Do we all become Dafyddelified with age?
Is it inevitable that, as we acquire mortgage and family responsibilities, we become naturally more conservative and wary, even cynical about political change?
I always recall my Aunty from Swansea responding to my declarations of revolutionary anarchism with - ' Just you wait till you settle down with a job and family.....you'll soon have different ideas.'
The support for UKIP among older voters and , in contrast, the overwhelming 'yes!' of the young in the Scottish referendum would seem to reinforce this.
When you consider the careers of many so-called left-wing politicians ,their development mirrors that of Lord Dafydd Ellis Thomas, from darling of the left to establishment figure.
'But what about Tony Benn?' I hear some say,' a politician who retained his consistently idealistic views.'
Yes, but he largely remained outside the spheres of influence and was, in some ways, a traditional advocate of the ascendancy of the British Parliament.
The cynicism of a leftie like myself is only increased when you look at politicians like Leanne wood, leader of Plaid Cymru.
Myself and many others joined that party to help get her elected, believing she was a genuine socialist and republican.
Yet she has declared her own and her party's support for the Queen of England in the Senedd, appeasing the centre and right of her party from the very start.
Plaid's general lack of concerted opposition to Labour's savage cuts throughout Cymru (I know there are exceptions in certain areas) only casts doubt on their socialist credentials.
Above all, they have failed to come up with radical alternatives to Labour in the key areas of health and education.
I left the party while others remained and carry on making excuses, arguing that a betrayal of principles is merely tactical.
Her U-turn on the monarchy was actually explained to me by a socialist republican within the party as a successful attempt to out-flank Labour!
In other words, Carwyn Jones was anticipating a 'Mrs Windsor' attack and ended up surprised by an anodyne acceptance of the antiquated, imperialist institution.
He must have been chuckling to himself......Plaid now behaving just like Labour, whose republicans such as Roy Hattersley managed to conceal their views for ages in order to get elected!
My faith in electoral politics as a serious force for change was undermined by this experience.
I have moved back to believing that genuine change will only come from below and that people will gradually grow weary of celeb/lottery sofadom and rise up out of their chains....well, cushions!
My Aunty was totally wrong, of course; yet also, totally right.
Though I do yearn for a very different society - based on co-operation not competition, where no-one's talents are wasted and we care for the environment in every aspect of lifestyle - I also acknowledge that this may be impossible.
If enough people are sufficiently anaesthetized by brain-cell killing popular culture, then how can the consciousness of the majority be altered?
Alternative views of society can become part of the mainstream as in Russell Brand's version of the revolution, whereby all democratic processes are decried and largely borrowed anarchistic visions put forward.
However, the referendum in Scotland did revive my faith in humanity temporarily.
It seemed to comprise a remarkable fusion of socialist republicans, greens and nationalists : the awakening of a vision of a nation not based on austerity and callous profiteering.
The stark reality of politics in Cymru soon brings disillusionment.
Most mainstream politics is too afraid to offend and this is partly behind Wood's gradual Dafyddelification.
Instead of arguing vehemently against the monarchy as a symbol of wealth, privilege and an anachronistic class system, there's a desire to appease the establishment, an overriding fear of media criticism and loss of votes.
The theory that nobody changes the system from within, but is in fact changed by that system, is proven.
I wonder if, at some later stage, cynicism will destroy my idealism completely.
When I think of the distinct possibility of many Merthyr people - in the town of y faner goch - voting for UKIP, a pessimism sets in which is unfamiliar to me.
We certainly need more Left unity and sharing of actions and ideas, but it's no use the Britleft carrying on as if it was the 1960s. Cymru, Scotland and the unresolved question of Ireland are a reality which won't go away and fighting for Palestinian freedom while denying it to these 'internal colonies' is an absurdity.
Yet I do remain idealistic......a hopeless case maybe?
HOW SOON THEY BECOME.........
In high summer heat, July-japing
and the whole school holidays stretching
ahead like a beach just beckoning.
My daughter and her friends frantically
filling water-bombs, fights on the Astro
and the Close an arena of soaking conflict.
Then I heard them, those yelling put-downs,
assumed it was a grumpy adult
valuing their property before kids' fun.
Saw her at a window glaring down
at her precious car, shone to gleaming -
'Get away! Play over there!'
Her angry tones sending them scattering
the girl who, a decade before,
had lead their games.
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