This many strikes – surely someone’s out
for blood. Ours or theirs? Blood from a stone
the saying goes. I think of those without a coat
through this long winter. My inbox dings:
STAFF WELLBEING SURVEY. I let out a snort:
such timing. In the last six months have you been,
(a) Out of patience, (b) a bit burnt-out,
(c) worked out of your mind? Oh, I feel so seen 
by your quest to improve employee satisfaction!
Meanwhile, a decade into his vocation,
some poor post-doc, last term’s marking stacked,
ekes out his heating until his next contract.
Paid by the hour, another can’t make her rent:
‘I woke up once to snow outside the tent.’

From Strike Sonnet Chain, published by Whaleback City Press, a chain of sonnets in solidarity with the recent strike action of the University and College workers Union, UCU.

Sarah Howe is a poet, academic and editor. Her first book, Loop of Jade (Chatto & Windus, 2015), won the T S Eliot Prize. Her pamphlet, A Certain Chinese Encyclopedia (Tall-lighthouse, 2009), won an Eric Gregory Award from the Society of Authors.