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Hostile Street

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keen to make use of all the wonderful features on this site. so am attempting to load an audio recording i did a few years ago as part of a performance piece of poems put to music. if it works ok i may post a few more further down the line. influenced by john cooper clark, roger mcgough and patrik fitzgerald - maybe leans a little too much towards the music to be a 'real' poem (?)

Ian

 

HOSTILE STREET

 

Concrete cavalcade of death,

playing animal just for kicks.

Smoky rooms filled with hate -

listen as the switchblade flicks.

Someone skulks and waits for strays

with a broken bottle and arms to greet.

A twisted knife pulls humanity open

another victim on Hostile Street.

 

In the subway, spraying hate

from blue/red tins of auto paint,

a kid with feelings culture nurtured

bides his time and lays in wait.

The piss-stench tiles reflect a loser

slumping homeward - a gentle man -

humanity splits, blood will flow,

Hostile Street don't give a damn.

 

Victims, scarred, struggle home,

trying to cool the angry heat

that manifests in fear and hate

then breeds and lingers on Hostile Street.

Someone skulks and waits for strays

with a broken bottle and arms to greet.

A twisted knife pulls humanity open

another victim on Hostile Street.

 

In the subway, spraying hate

from blue/red tins of auto paint.

A kid with feelings culture nurtured

bides his time and lays in wait.

The piss-stench tiles reflect a loser,

slumping homeward - a gentle man -

humanity splits, blood will flow,

Hostile Street don't give a damn!

violenceurban lifethreat

◄ Gathering Winter Fuel

Beneath The Watch Tower ►

Comments

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Ian Whiteley

Wed 13th Feb 2013 19:43

Thanks Yvonne - added the words now so that might take the edge off the echo and Yorkshire twang on some of the phrasing - glad you liked it - more to follow soon :-)

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Yvonne Brunton

Wed 13th Feb 2013 19:20

HI I enjoyed this but would appreciate the lyrics up too. The music suits the poem well and I like the echo chamber effect - like the echoes in an empty street at night.

tony sheridan

Mon 11th Feb 2013 19:45

Love this! More please. I read some of my song lyrics as a poem at open mike nights. A few weeks later I give them the song version. Take care, Tony.

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