavement of Yorkshire
To trusting neighbours
To classless followers
Hopeful admirers of smiling Jo

But hope was sacrificed
On the cold pavement of Yorkshire
In the stabbed body of womanhood
Bearer of fresh love
For a broken humanity

Fallen angels ride
Off the cold pavement of Yorkshire
To a free place where spirits dwell
Away from you and from me
Locked up into our earthly cell

Jo tried and tried
From the cold pavement of Yorkshire
To put words into action
And action into words
From Kabul to Westminster

She walked on the bright side
Of the cold pavement of Yorkshire
For victims of global wars, for voiceless refugees
Hatred in her own backyard
Silenced her own voice

Unleashed demons glide
Above the cold pavement of Yorkshire
They’ve taken over the countryside
Chasing commonsense
And fairness out of Jo’s motherland

Where now shall we all hide?
On the cold pavement of Yorkshire
Flowers of shame and guilt
Form an invisible bouquet
To the floating spirit of Jo

Daniel Labonne. 6th July 2016. Hastings UK

~ ~ ~

Thank you, Daniel; and thank you with all our hearts, Jo Cox.

Photograph by Hilary Burrage: Parliament Square London, 6 July 2016

In celebration and memory of Jo Cox a fund has been set up to support causes closest to her heart, chosen by her family:

Jo Cox Fund

Daniel Labonne is a playwright and poet, author of several books including Empowering The Performer (published by Tamare House) and Refugee, the musical (unpublished). His latest book Tipti, a children’s book, was published in 2015. He writes in English and French.
Daniel is also a leading advocate of the legacy of Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, the black British classical composer.   dhlabonne@aol.com