The News In Poetry Day 23: Antisociety

http://m.thestar.co.uk/news/local/south-yorks-hit-by-anti-social-behaviour-1-5559982

We’ll come around and break your windows.
Write our names for you upon your walls.
Light wheelie bin fires as beacons to our hate.

We’ll walk behind you down the gennels.
We’ll lurk in the underpass waiting for you to pass.
You’ll feel our breath on the back of your neck as you cross the empty car park.

We’ll shout at you.
We’ll play our music loudly
We’ll drink a toast in to your terror in white cider.

Because we don’t want to be you.
Because we don’t want to be the victim.
Because the ones who hurt us always have enough.
Because we want to be like them.

We hurt
Because we are hurting.

We are violent
Because we are violated.

You call us animals:
We bare our teeth and scream.

The News In Poetry Day 22: No Need To Worry

This news feature on the BBC website seems a little late. Late and …biased?

http://m.bbc.co.uk/news/health-21964561

I’ve just seen it on the news
That the NHS is changing
To be honest with you, nothing sounds too bad.

I’m so happy our GPs
Can be trusted with deciding
How our public money’s spent: who could be sad?

And there is no need to worry
About rampant profiteering:
Private companies have ALWAYS helped us out.

It’s transparent and it’s clear
There’s no secrecy or hiding
When the BBC report it. there’s no doubt!

And I’m sure that our MPs
Will be coming round and asking
So the likes of you and me can have our say.

For the changes that are planned
Won’t come in to force til April
2013… Just a second, that’s TODAY!

The News In Poetry Day 21: Stay Classy

http://m.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-22007058

Well, this is depressing.

We are of course the equal of each person that we meet
All the way from the precariat right up to the elite.
But this wonderful equality contains a bitter sequel
Because you have to learn that there are seven kinds of equal.
The elite, who are the best of all aren’t shy about our wealth.
Prestige can buy us happiness and cash can buy us health
The established middle class you’ll find, are slightly more subdued
They describe themselves as “comfortable” – for boasting would be rude.
Not so the “other” middle class: it is a harsh reality.
They’re wealthy but not classy, so it’s just a technicality.
But very hip and trendy are the affluent new workers.
They’re such a good example when so many now are shirkers.
Then the good old working classes: of the earth they are the salt.
Of course they’re rather common but at least they’re not at fault.
The emergent service workers have a fresh, creative bent.
They are young and hip and vibrant and they cannot pay the rent.
And then there’s the “precariat”, who have a clever name
But really very little else, and isn’t it a shame?
But remember we are equal. We are sisters, we are brothers.
But some of us are seven times more equal than the others.

The News In Poetry Day 20: The Large Thingy Whatsit.

http://m.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-21941666

They did something to make the Large Hadron Collider better.
I have no clue what this means. But I bet all the physicists’ families are bragging about it…

Our Lesley’s eldest is doing ever so well
She’s a scientist you know.
Very big in very small things
So she tells me.

They made this machine, you know.
Underground in Italy
Ooh, it is lovely there, the sun…!
And the important thing is
Their one’s the best one of all.

But I do worry about our Katy.
It’s all very well, I says to her
You saying the newspapers
Are talking a lot of nonsense
About your lot finding bits of God
And causing reality to explode…
But suppose the Mail HAS got it right.
Well…
The idea of her right up close
To the end of the universe like that…

Ooh, it goes right through me.

We’re all ever so proud though.

They’ve had an upgrade you know.
At her office.

That’s good, isn’t it?

I think that’s good.

The News In Poetry Day 19: Little Iain’s Charity Fundraiser

Happy NaPoWriMo!
Anyone first visiting my sight today, I’m actually part way through a longer project where I write poems for 100 days every year. Take a look at my older posts or my about page if you want to find out more. This year I’m using news stories as prompts. I’m British, so there’s something of a bias toward UK news sources.
I’m also a lefty-radical apathetic-anarchist slacker-punk queer so, you know, that may come across at times.
Enjoy!
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/9964767/Iain-Duncan-Smith-I-could-live-on-53-per-week.html

This poem is a bit of a weird lateral leap from the news story. It’s about the more general idea of the rich and privileged thinking that it must be easy to be poor.

A rich little boy
Takes a bath in baked beans
To raise money for the starving.

