They Don't Represent Us.

(Written on the eve of ' More of the Same'.

They don't represent me or us

their loyalty is to the unjust.

We are impotent and they know it

and it is beyond our power to overthrow it.

They don't represent me or us

because they seek personal wealth and lust.

They don't care a hoot if we should go bust

that leaves us to rot and rust.

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An English Hamlet

Two weeks every summer as a boy I was taken there,

to a corner of England under a summer's sky.

A row of cottages on one side of a lane,

tucked away for few to see.

A nearby hump backed bridge and a pub.

beside a canal with locks and barges,

as they passed along with their trade.

A countryside which only England can boast of,

with farms, dells, cop...

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Grief Stricken

The church bell solemnly tolled,

as the body of Manuel was carried inside.

In that darkened chamber,

amidst flickering candles.

His coffin was opened for one last glimpse,

his peaceful face wrapped in white satin.

Family and friends dressed in black,

the priest in a black stole of mourning.

Maria supported by her mother,

looked sorrowfully on thei...

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Trestle Tables

Far from the misty shores of the sceptered isle,

where greenhouses dot the landscape.

In sunnier climes the English gentleman,

laments the absence of his potting shed.

That haven where he once sowed his tomato seeds,

with cucumbers and radishes to boot.

Slightly above the Tropic of Cancer,

this gentleman has to improvise.

Greenhouses are scarce and ba...

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In the Land of Nod

As sleep arrives I enter into the Land of Nod,

where dreams unfold in random ways.

A disjointed scenario plays itself out,

flitting from one place to another,

as a butterfly flutters and setttles on a new leaf.

Nothing is planned as the stage is unprepared,

th plot not yet discerned or thought about.

It can be a time of vivid colours,

or black an...

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An Arid Land

I bought a plot of land to grow vegetables,

it was flat and without any weeds .

I drew a plan of what I would grow,

dividing it into seperate rows.

I bought four types of seeds to sow,

Justice, Compassion, Equality and Love,

all I knew to be popular and much sought after,

and a profitable return for my efforts.

I spent hours sowing the seeds,

and res...

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An Obscure World

I was born into an obscure world bereft of colour,

places which were indistinct lacking any brilliance.

Everywhere I looked I saw a fusion of shades,

blacks, greys, browns were all that existed.

It was a time immediately after the Second World War,

a time of economic restraint and severe austerity.

People moved about in drab garb which suited their surrou...

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A Tropical Downpour

A tropical downpour must not be confused with the drizzle of home,

it is something quite different in its character.

It often begins with a clap of thunder or an unsuspecting lightning strike,

as dark clouds muster in the heavens above as a mighty prelude.

Almost like an eclipse of the sun the land is shrouded in darkness,

as the sky becomes erratic and c...

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The Fountain Pen or Quill

When creation took place the world was without frontiers,

no borders existed except those which were natural.

Mountain ranges, rivers and the oceans separated the peoples,

each developed its own language and culture and traditions.

Then came man determined to carve out his lot,

on crude maps he delineated borders with his pen.

Territories became ...

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In a Blaze of Glory

At eventide in the far western sky the sun begins its descent,

a slow gradual sinking of its perfect shape into the ocean below.

Nature waits in anticipation as it slowly embraces the horizon,

as both the sky and ocean are caught in its fading light.

Orange tints and and shades of yellow submerge into a darkened abyss,

signalling the end of another day, a...

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Pater Noster

The words of the Lord's Prayer are generally known by most people,

certainly those of my own generation and today's church goers.

Familiar words recited in school assemblies and on other occasions,

with the emphasis being on the words Our Father, a prayer said by all.

It is often said without much thought being given to its words,

as it has become all too f...

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A Temporary Tenure

In my youth I viewed the future with confidence,

it would last forever into a distant horizon.

Adulthood, old age and death were remote, 

and not worthy of any real consideration.

The world was my oyster as I had freedom and youth,

to play and plan, to dream and ponder.

My needs were provided for by my parents,

I hankered for some things but was gene...

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A Ruined House

Attendance does not seem obligatory

as there are often so few to see.

Away at second or third jobs, I suppose

which are kept from the limelight.

