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?