This is some poetry I have written on the Middle East. The first poem is about the Iraq War, which began five years ago. I firmly believe, as do many, that Tony Blair's decision to take us to war was wrong. Here goes:

Blair's Legacy

Our government is going down
All is lost for Gordon Brown

This bloodshed, chaos and despair
Left behind by Tony Blair

Blair rode to power promising much
His charismatic style was such

That we believed in what he said
And gladly followed where he led

Alas his promises proved hollow
Disillusion was to follow

With Lord Levy he quickly set
To drive his party into debt

But Blair had worse for us in store
When he engaged in total war

There was no reason to attack
The innocent people of Iraq

Tony made a foolish error
Joining in the war on terror

Ambition ruled his mind and soon
He danced to President Bush's tune

"Saddam Hussein" Bush said "has weapons"
"We must stop him - history beckons!"

What about Robert Mugabe
Lifelong ruler of Zimbabwe

Far worse than Saddam no doubt
But we're not trying to get him out

As Bush was only after oil
That lay beneath Iraqi soil

Blair had to know all this was wrong
But all the same he played along

He dragged us through the mud and so
Our dear old Tony had to go

To take his place up Gordon stood
And since then things have not been good

For Gordon has, to our frustration
Placed himself above his station

But there's a reason why he's there
The reason's this - he is not Blair

Dave Cameron of the Tories blue
Is simply Tony Blair Mark II

And now our country's going to hell
Will we survive it - who can tell?

And as for Tony Blair, his lies
Will haunt him til the day he dies

The rivers of Iraq run red
With the blood of thousands dead

I hope that Tony in his sleep
Will see Iraq's survivors weep

And then awaken from his dream
All covered up in blood and scream

I did this at a Farrago poetry slam, and was asked by the compere's boss (a member of the Palestine Solidarity Committee) to produce something on the Israel/Palestine conflict. I was intrigued by this, researched the subject and here are the results.

The Story of Palestine

Palestine and Israel
Two nations on one land

Angry flames of hatred
Has the situation fanned

The tale begins with Zionism
A movement of the Jews

A divine right to Palestine
Foremost among their views

And after World War One
With British military powers

They strode upon to Palestine
And said "This land is ours"

And as the years wore on and on
More and more arrived

The native Arab population
Saw themselves deprived

Fighting soon broke out between
The warring sides and then

The British handed Palestine
Across to the UN

The UN saw the Arab people
Even more frustrated

When in 1948
The state of Israel was created

The outrage of this occupation
Palestinians bore

As surrounding angry Arab nations
Faced Israel in war

But Israel in the end prevailed
And carried on their rout

Erecting barriers everywhere
And fencing Arabs out

Jewish settlements were built
And Arab homes demolished

The right to live within their land
Was brutally abolished

Palestinian refugees
Were left without a home

And in the sweltering heat
Across their former land they roam

Some Israelites are happy
Think that nothing is amiss

While others say "This is not right
We want no part of this"

Some Palestinians try to find
A peaceful resolution

While others find themselves embroiled
In violence and corruption

The UN, US, UK and Russia
A Quartet of negotiators

Step between the warring sides
As peaceful arbitrators

But America, a Christian country
Endeavours not to fail

In seeing that a resolution
Favours only Israel

For the Christians and the Zionists
Share a common story

Where Israel is the land of God
And blessed with all his glory

America supplies Israel
With weapons and artillery

And with this, Israel has amassed
A strong and powerful military

And no matter what the native
Palestinians have to say

With greater military power
Israel gets its way

The Israel government must see sense
Things must reach a bend

To bring this cruel occupation
To a peaceful end

The only way to end
This bitter, unjust situation

Is to give the Arabs back their land
Make Palestine a nation

The pressure's all on Israel now
The truth's a deadly weapon

Be it sooner, be it later
They'll see what has to happen

The settlements will disappear
Before your very eyes

The barriers will be brought down
Palestine will rise!

Here is another depicting what Palestinian families feel being evicted from their homes (a process still ongoing).

Why Palestine?

In the middle of her flattened home a girl starts asking why
The soldiers came to take her home and knock it to the ground
And leave her and her family feeling anguish and despair

The girl cannot comprehend her family's despair
The people of the world look and think to themselves why
The politics does not change what is happening on the ground

And the girl stands there looking up there from the ground
Falls to her knees and cries with anguish and despair
Why Palestine, why Palestinians, why us, why me, why?

Cheers,

Alain