They epitomise mediocrity,

astonishing when they come from a huge population

of talented people.

Their appreance is unkempt

scruffy with no sense of personal pride.

They amble in and out 

perhaps for a ...

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A Moral Hub

A grievance beckons attention.

On Campus it ferments.

Voices of incipient protest.

A cry for action Now!

A wrong has been committed.

An injustice perpetrated.

Meetings called, the stage is set.

Committes formed.

Faculties informed.

A tented encampment built.

Slogans shouted and daubed on canvas.

Loudspeakers echo discontent

Calls for action p...

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A Special People

We fought a war against a nation

who thought they were the Master Race,

and we the untermensch, the sub human race.

Now the world has the chosen people

God's elect and highly favoured,

with land carved out for them.

We are now the gentiles

the Goyim or the pagans.

It would seem that the majority 

of us cannot win as members of he 

Human Race.

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A Seagull

With lightning speed she flew from her nest high on the escarpment

 downward swooping toward the beach and sea below.

Above a sandy beach drawn clean by a receeding sea

as the ocean's tide pulled back to reveal a pristine coastline.

With wings outstretched the seagull hovered momentarily

with eyes surveying all that lay beneath her.

A yellow curled beak and her ...

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Waking Moments

We linger and luxuriate in those first moments before rising,

a time to allow thoughts free rein and to meander.

Dawn seeps through those crevices betwixt curtain and wall,

silhouettes take on the clarity of shapes.

The veil of night is gradually banished before our sight,

a new day beckons our attention and activity.

Yet we remain a while longer holding fast to...

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I sat and listened.....

I sat on the floor of the sitting room

as my parents and grandparents occupied the chairs.

I listened to their adult onversation

as they expressed themselves and their feelings.

A family gathering, sacrosanct and in

the confines of a secluded and safe environment.

I was at an impressionable age

trusting and eager to please.

I listened at...

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Those Sultry Summers

Those sultry summers are here again

with afternoons of siestas and teas.

The only sound is that of rustling palm fronds

in a gentle sea breeze.

Curtains are drawn and blinds pulled

to eliminate the glare of the sun.

A distant radio can be heard 

playing the rythm of a tango from yesteryear.

Memories of one's youth begin to emerge

in the fashi...

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A Cockpit

Not far the town's railway station

there was a council tip.

To be expected it was full 

of a myriad of rubbish.

My cousin and I walked there

on one of our adventures.

We were forever exploring

finding new places of interest.

As we clambered about

we came across a cockpit

of a fighter plane.

The fuselage and wings 

had been removed.

It was no...

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An Open Mind

As our bodies gather the wrinkles of time

and supple skin becomes as parchment,

our mind ferments like a cask of wine

open to the elements of time.

Joints which creak with age

as muscular pain arrives,

we see more clearly the passage of time

and ponder on such changes.

An open mind must remain

the receptacle of hope,

to ward off stagnation and pre...

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Rooms of Gloom

Rooms of gloom where many see out their lives,

where the windows are painted black.

Emptiness and solitude await the final day,

when the room is taken away and the light shines in.

Those last days of gloom in that final room,

rooms of loneliness of being alone.

Friends and family are scattered abroad,

with them the pre deceased.

In these rooms of gloo...

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Prove It ........

We must seek in order to find,

with a perceptive mind.

I am often assailed by others,

when I talk about the Other.

People are often filled with doubt,

then they shout.

Prove to me there is a God,

not knowing that the answer lies in Faith.

Not many are born with a sense of the numinous,

few are taught by teachers with wisdom.

Most are daunted ...

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Return to Oman

From the opening movement of

Rimsky Korsakov's' Scheherazade,

I could see the departure of the dhows,

as they set sail for distant shores,

to India, Africa and beyond.

I climbed the jagged slopes

 of Jebel Akhdar to survey  

the empty quarter.

Amongst the date palm gardens,

I watched the falaj systems as

they meandered they way 

irrigating the par...

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Andalucia

If I can take with me

the sounds of flamenco,

the strains of the classical guitar,

a trickle of water

from the Alhambra,

a sultry summer's heat,

a memory of the mesquita

in Cordoba,

one of Lorca's poems,

the wines of Jerez,

a fresh catch of prawns

from Huelva,

the image of the gitano,

miles of olive groves,

a sea of sunflowers,

a gli...

