A lot of my poetry is very political, but it has been about subjects that I have no direct experience with really. I've formed opinions on them, opinions that I'm very passionate about, but are not intimately personal to me. This is a more personal poem, and the personal is the political. It came out of a conversation with Taz who, in some ways, seems a kindred spirit in such things.... Paki in the Middle I watch as Boeing meets building, twin towers reduced to rubble, And see the hatred in their hearts, they call me to Jihad; “Allah calls upon you, Child of the East, Come shed the blood of Infidels, our martyr, semtex-clad!’ I see a nation ripped asunder, the Arab people blown apart, By the bombs of truth and justice, freedom’s flag unfurled; “Liberty calls upon you, Child of the West, Come kill for democracy, let oil drown the world!” And while both sides hold their heroes, their honoured fallen dead, I play piggy in the middle, as the bombs fly overhead. Upon what battlefield can it be, that civilisations clash? Not Washington or Falluja, nor New York or Baghdad; But the blood within my body, there a war is fought, Come East, come West, my heart hangs heavy, for a world turned mad. And I shout from the highest rooftops, to the streets of London town, For with their bitter hatreds, both sides have it wrong; But when they will not listen, to a call for peace and change, What for the blood within me, where do I belong? Now nothing is black, nothing is white, all runs it seems to red, While I play piggy in the middle, as the bombs fly overhead, Just a Paki in the middle, as my people’s blood is shed.
i really like it, dude, i can tell it's very personal and something extremely close to your heart. nice one man...gonna read it again, it's very deep. jaz
I think that's the best thing I've read of yours. I particularly like the last three lines. It's nice to see you using contemporary language / slang ("Paki"), I think it works really well.
I like it too, its my favourite of the things i've read that you've writen.. i can't pin point why. I just feel its easily understood and read and seeing as i am such a simpleton - easily understood things are always top of my list
Yeah, I hate the term Paki. I find it really quite derogatory and offensive. Naturally I'm using it with a deep sense of irony....
I posted this on the British Poets email list, and got a reply from a guy called Gerald England asking if he could include it on his website. It was very nice of him, hopefully it may get a slightly larger readership now.... http://www.nhi.clara.net/z28.htm
