Ideas cost liberty and time. maryanne ____________________________________________________________________ Get your own FREE, personal Netscape WebMail account today at http://webmail.netscape.com.Title: poem
DIS POETRY
Dis poetry is like a riddim dat
drops
De tongue fires a riddim dat shoots
like shots
Dis poetry is designed fe rantin
Dance hall style, big mouth chanting,
Dis poetry nar put yu to sleep
Preaching follow me
Like yu is blind sheep,
Dis poetry is not Party Political
Not designed fe dose who are critical.
Dis poetry is wid me when I gu
to me
bed
It gets into me dreadlocks
It lingers around me head
Dis poetry goes wid me as I pedal
me
bike
IÕve tried Shakespeare,
respect due
dere
But did is de stuff I like.
Dis poetry is not afraid of going
ina
book
Still dis poetry need ears fe
hear an
eyes fe hav a look
Dis poetry is Verbal Riddim, no
big
words involved
An if I hav a problem de riddim
gets it
solved,
IÕve tried to be more romantic,
it
does nu good for me
So I tek a Reggae Riddim an build
me
poetry,
I could try be more personal
But youÕve heard it all
before,
Pages of written words not needed
Brain has many words in store,
Yu could call dis poetry Dub Ranting
De tongue plays a beat
De body starts skanking,
Dis poetry is quick an childish
Dis poetry is fe de wise an foolish,
Anybody can do it fe free,
Dis poetry is fe yu an me,
DonÕt stretch yu imagination
Dis poetry is fe de good of de
Nation,
Chant,
In de morning
I chant
In de night
I chant
In de darkness
An under de spotlight,
I pass thru University
I pass thru Sociology
An den I got a dread degree
In Dreadfull Ghettology.
Dis poetry stays wid me when I
run or
walk
An when I am talking to meself
in
poetry I talk,
Dis poetry is wid me,
Below me an above,
Dis poetry's from inside me
It goes to yu
WID LUV.
TALKING TURKEYS
Be nice to yu turkeys dis christmas
Cos' turkeys just wanna hav fun
Turkeys are cool, turkeys are wicked
An every turkey has a Mum.
Be nice to yu turkeys dis christmas,
Don't eat it, keep it alive,
It could be yu mate, an not on your
plate
Say, Yo! Turkey I'm on your side.
I got lots of friends who are turkeys
An all of dem fear christmas time,
Dey wanna enjoy it, dey say humans
destroyed it
An humans are out of dere mind,
Yeah, I got lots of friends who are
turkeys
Dey all hav a right to a life,
Not to be caged up an genetically
made up
By any farmer an his wife.
Turkeys just wanna play reggae
Turkeys just wanna hip-hop
Can yu imagine a nice young turkey
saying,
ÒI cannot wait for de chopÓ,
Turkeys like getting presents, dey
wanna watch christmas TV,
Turkeys hav brains an turkeys feel
pain
In many ways like yu an me.
I once knew a turkey called........
Turkey
He said "Benji explain to me please,
Who put de turkey in christmas
An what happens to christmas trees?",
I said "I am not too sure turkey
But itÕs nothing to do wid Christ
Mass
Humans get greedy an waste more
dan need be
An business men mek loadsa cash'.
Be nice to yu turkey dis christmas
Invite dem indoors fe sum greens
Let dem eat cake an let dem partake
In a plate of organic grown beans,
Be nice to yu turkey dis christmas
An spare dem de cut of de knife,
Join Turkeys United an dey'll be
delighted
An yu will mek new friends 'FOR
LIFE'.
OneWorld
Online
© 1995 Benjamin Zephaniah
IGNORANCE
And so you say you didn't know,
Could it be you didn't inquire so?
Do you think angels dance on pins or pirouette on a string?
The unchecked offeror reigns,
Minions form lines and papers define,
Who shall receive and who shall demise,
Form long lines to somewhere,
Paper trails to no where, big surprise.
Stand in line B, oh, I mean line D.
It's all the same,
Dead ends and automotons,
Insidious power wielded by few,
Listen to musack,Debussys' Woods,
Did a tree fall or some not read?
Was this a movie or a play of the absurd?
Such power borrowed from on high,
King Leopold only required a hand,
The pyramids were built by willing slaves so you think?
The coal mines, designer shoes factories do employ,
Willing eleven year olds for a toy?
The US label has never changed,
Moving to south or the east,
Where the least it can pay,
Chiapas or Catmandu,
A brief period of renaissance does fade,
The memories of wages commensurate with rent.
Instead of paying, how ungrateful you say,
Do I seem crazy or self destructively bent,
I'll hire and agent for $5.75, some ad space, time,
Pretty pictures and smiles,
How can you ask?
Does not my image necessarily obscure,
Your boring needs of water and gruel.
routing number/wire transfer:
091000019
beneficiary 402025728200382
mary a. simpson
norwest bank
350 N. Last Chance Gulch
Helena,Mt 59601
TO SAY:
Thanks