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The Evil Empire

The United States of America is a frustrated power,

it arrived late on the imperial scene.

Instead of conquest or exploration,

it uses its wealth to buy its needs.

This Empire has no morality in its arsenal,

Guantanamo, Bagram and rendition are its methods.

Along with its lackeys it has spawned nations,

supported dictatorships and fermented unrest.

O...

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Civilised

We are judged by how we live, not who we are,

yet thousands sleep on the street every night.

Memebers of Parliament earn thousands,

and do not represent us.

How can they when they do not live like us?

Ex Servicemen to gave their lives,

immigrants flee persecution.

All washed up as the flotsam of humanity,

on our shores.

The victims of avarice and contem...

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Dinner or Destruction

Dinner to stave off hunger or destruction and you die,

there is no choice but both come from the same sky.

Parachutes glide down from above with a ready made dinner,

but be so very careful as you could be a gonner.

This is American Foreign Policy at its best,

but if you are the recipient it can be quite a test.

Do they know what they are about?

or...

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The Bomb Aimer

In his sights there are buildings,

his order is to destroy them,

he presses a button,

the bombs are released,

he flies back to his base.

Below are those who were his target,

many lie dead by crushed masonry,

others wounded and unconcious,

furniture and shards of glass cover the floor,

a baby cries in a cot.

Back at base the bomb aimer

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Under Canvas

One week of living under canvas,

two soldiers on a military exercise,

was enough to dampen my appetite,

for rough and ready living.

It rained consistently on our canvas,

droplets of water splashed onto us,

our kit was soaked through,

we were cold and permanently damp.

Our rations were sodden,

our sleeping bags and clothes soaked,

we beca...

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Hell's cul de sac

In hell's cul de sac there is no turning back,

as we become pawns on a chess board of white and black.

The thunderous sky sheds no rain,

with relentless attacks to drive us insane.

We live in a concrete cemetry with the unburied,

as we are clad in rags which are sullied.

Those we loved and cherished now have no tomorrow,

hungry and weary I no longer b...

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A Personal Odyssey

The meanderings through a northern industrial landscape,

amidst the drudgery of a bygone revolutions.

My horizons embraced new worlds,

cultures and peoples unlike my own.

I took risks and accepted challenges,

to travel afar leaving behind much unhappiness.

With God's good grace and personal initiatives,

I encountered the ancient suqs of Arabia,

st...

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An Era of Freedom

An era of freedom is about to dawn,

it awakens us as a morning yawn.

In the slumber of night it has laid dormant,

but now it has appeared at this very moment.

Historical precedents are about to be trashed,

as a new world order is being hatched.

The days of colonialisation are past,

so also the alliances of old are smashed.

Democracy in name only, i...

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Juxtaposed

A pilot drops his pay load of bombs.

An artist surveys a landscape and paints it.

Civilians are summarily executed.

A fledgling pianist gives a recital to family and friends.

Hositals are shelled killing sick people.

The writer sits with pen in hand and thinks.

People's homes are bombed to rubble.

A composer puts the final touches to a symphony.

An artill...

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The Armchair

We languish in an easy chair,

with a mind which really does not care.

The world is before us on a box which is given a tepid gaze,

and depending on its content our eyebrows might offer a raise.

From this comfortable chair was my overall view,

 a vista of tragedy which was forever new.

My opinions could be conveniently formed by another,

so there was l...

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Have you ever.......

Have you ever been strip searched in public?

Have you ever been beaten by a rifle butt?

Have you ever been spat on as you pray?

Have you ever been dragged out of your own home?

Have you ever seen your home burned?

Have you ever seen members of your family shot in the back?

Have you ever been forbidden from going to church?

Have you ever felt ill an...

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Emptiness

The earth was without form and void,

a place of emptiness.

It has returned to its original form,

as lost souls we hurtle through space.

Out of darkness into light,

we have lapsed back into darkness.

Creation remains alive in the light,

but humanity dwells in darkness.

Our souls are empty vessels,

we are adrft in a tempestuous sea.

We have lost our wa...

