Verse 1 Home is a prison when Lighted newspapers come through the frontdoor Home is torture When graffiti is plastered all over the walls Home is purgatory When my children are spat on and kicked Home is nothing When my grandparents are beaten up Home is far away Thousands of miles away when boots crush my skull Home is on another continent Maybe I’ll return there one day to escape the daily hostility
Verse 2 I don’t live in a cardboard box I live in a shit smeared block of flats. I’m not a prisoner of conscience I’m not fighting a bloody war I’m living in East Ham in fear I’m not a powerful mad man killing all I’m behind a wall Cowering frightened Waiting to be attacked I’m a Pakistani in England that’s all.
Verse 3 White neighbourhood watch scheme Keeping an eye out for the blacks, Waiting to shop them to the police Just for being in my street, being black.
Verse 4 I build a monument in my living room To the brutality shown in the TV arena Where lions devour my children Teachers wipe out their faces The monument I build Is made of bones taken from Dachau Transported to Coventry I sleep next door to the SS men Who want to cut off my feet But I don’t sleep For I am building a monument That will live after I have gone To choose a name for my work Is simple enough Mein Kampf The monument is of me Kneeling in chains Under the boot Of the skinhead regime.
Verse 5 The baying of wolves The darkest moon of condemnation The banners of injustice Pass my front door As if to ignore My imprisonment. Ye turn out in numbers to party To bring the eyes of good men to shame Ye learn not of the golden light But that which scolds the power of fame. Listen ye not to bringers of noisy processions Tell yourself that good will triumph Only when all good people Leave their video armchairs Proclaim that peace is not a gift To be found in the future But is the essence of justice To be found today. Make tomorrow’s love today’s reality.
The desert gas station Blasted by sun with sand Lifts the eye from out of the ground, 250 miles across Arizona, They day has melted down, Cooling tha engine while legs are stretched Looking out across the savannahs Wondering how wide the sky is Why we never have the clouds visit ... Coasting towards the sierras Blinded by the night Seeking our horizons wanting a brief respite, We are near the motel Or are those lights another dream, The next morning The searchers’ arms wrapped Themselves around the car As I sped Head Long Into another session of driving – Through breathless are diving Through sunlight, dryness jiving For the ache of travel Is the ache of searching Despite the spectacular surrounding The greyness of not finding Is the lead weight of expectation. The desert high jinx swallowed me whole The smiling spirit of the plateaus Point a wary finger at shimmering hotel bars My mind’s eye pierces this nonsense As we cruise at 60 mph As we search for the road covered in sand As we dissect this moonscape land As the spirit of desert puts out its huge hand Feeling the forced of circumstance Knowing the journey to be wise. I’m able to ignore the reluctance, Give out each day so much more. We glide across Arizona We sweep into the Texas range For help is always around me, Never once did I find this strange. Listening to Chuck Berry On the local radio We swing across the highways With no particular place to go? We Jim Reeves into Huntsville We have come Listening we’ve always done To the sound of distant drums. The electric man was asked to go The gas man not allowed We meet the medic With the devil in his hand. The smile of death was in his head As he administered midazolam Plus the last rites into those – Who in their dread In their prostrate stranglehold Struggled no more, The Lord’s work for sure Yup the comfort of only doing what is right With God on your side You can drug the murderer outta sight. With The Move drumming out its sound I’m a California Man We swing our journey to the Golden State Lifting the murky carpet high We have the electric date Of – let’s see ‘em when they fry. The love and peace of Frisco Seems like a pathetic disco Where the decks have exploded The discs were made of ice Sizzle ye your citizens But not at all very nice For although God is on your side It’s the other side you have to abide Listen not ye to duty’s fame Watch out for damnation’s flame As you – American kill off the lame Electrocute gas hang shoot shoot up Unrelenting God’s work Revenge, bathing in blood The downfall of empires Sent from above. You who have killed love You who drink the blood You who deny the spirit Your rewards are centuries away, You reap only what you sew Watch out when you go For you’re dealing in death Won’t let you go Your duty to the State Will diminish your own fate You will return to this Earth Stay here till you have learnt The wisdom and love Of the Universe Not getting out of the plane As we touch down again In the middle of Arizona desert For all I can see through the sweat Are plateaus, sand and blazing skies I’m bored by the red and blue But I’m buoyed by the coming hue That reflects the ancient eyes. Oh Arizona! Your Indian braves Your men and women of fame Have a pocketful of stars Give us this day our daily blame Forgive us our stupidity As we forgive those That are stupid towards us And lead us not into execution Deliver us from duty For thine is the kingdom The Power and the glory Forever and ever For all men.
