Why do people try to push me off the edge of a cliff, Saying “you won’t mind – you don’t have feelings” “You don’t mind if a trample all over your heart, After all it is only made of mud and stone, There’s nothing going in there so why moan?”
In innocent days spent at work trying to extract All the poison darts aimed at me for no reason, Surely, we could slice Peter’s heart up into bits He can’t possibly feel anything, it is no surprise, I mean look at him dour, stupid with dull eyes!
Don’t worry about telling him his father died It doesn’t matter for he has the heart of steel When we hurl abuse at him and he just stands still Like an unfeeling statue with no expression Beneath contempt he is with no intention.
Why worry if he is upset about the passing Of his only father – it doesn’t worry me none We don’t need to ask him how he feels He has no real feelings so why bother to question There are more important things to do like watch TV.
We can’t be bothered to explain to Peter the dullard Why he should not go to his mother’s funeral After all he has no place in our family at all. A person such as this can not possibly feel It doesn’t matter if he can – does it really?
Recognition of other people’s humanity Through the fact that they have feelings Is lost on many people and they don’t care! Some despise their own feelings and dare To transfer their disgust on to other people.
Tumbling through space as I leave the edge Of the cliff far behind me waiting for the hurt That comes with meeting the ground below My tears warm my face and wet my t-shirt Feelings extinguished by an unfeeling family.
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
When opening the door to reality, the stars seem to shine brighter And the weight of the world’s worries became lighter For the open door looks outwards and inwards To a place where time stands still To a moment where movement is all but nil.
Opening the door to let the sun-reality stream into the mind Isn’t an excursion into a new religion, you’ll find, Hymns aren’t necessary nor are prayers For the opening door ignores the worshipping crowds For the reality, when the thoughts fly easily are allowed.
When opening the door we can hold hands with the past Speak to our relatives who passed through this doorway For the opening door leads us on eventually to explore Our inner spaces as intrepid explorers discover the new world Our inner silences can drown out the illusion we know only too well.
Opening the door bestows a responsibility on all who gaze beyond For the reality is there to be explained, to be, at last, known Ignore the scenes what is behind the opening door You will live as a lizard scratching the bare floor With only a boulder to rely on, for comfort and love.
I open the door on to the reality which wants us to know We can tune in, if we want to, if we can only become slow Expanding awareness a thousand fold Gazing as the door opens still wider, I see the gold That lies hidden in the hearts and minds of everyone’s soul.
Behind the opening door cosmic awareness Becomes like a gigantic puzzle As each piece connects with a larger piece That connects with the whole that lives inside us all.
Violet indigo blue green yellow orange and red Streams the colours as they shine in my head A spectrum of truth That shines upon the path Leading through the opening door Leading on to where the love is more. Real than each dawning day More real than anyone could ever say.
You may find your pot of gold In the rainbow heart You feel as you become a part Of the universe that is you and within you That love is you and you are love Not at any time will you despair Having opened the door with such care.
Once the door becomes a glittering show of reality It will fade away into infinity Your heart will join with your head As you wave to all the people who are dead, Listen to their laments and advice The door stays open – so should your mind.
My arms are outstretched and very wide As I try to capture you floating nearby, Your rays of sun are hitting the backs of my eyes And the dance of angels are just starting, There are cascades of lights warming the air As I go wandering in and out of clouds everywhere, So that you can explore what the world wants of you, Are you surprised the world takes notice of you; I am not! You are in the infinite variety of words and song, I cannot choose the best of them, I am always wrong But with you within my measure, I can feel right again, I dance on the worn out ashes of time and space I cannot joke with the moon nor look into its face, But with you inside my private surrounds I can smile You are the woman who is not content by taking a mile, There are consequences for not being as one ought to, I can’t explain it only revel in what was brought to My attention as the sun sinks below its reason, “Can you shoot me?” was my plaintive cry out loud, There are words meant for horizons in unwanted colours. Can you tell between lazy motives and love itself? I have explanations in each of my pockets And none of them made any sense, because my mouth was hidden. Did I tell you about the warm sunny meadows inside my head A thousand maybes if I didn’t but it is better isn’t it, instead When I’m in rapture the lake is there to save me, cool me, Stepping outside the grasslands and into the desert sands Not bothered by the heat melting me, but I understand You are not really there, you are outside of my warmest dreams. Don’t give back all the words and songs I have given you please, What will I do with them now they are used up, worn, old, shabby, I prefer you as you are in strong womanhood you make me happy.