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Donor or Voter

MP's prefer donors to voters

because they want to be property owners.

Our representatives are bought 

before we are caught.

They are there for the money

irrespective of our penury.

A two party state

I do not rate.

If a one party state is a dictatorship

what is a two party state?

When they have their donation

they foresake the nation.

Don't...

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To Rise Again

Events in the Holy Land have been repeated,

as the innocents have yet again been cheated.

Instead of a Roman occupation,

there has been an Israeli occupation.

The Holy Innocents have been slaughtered,

and their parents massacred and their homes routed.

Once again Christ suffers with his people's plight,

as he too was abused and wounded in their sight.

...

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Gaza

O Gaza you have been raped

plundered and ravaged

whilst a dormant world looks on in impotence.

Your mothers hugged their children

as they fell beneath piles of rubble

to decompose then disappear.

Babies in their final bid for life

lie in incubators amid the strife

only to die when the power is out.

Menfolk dig with their bare hands

amidst c...

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Smiles

Look at peoples faces

in a variety of different places.

Seldom is a smile seen,

as if they are in a dream.

People rushing about

as if stifling a shout.

Then a sudden smile emerges

as if from joy or some urges.

A smile is a welcoming sight,

in a darkened room on goes a light.

Smiles transform our very mood

and prevents us from any brood.

When I see...

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A New Year

The old year ebbs away,

taking with it many memories.

It is placed in the archive of life,

of our own personal journey.

The past is where it belongs,

inaccessible and unalterable.

It cannot be changed or revised,

only revisited and learned from.

A new year dawns which we await,

we wait patiently in the present.

The future is on the horizon,

shrou...

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A Juxtaposition

He sits on a river bank alone,

with easel, a canvass and paints.

His is painting an old stone bridge,

which has several arches.

The stone has a sandy colour,

illuminated by the summer's sun.

It has spanned the river for centuries,

clearly reflected in the water beneath.

With deep concentration he paints,

a traditional artist paying attention to de...

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Social Media

My father used to read a national daily paper,

he believed in most of what was written.

In those days there were few other media outlets,

apart from the wireless and until the TV arrived.

The official media is a bag of bones,

which I long to cover in flesh.

I am not content to accept or believe what it spouts,

I search for the truth wherever that might be,

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There is nothing left

There is nothing left to go back to.

They have destroyed our homes.

They have killed our women and children.

They have dug up all the roads.

They have bombed churches and mosques.

They have murdered babies in incubators.

They have ripped out the entire infrastructure.

They have bulldozed all places of learning.

They have eradicated our cultural...

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Going to Church

Two ladies, an elderly mother and her daughter,

both Palestinian Christians were going to church in Gaza.

As they approached the church door they were shot dead,

by an Israeli sniper.

The ladies were seeking solace,

by going to a sacred place to pray.

They are now with the Saviour they loved,

at rest in that kingdom prepared for those who love him.

T...

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Future Consequences

From the bombed out buildings and slaughter of Gaza,

there will emerge a generation of people scarred by war.

Countless thousands of young people today,

have lost limbs, their sight and any hope of a personal future.

They lie in makeshift beds bandaged,

because they are disfigured and blind.

They have no future which we have enjoyed,

simply because ...

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Abstain

To abstain is to do nothing but sit on the fence,

a cowardly position to take in the face of adversity.

Massacre and the slaughter of the innocents takes place,

and we hear the words 'we abstain'.

This fuels the cry for justice to be done,

as the nations of the world demand such action.

The day of reckoning is not far from us,

as the dead speak to us from their...

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An Assault on Culture

Culture forms an integral part of a nation's identity.

It speaks of a people and who they are.

It encourages creativity, enthusiasm and joy.

A source of pride for all to enjoy.

It says more than the national flag.

As it springs forth from the soul of the people.

Through music, literature, art, dance and sculpture.

A pattern emerges of who a people...

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Right or Wrong

This poem is about right and wrong,

or some melancholy and lamenatable song.

It is about life and death

engineered by power and stealth.

The chosen people and their promised land

conceals a nefarious and deceitful hand.

They have dispossessed a nation

by creating a deluded notion.

They have taken to themselves a property

by exerting their own auth...

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