Voting for War

Posted on by celfypridd

DSC_8293.JPG

Voting for war

So they’ve voted for our safety and to go to war

And the dead are walking the land once more

And the dead are standing again at the door

Standing there, looking, waiting once more

They were the ones who went out to the war

Now they are standing waiting for the ones

Who are going where they’d once been

Waiting, waiting for the dead to return once more.

And the dead are standing again at the door

Standing there, looking, waiting once more.

Exploitation by Numbers

Posted on by celfypridd

DSC_8477.JPG

Figuring it out at 6 + 5 (Exploitation by numbers)

 

When I was 6 there were 10.

Now that I am 6 + 5 there are none.

I say there were 10 but some relics still remained

Let’s say 4 but there may have been more

But now I am 6 + 5 there is none.

When I was 10 + 5 there were 31

a class room emptied and the children

of fathers dead underground gone.

A year later and the children were gone too

and an empty classroom except for 1 or 2.

Then they were gone.

When I was 10 + 6 there were 144

then they were gone.

When I was 10 + 6 I was nearly gone

Almost drowned by my own body.

When I was 10 + 9 I was gone to another place

away from here where I could breathe.

When I was 3 + 2 I returned and there were 2

But now there are none.

When I was 3 + 5 – 1 came back again

But now that 1 has gone too

And now there are none again.

Before I was born 0 there were 75

Now there are none 0.

 

We were brought here because

of what we could take out for them.

And when that was gone we were left.

We took out what was here for others to sell

to build their big houses and then

they were gone and all that is left of them

is their collection of pictures from France

and the sprawl of the tips and heaps of course.

So we were left bye bye pictures

for us to look at and feel better,

feel inspired and aspire to better things.

But for so long we paid to get in and feel

grateful for being helped to feel better. Bye Bye.

 

Rivers ran black and skies spat black too

Trees died or were cut to prop up the earth.

Exploitation and devastation of an ecosystem.

Exploitation and the human wreckage left.

Thank you for leaving us so much. Bye Bye.

 

1801 – 542

1861 – 3035

1901 – 113735

1911 – 162729

164356

 

I don’t like looking back to 0 zero

I don’t like looking forward to 0 zero

I look at what’s in between

But mostly now when I am 6 + 5

Its what’s left to do that matters to me

And now what’s left? We are left. Right?

Compassion

Posted on by celfypridd

DSC_9043.JPG

Memories and messages

 

I remember that day

on the beach at Smirisary

three generations of women

skinny dipping jumping waves

cresting clear blue waters

and looking out to  Eilean Coille.

 

Another day

another journey

hills grey and laden

with mist.

 

The swallows flight

in the lane

ahead of me

brought you

and our friendship

into my thoughts

and the memory

of our last talk

 

You were eighty

and the cancer

that had bitten

hard into you

had won its battle

I remember

you’d just disclosed

that you were abused

as a child

and you knew

I was speaking

at a meeting

with those caring

for the young

the damaged

and abandoned.

So I asked

what message

you’d want me to give.

 

“Work out of your

heart with love

not from your head alone”

you said.

I asked whether

we are able

to teach

how to show

compassion

“You do it all the time.

Apart from to yourself.

Be kind to you.

Don’t give it all away.

Keep some behind”

 

I’m constantly

surprised

by the kindness

of the body

to release

small memories

in ways

that ease the pain

of loss and the hardness

of leavings.

 

Your message

remains.