Carolina Sofia Del Valle Ortega Loreto High School

Carolina Del Valle Ortega

Loreto High School

Coats of Red

I’ll set the scene, Late in the evening 16th of August 1819, a revolution, they’d said we’ve been conceiving. In the field we gathered for the rally, Soldiers hid in every alley, A general cry of “stand fast” Chanted loudly by outcasts, Tightly packed, shoulder to shoulder, Perhaps mistaken us for soldiers, Looking smart in Sunday clothes Of which I’m sure you did oppose.

Slicing through us, exactly how me mam sliced our lemon cake, Each Sunday morning, A sea of screams, Without no warning, Then in you streamed, Heads held high, Upon your horses, The battle cries, Followed by noises, A sound like that of thunder, Hundreds of workers, you did sunder. You cut us up, No questions asked, Almost eager, To kill the massed, To kill the meagre, To kill us fast. You slay the hungry, You end the poor, Slaughter the peaceful, Killing those you don’t view equals You’ve brought a lethal evil, A wrath upon these people, People who are feeble, No way to pay, Your price on bread, No chance to vote, to change, No right to say what must be said, No voice to ask a decent wage.

So we hold up these flags, LIBERTY, Stood tall in our finest rags, Hoping to make history, UNIVERSAL SUFFRAGE, These banners waved with pride, FRATERNITY, For this cause we’ve died, The cause for which we’ve cried, The cause we’ve been denied.

Henry Hunt. And hunted he will be, For standing at the “battlefront”, Standing tall for all to see, Yes, he lead the charge with words of passion Talked of food that we must ration Fought for what we needed, New ideas, dreams seeded. A worker of the working class A hero of the poor, Alas!

We used our words So we’d be heard We came equipped with hope and drive We’re met with nowt but sword and knife Fought bravely with our caps and banners No hesitations, and no stammers. We came in search of something just Our lack of wealth, you do not trust, Too low of class, No regal past, You struck us down because we’re different No Sir or Lord, none to adorn, Our names. Yes, our names, each and every one of us, Not subjects, not workers, not numbers, but people. People with names.

You said, “either by law or the sword” Well, thank you my lord Because we’ll not fight with sword, We’ll fight even when ignored, Fight with mouth and brain, Even if now it was in vain.

You’ve painted us in shades of crimson left us with this sweet vermillion

Now we’re equal, Now it’s fair, You and I, now we’ll both bare with pride, our coats of red Stained in St Peter’s Square A promise, we’ll not forget this bloodshed We will remember, this I do swear.