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.
I don’t understand adult wickedness Troubled violent people in a mess There is no scope for a clear reason To exist within or near their circle The terror they bring, what on Earth Is their meaning? The evil intention Scares their victims to shreds Blood runs cold, blood runs freely When the violence begins bluntly Pressing on a vulnerable body What hatred in their hearts they hold Sinking to the gutter. Seeking only the power To control to terrify to kill Leaving deep scars on hearts That are not ever meant to heal Confusion hurt pain That lasts for months, years Why do such as these hate this way Ignoring the consequence Flirting with a prison sentence. Flinging fists, strangleholds Pinning down their victims Scum is not even a suitable name For the attackers have no shame. These have no feelings, what game Are they intending to play? Stalking their victims each and every day, Menacing those who were made scared.
I am not cut from the same cloth I have no violent intent to others My offerings are tenderness and care, I could never strike someone weaker. It is cowardly to hurt a child or woman With fists, big hands, kicking, I vomit at the sight of them Harming less strong and abled victims Every day I hear of husband anger Turn to merciless cold danger The child beaters are everywhere Like a curse that turns sour our very air Regular slaps, put downs, insults, punches Clearly such revolting men and women Have no love for their spouse or children Have no real capacity to love Only themselves to distraction The evilness to seek satisfaction Through dishing out pain and humiliation They are worse than wild beasts, Depraved souls seeking subjugation I don’t lower the standing of humans To thinking perpetrators of violence Are anything other than gutter trash Why do such people hate this way? I don’t understand the where for or harm Nor do I waste my time wondering why What happened to their humanity They despise goodness and decency Their abuse and threats met only By the weight of the law occasionally These low life escape retribution Which would be more satisfactory More fitting to match their savagery. From where does my anger come Is there a latent nest of confusion Settled within me waiting to emerge When I learn of people’s violent urge. Is it because someone has been angry at me Or have I witnessed too much pain really Caused by violence to vulnerability Towards men women and children Too weak to resist superior strength.
For decades I have actively protested Set up support for victims of bullying For really people violence is bullying. Bullies can only be satisfied by the pain They inflict on their weaker targets Such is their grim satisfaction and yet They have no shortage of victims To speak to people who were bullied Maybe in childhood through neglect Or active violence, threats, put downs By adults parents teachers clowns Maybe attacks by partners spouses Those you thought you could trust The destruction is almost complete The scars from the pain go deep Why do such people hate this way? My meagre words of empathy Seem so pathetic as I listen keenly To those who have received violence Those gratified by punching, the consequence They are wilfully blind towards. Not a moment of feeling inwards Occurs to sociopathic man or woman They have no love towards another Only contempt hatred disdain no other. The idea of a killer who likes the feel of blood Oozing between their savage fingers Is fascinated and gains a carnal pleasure Watching their victim fading from life Wanting this control using their knife.
My disgust towards the perpetrators Sometimes is raw indignation Absent of sympathy or tolerance Such violence forced upon weaker souls Penetrates my heart leaving holes That need the healing of the universe Revenge towards the bully is tempered By thinking of repercussions Towards the victims of assault and battery No need to bring the weak more misery.
Childhood traumas caused by hitting Last a person all their life through It lives within them always, it is true Abusers, child haters, wife beaters, bombers Priests of yore, present day politicians, Will find no understanding within me My instinct is to be between victim and bully Is profound it will move me to action To provide in some small way protection. Whether Israeli bombing of innocent children Or domestic torturing of victims My ire will grow quickly, towards them The givers of violence I show no kindness They would not understand niceness For they spit upon those they harm They despise those people they hurt They try to squash them into the dirt For some there is no escape, not today. Why do such people hate this way?
