A poem by performance poet Emma Ireland from Derby, East Midlands, England, inspired by my book ‘Demanding the Impossible: A History of Anarchism’. She says she has never been the same after reading it.

‘demand the impossible
the stupendous, the phenomenal
demand all the things we were told
were not ours

demand the intractable
the ingenious, the unfathomable
don’t let them rule us
from ivory towers

come get involved
don’t wait to be told
all you need is a dream
and the courage to believe

we’ll take back our souls
we’ll take back what they stole
and when their time comes
there will be no reprieves

for we are the dreamers
benevolent schemers
with rage and compassion
our voices ring clear

demand the impossible
the amazing, the improbable
demand all the things
that are already here

in words and in vision
in every street kitchen
in community allotments
and crowd funding plans

in squats and in clothes swaps
in all worker co-ops
in self-managed classrooms
and collective time banks

the impossible is possible
feasible and credible
just because it is not
doesn’t mean it can’t be

so demand the impossible
for we are unstoppable
and together as one
we might all become free’