this is a poem about Willie Leroy Jones who was electrocuted for the murders of Graham and Myra Adkins in their Charles City home. He knew the Adkins couple, who were in their late 70s, through their son. For more about this go to https://murderpedia.org/male.J/j1/jones-willie-leroy.htm#google_vignette
The desert gas station Blasted by sun with sand Lifts the eye from out of the ground, 250 miles across Arizona, The day has melted down, Cooling tha engine while legs are stretched Looking out across the savannahs Wondering how wide the sky is Why we never have the clouds visit ... Coasting towards the sierras Blinded by the light Seeking our horizons wanting a brief respite, We are near the motel Or are those lights another dream, The next morning The searchers’ arms wrapped Themselves around the car As I sped Head Long Into another session of driving – Through breathless are diving Through sunlight, dryness jiving For the ache of travel Is the ache of searching Despite the spectacular surrounding The greyness of not finding Is the lead weight of expectation. The desert high jinx swallowed me whole The smiling spirit of the plateaus Point a wary finger at shimmering hotel bars My mind’s eye pierces this nonsense As we cruise at 60 mph As we search for the road covered in sand As we dissect this moonscape land As the spirit of desert puts out its huge hand Feeling the forced of circumstance Knowing the journey to be wise. I’m able to ignore the reluctance, Give out each day so much more. We glide across Arizona We sweep into the Texas range For help is always around me, Never once did I find this strange. Listening to Chuck Berry On the local radio We swing across the highways With no particular place to go? We Jim Reeves into Huntsville We have come Listening we’ve always done To the sound of distant drums. The electric man was asked to go The gas man not allowed We meet the medic With the devil in his hand. The smile of death was in his head As he administered midazolam Plus the last rites into those – Who in their dread In their prostrate stranglehold Struggled no more, The Lord’s work for sure Yup the comfort of only doing what is right With God on your side You can drug the murderer outta sight. With The Move drumming out its sound I’m a California Man We swing our journey to the Golden State Lifting the murky carpet high We have the electric date Of – let’s see ‘em when they fry. The love and peace of Frisco Seems like a pathetic disco Where the decks have exploded The discs were made of ice Sizzle ye your citizens But not at all very nice For although God is on your side It’s the other side you have to abide Listen not ye to duty’s fame Watch out for damnation’s flame As you – American kill off the lame Electrocute gas hang shoot shoot up Unrelenting God’s work Revenge, bathing in blood The downfall of empires Sent from above. You who have killed love You who drink the blood You who deny the spirit Your rewards are centuries away, You reap only what you sew Watch out when you go For you’re dealing in death Won’t let you go Your duty to the State Will diminish your own fate You will return to this Earth Stay here till you have learnt The wisdom and love Of the Universe Not getting out of the plane As we touch down again In the middle of Arizona desert For all I can see through the sweat Are plateaus, sand and blazing skies I’m bored by the red and blue But I’m buoyed by the coming hue That reflects the ancient eyes. Oh Arizona! Your Indian braves Your men and women of fame Have a pocketful of stars Give us this day our daily blame Forgive us our stupidity As we forgive those That are stupid towards us And lead us not into execution Deliver us from duty For thine is the kingdom The Power and the glory Forever and ever For all men.
Standing out in front Caring not of what lies behind Is like taking a dagger By the blade
Pushing it in to the hilt Inside somehow Releasing hot embers every now And again.
Don’t go deep into the need for religion Don’t ride the roller coaster of submission Keep the head high Shoulders straight back
Because you have to try And have it melted down Before it captures you Turns you into a religious clown.
Don’t turn on the taps of gushing Christianity Keep the faith Purify the understanding of spirit By living – breathing – loving.
Sanctifty ye not the eternal flame Don’t cast the love into useless blame Render the lost path of Christian fame An obsolete and reckless game.
For spirit is no picnic – ‘tis no game But we’re all the same You are there to shake the tree of life Give the cross to the devil.
Who invented that? Make all false words Reach into the gloom Make your heart skip to the moon.
For in the skipping You are really living For living is the way Of the eternal spirit.
Take it and ram it down the ideals Of false saints, render the hapless Cosy minded souls an icy blast Remind them love costs the universe an eternity.
Live it love is the second nature That resides in all of us for sure Give it as you walk side by side With the one we k now as Jesus.
Make it as he will give you his hands With the love that spans this world Explore it you become a medium Not enslaved to continuous oblivion.
Wonder at it as your life will enter The final phase in colour in love An eternity dancing its last When the music was nearly over.
The scented shelf fell into a golden levee Strong enough to melt the mind We pranced our hearts out really We asked for more than a drink.
“I’m pretty, but sordid, I think.” But all the words merged in an endless dream Our lives became a constant swim between Reality – make believe – reality again.
Please let me see the sun again Let the words blow away Gazing at the ravine bottom He jumped into a certain space.
The infinite which was hid’ … Detail of the frontispiece of William Blake’s Europe: A Prophecy, a book on display at Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge. Poem Inspired by William Blake
I’ve been sleeping for two thousand years Waiting for the moment to turn on the light.
I have slept in clouds in the storms of the night Looking for a signal, wanting a switch.
