Sunday, April 4, 2010

Easter poem

A work in progress. A thinking out loud. A crisis. Mea Culpa, what do I do?

Easter Rising. Auto Da Fé.

Isn't it awful or is it great
how we just carry on
is carrying on all we can do,
when the blackest night lasts all day long?

Give ourselves no time to think, just do,
for thought would lead to breakdown ,to chaos, to reality.

Switch on the TV
see them carry on the light entertainment
away from the starving hordes,
the Judas kisses, the stabbed backs,
Orwell's Big Brother telling us, ' all is okay, keep going ,
put your head, your hand, your soul into the mixer '

the giant human machine of heartfilled flesh and bone.
The gristle is grist to the mill grinding out the filthy money
day and night, night and day. Profit before people.

Raped childrens bloody shoulders to the wheel,
fancy dress Popes and Bishops, with Pontius Pilate hands
tell us, the world is wrong
we must change, but they will carry on, hold what they have,
heads in the sand, souls in the gutter, vampires avoiding the mirror.

Bullets in the flesh,
fancy dress Generals tell us carry on,
another hangs by the rope, eyes open,
fancy dress politicians tell us carry on,
nails through our hands our feet,
fancy dress bankers tell us carry on,
shop closures by the score fancy dress landlords,
keep renting on and up,fill the pockets
the greasy tills ,the coffers , the coffins.
We all bleat and blah like sheep and keep on carrying on.

Poor God must be turning in his grave.



We are all sentenced to death and will be judged not only by how we lived but our response to the lives of others. I know I am falling short, I wonder just how far short I fall?

10 comments:

Padhraig Nolan said...

I like this - know where you're coming from, I think. And you've cut some good raw cloth here. Please don't let it go. There's saying here to be said further. Furthur, even. Happy Moveable Feast - may you set your own table as elegantly as circumstances allow. Blessed be.

Rachel Fox said...

Killer last line...

x

English Rider said...

You speak as clearly as you see. This is poetry on which to dwell.

Titus said...

I really, really liked this Mr EEjit.

If you can feel it, you're not falling short by far.

Heather said...

We all fall short Peadar, and I'm sure you don't fall as short as you think you do. Your poem is very powerful and I have often had similar thoughts.

Dr. Jeanne Iris said...

Poignant piece, chock full of truth. Plain and simply, we need to revel in revolution, as you have done well here, and expose hypocrisy for what it is.

Soooo... Rock on,TFE!

Shaista said...

Yes I agree with the others, a revolutionary spirit, a marching rhthymic drumbeat sounds the chorus of 'we carry on'.
Brilliant..

Batteson.Ind said...

I hear you...

Niamh B said...

This is really good, really angry and really true.

Argent said...

I hear you too. Powerful, killer phrasing here, Eej.