foto credit South Wales Echo
…
I am my own silence
…
Silences vacancies empty spaces
lemons yoghurt spuds
…
HUSH!
…
The silence of the middle class again
think you can close the door
you are deluded
…
WHISHT!!!
…
What is the message?
This message of silence
What are you trying to say?
What are you trying to tell me?
With your silences.
Your non replies.
…
Is it that I haven’t lived
the times I’ve worked through
driving past lorries filled with coal
convoys of lorries on the motorways
filling up the power stations stores
to break the miner’s strike
to break a community
to break a people
…
seeing strikers in the cells
and expected to collude
with the depravity of the middle class
punishment your silences again and again
…
WHISHT TO YOU!!!
…
Is that your message?
I haven’t raised children?
I haven’t saved children?
nothing I’ve seen
nothing I’ve touched
nothing I’ve smelt
actually happened
means anything
in this world of everyday pain
is that your message?
…
Speaking on behalf of miners wives
in the Fines Enforcement Debtors Court
before those pompous magistrates
in their ties and suits living in piano rows*
stopping the wives going to prison
for non payment of a fucking TV licence
show some fucking respect
not your silence hiding the fact
you have nothing to say
…
That was then this is now
food banks are empty
food banks keep running out
children go to school hungry
empty hungry empty hungry
that was then this is now
sixth wealthiest nation
empire gone going down
moving the deck chairs around
while Nero’s violin plays a stringent tune
children starving empty hungry
that was then this is now
…
sliced bread bags of potatoes
pasta rice tomatoes bags of this
bags of that — tins of beans tins tins
anything tinned bags of sugar
anything you can give anything at all
big little or small big little or small
…
SHUSH AND AWAY WITH YOU
…
That was then this is now
Global Britain rules the waves
Global Britain rules Covid too
Just remember killers take many shapes
even assassins read poetry
some read ancient Greek
mass killers enjoy a good tune
some love jazz and dance about
Sergei Rachmaninoff knew a thing or two
I’ve lived I’m still here
you can’t own my silence
in this world of everyday pain
…
IN THIS WORLD OF EVERY DAY PAIN
I OWN MY SILENCE
WHISHT AND BEGONE!!!
…
I’ve lived I’m still here
you can’t own my silence
in this world of everyday pain.
…
WILL YE WHISHT AND BEGONE.
…
Footnote: piano rows* houses of skilled working class and lower working class who had pianos in their front room for a child to practice.
©robcullen20062020