I have journeyed inside a billion stars Staying only a microsecond away from here.
I have splashed the colours of the universe Throughout the invented histories of Earth.
I have travelled the miles in cases of thought I was tortured by dogma and politics of a sort.
I have been aware of your instruments of death You can sanctify your cross, do your worst.
I am pained for I am no longer free The Earth need is drawing heavily on me.
I am expected but your doors to freedom are closed Whilst the new gods are frantically worshipped.
I saw satanic mills flourish to yield gold To the money moguls who despise me of old.
I am grieving for the Earth waiting for it to awaken My sleeping for two thousand years is about to end.
I am crying for your clergy all have forsaken Me and my heart and the hearts of all kinds.
I am stretching out my arms, no one notices As I rise from this stone obscure tomb.
I am sure my next visit will be more worthy Melting away I went not just saving the money.
I’ve been away for two thousand years Listening for the sounds of love and peace.
I am watching a thousand guilty knives Flying through the air towards me alive.
I am blamed for wars greed and indifference Little chance have I to alter books to make a difference.
I am altered, fashioned into a nuclear missile For me to bless and for you to release.
I’m given the guilt of countless thousand deaths So that I may absorb the hatred and fear.
PART 2
No one shall sleep forever For forever demands wakefulness A gentle prodding towards awareness.
No one escapes the glare of the life force Nor shall anyone ignore the courses We tread, we dread the reality of passing over.
No one wants to see the skull and bone remains Because we were routinely taught to fear And we fear most that which doesn’t happen.
Like death as it is only an illusion But we were warped, changed by religion
The comfort from the religious when we meet teaches us of oblivion, from which we retreat is like so many nails driven into hands and feet.
No one dies because we go on to other places Therefore sleep be banished For our friends haven’t vanished They are close to our faces They are with us forever in all places All we need do is wish them to be near.
Sleep ye not, ye souls of ancient yore For thou hast a path to walk yet and more Thou walkest freely in the light of universal love A power from within, without – streams from above From below, from inside from outside, everywhere Thou walkest the highest mountains here When thou settles thy mind there.
Bring us the steepest mountains and hills We’ll make the journey one of our skills That were taught us two thousand years ago Universal lessons we cover with our egos But beware be not ever so blind Ye cannot purge thine own mind Of ancient and nameless wisdom For it resides deep within Every cell and molecule kingdom Of you, of me of us of everyone.
Make ye not a tremendous fuss Play the simple game of life for us In the manner of truth and light Make ye not false prayers For they attract white hot holes Into the spirit friends who become whole.
Lift thine eyes with gladdened hearts To the voices of those who know all parts, Mock ye not for what do we know? Only what we see that is on show What is this, some kind of Hell? Where our senses are; what can I tell Of our eyes, hands, nose and mouth – A hell invented for convenience hatred and greed An anvil for all souls to carry thinking they need Willingly for they believe is real but taken in.
The tragedy of two thousand years without name Greets my tired eyes like a bloodied torch of flame Singeing everyone with a hopeless hapless blame
No one sleeps but most are hypnotised By the goodies and rewards concocted Fashioned by mindless animals called humans.
Dull day, watching as a newspaper sails away Blending splendidly with McDonalds' cartons Coca Cola metal edged and ugly - Thought s of a new day Very much the same as yesterday Lying here next door to Primark My caps water logged virtually penniless Matching my pockets frugality Searing the unfathomed reality - Where thousands walk past.
What they see is a pile of rags and inertia Some cursing “ we’re not in bloody Asia” Soaked Big Issues don’t bring in the dosh Not do prostrate grey heaps Lining the Strand or Charing Cross. Blue coated lighted the boys with batons Use your legs for football practice “move on you bastard, or you’ll get more” “It’s the sailors life for me!”
The joke’s not lost like earrings in the hay Nights are always worse than days Junkies knifing your veins for pennies Prostitutes complaining about trade failures Blaming the begging not their aging layers It’s not only the cold that claims The street dwellers in this city It’s the absence of guilt and pity The liars of the Media affect your livelihood As sure as someone mugging your food The stories of violence leave out the frenzy Of organised scapegoating Blaming the poverty stricken With anything from litter to the Footsie collapsing.
Well meaning professional cannibals Hand you their insincerities And wait for you to smile your promises So they can keep the score’s accurate Then report you to the police Telling of drunkenness because you are a vagrant Wandering half the night for a vacant Doorway facing away from the wind Piles of grey rags and snoring.
Known as the “beggars welcome” Staggering into Mothercare’s entrance? Smiling at the irony, with a wince That triggers the aching gut rush Empty organs are painful most of the time Cups of tea sandwiches crusts or bones Forever missing off my menu.
Duller day, much the same as yesterday Only it appears to be longer It is much redder than before Due to crack heads wielding blades I’m becoming slimmer by the minute By the time an ambulance is alerted I will have become significant at last Statistically speaking anyway.
DISSENTERS VOICE 