Vintage illustration of from an 18th Century Chapbook. English Folklore, Mother Shipton, Ursula Southeil an English soothsayer and prophetess. Talking with a Witch, Devil and warlock flying brooms
I hear you say - are you a psychopath, am I a psychopath? You have trodden on my heart and scooped it out And taken it in your hands and thrown it all about. The jackboots you used upon me bruised my soul, You left marks upon me: but I wanted to be whole.
Destruction was the name of your game, I can tell You used and abused my soft heart and sent me to hell. You took advantage of my generous caring ways And gave me the blows, the shouts: I was so afraid, Fear is the very core of my being, for certain.
I know deep down your reasons were only trite excuses You used the chains of fear and took advantage You were to be king over my dented half truth life I was putty willingly in your pitiless grasp and fist You sent strange messengers to my brain covered in mist.
At first I could not hear the messages said It was like entering the garden of paradise, dead! You made me ask the question, what is the fucking point, This is no way to live, sure was no way to die, in joint Misunderstanding and mis-directed threats and cajoles.
I was used and abused by those who I thought loved me, I was so badly taken in by charmers in sheep’s clothing I was prey to the wolves, who wanted to eat my brain I bear the inner scars: I am not letting happen to me again I wish only to jump ship and take to the waves of uncertainty.
I want to find a desert island somewhere that would protect me I don’t need or deserve this kinda shit, no way, no how, I am my own person, I want to live well always and now I did not come into this world to be someone else’s plaything Nor do I want to be a punchbag, a skivvy or a slave to your whims.
Circumstances has been my keenest low companion, String me along, locked in chains, like carrion Lying in a field helpless with no way to ward off beaks and claws I was left lying in tears bewildered, but what is the cause? I cried a thousand rivers that flooded my perceptions.
I called out loud to God to relieve me, he was not listening! I battled the devils that railed horribly against me Through the tears I saw distorted faces I didn’t want to see. Through it all I hung in there determined to win, Against outrageous misfortune, at least I am still breathing.
Whilst drifting in an open boat across a mill pond lake I think of the invisibility of power something not to forsake.
Imagine the power that is all around you Remember your mind will know what to do.
Water is very powerful as well as being beautiful and mild It has tremendous power to destroy, flood as the sea it kills But it can trickle sparkle, be still, move harmlessly It has power to heal, it can relax you spiritually Water power has a Jekyll and Hyde personality As rivers in torrents sweep all in its path People respect its power, it’s anger and wrath Foolish are those that ignore the power of the sea Water’s duel role upon the Earth as creator of life It is the bringer of death, awesome, creates strife Better to be wary of it, better still keep to the streams.
Fire, the energy to destroy, causes harm, everything it blackens Left in its uncontrolled and dangerous state it will flatten Everything in its way – setting alight trees and plants Melting people, houses, speeds the decay. Though man has harnessed the power of fire To torch him, his food, towns, cities is the real power Of fire, that does nothing any good, its shower Of ashes, piles of dust leaving traces for all to see.
The wind has power beyond wild imagining For though we see the evidence of storms and gales The wind be invisible in most of its disguises Trees bend they whisper to each other, reeds will sing Birds will glide, float endlessly upon the thing But the breezes, although very much there Are invisible not revealing to the studious stare Fire and water are visible forms of power Everyone recognises but wind is it really there? For most of the time it is not visible even when near.
Gravity in all its majesty is the power that is present At all times but remains cloaked in mystery Keeping us all rooted to the Earth is it’s paramount element But its visibility does not show as though to prevent Too much investigation too much scientific probing Though the scientist alchemist show the existence Of its power by falling apples and parachutists There is no other proof of its whereabouts We believe there is such a thing because of experts sense “There is gravity. Behold the wonder of science!”
Spirit like gravity is all around us if you could perceive The existence of such not having scientific approval Means that doubters outweigh the enlightened But the enlightened are better for their understanding Spirit is invisible like gravity and is an essential force For it does make sense of when combined with love The love that derives from the mighty Universe It links our tiny minds to the stars in outer space It gives purpose to the querying human race Spirit is there as gravity is there as wind is there To ignore the dimension we call spirit God Life energy Is like ignoring the power of fire, wind water gravity.
DISSENTERS VOICE 