Look at me, he cries
I can undergo this discomfort
For half an hour.

And the coins roll in
For the brave little boy.
In his bath full of beans.

I can cope with hardship
He thinks, in his savoury smelling tub,
Cold beans sliding around him like frogspawn:

A nice warm desert
And tasty handouts of grain
Must be easier far
Than this noble ordeal.

So at the end of the day
When he rises, dripping dark orange
Sauce on the floor
To a round of applause

And runs to a hot soapy shower

He decides after all
To keep the sponsorship money:
There’s none more deserving than he.

The gallons of beans are discarded:
They’re no good to anyone now.

The News In Poetry Day 18: On Don’s Nonpology

Another US story today, but one that made it to UK newspapers.
http://m.guardiannews.com/world/2013/mar/30/republican-don-young-hispanic-workers-wetbacks

His apology seemed a bit unwilling and ungracious to me. As usual, I have a theory as to why.
In the original comment, he seems to draw a distinction between wetbacks and people…

Let me talk to you, Don
Let me lend you a hand
Cause I honestly think
That you don’t understand.

I know you’ve been told
That you caused some offense
And your “poor choice of words”
Has made everyone tense.

So you’ve made an apology –
Well, of a sort
Though I don’t think you’ve given
The matter much thought.

You think terms like “wetback”
Should not be taboo
And those crying “racist”
Are bullying YOU.

The term was descriptive
You meant no ill will
It’s only a word, right?
Nobody got killed

But here is the problem
You gave it away:
The reason that bigots
Don’t watch what they say

They believe that all people
Are equal and free
But “wetbacks” aren’t people
They’re labour, you see?

On your ranch, all the “wetbacks”
Aren’t needed no more.
Due to mechanization
Of menial chores

Their feelings don’t matter
Their troubles: who cares?
They aren’t really human
To you: they’re just… spares.

The News In Poetry Day 17: Gifts For Kim Jong Un

http://m.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-21950069

We packaged up water pistols.
Neon green super soakers.
Boxed up Paintball guns
And their lurid cartridges.

We bought vats full of plasticine
And boxes of Lego
Taped to them blueprints
For great, turgid towers.

We bundled together scores
For rousing musicals
And sent choreographers
And voice coaches
With them

Out to Pyongyang.

And we praised the fat towers
That the little prince built

And we ran in mock fear
As he sprayed us with paint

We applauded and cheered
As he capered and sang.

For there’s nothing more dangerous, or sad

Than a scared little boy
Who can instigate nuclear war.
And just wants to live up to his dad.

The News In Poetry Day 16: The Cuts

http://m.guardiannews.com/commentisfree/2013/mar/28/benefit-cuts-monday-defines-government

We will take from the poorest
Because they cannot prevent it.
We will hit the weakest
Because they cannot hit back.
We will hurt the disabled
Because they cannot stop us.
We will blame the the oppressed
Because they have no voice.

We will not take the risk
Of taking from the wealthy.
We dare not attempt
To hit the strongest.
Those who have agency
Have nothing to fear from us.
We will not stand up
To those who oppress.

This is our dream
For a fairer Britain.

The News In Poetry Day 15: The Fairy Termites

http://m.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-21970408

Today’s poem isn’t late: it’s after midnight in the UK but I’m in the USA so I have another couple of hours!

However I am exhausted, so this may be a little weird. It’s another science story.

In the silver twilight
On the desert sand
See the fairy circles
Patterning the land.

Can you keep a secret?
If you get the chance
You can see the fairies
Dance their nightly dance.

Little folk together
Cast their magic spell
Bring the desert water
From their wishing well.

Little fairy termites
-Not a pretty sight-
Beautify the desert
Dancing through the night.

The News In Poetry Day 14: Re: DOMA

Circumstances have brought my wife and me to the USA this week. The customs at Newark airport recognized our marriage status and let us come in together even though I’m not a US citizen.
Meanwhile, there’s a chance that the infamous DOMA may be repealed, which would be a step towards our right to live together in my wife ‘s country of origin, should we wish to.
However, it seems that chance is getting smaller.

Catch up, Supreme Court. As the lovely gentleman at border control put it, “Marriage is marriage.”

(After all that, it’s just a haiku today)

How can you tell us
That this isn’t the right time?
It’s time for our rights