campaigns

Back to home page

Sometimes anger or passion can get us in a bit of a tizzy.  Creating a poem about, for example, the closure of a ward or feeling that we've been hard done by or by an impending  environmental disaster, may be able to clarify things or be used as part of a marketing campaign.  See the following for some that have been used previously. I'm also including any relevent outside links; please bear in mind I am not responsible for any issues if you choose to follow them.


stand-by your plugs (created for stapleford greening campaign)

stand by your plugs – pull the stand by out
appliances should take a break – so get off the CO2 roundabout
plug into your senses – and un plug all the plugs
say goodbye to all your standby – higher bills is for the mugs

who could be saving for a greenhouse or saving for a break –
have a stand off with the standby – and make
a dent into your footprint – farewell global heat
put a jumper on in winter – woolly socks upon the feet

stamp upon the stand by – let the meter stop
feel good about the no-buzz when the pc’s less than hot
let the micro be a wave – drop the chargers in their box
and watch the pennies mount up – when you drop them in the slot

so say goodbye to all your standby – higher bills is for the mugs
and plug into your senses – and un-plug all the plugs






so let’s save the bumblies for the you-s and the me-s
let busies keep buzzing deep in the sweet peas
and all kinds of flowers of colourful tease
let the honey be sunny – if you don’t mind and please

let busies keep buzzing deep in the sweet peas
let summer swarm up in its likeable breeze
bee happy bee wholesome – not bees in deep freeze
for bees are essential to environment ease

and all kinds of flowers of colourful tease
join in the chorus and sway like the seas
black striped with yellow – as yellow as cheese
hail the bee hero and keep the bees free

let the honey be sunny – if you don’t mind and please
let busies keep buzzing deep in the sweet peas



the sanctuary that’s here 
(for awareness of what was believed to be the potential closure 
of hayward house daycare)

the letter c curves round the hope we try (at least) to leave
the letter c’s the closing breath of the centre soon to cough
the letter c’s the cancer that others always seem to have – we grieve
into our hearts and the letter c’s what makes us mad enough

when we see the sealing of the doors – while the patients lie
and the anger brews – and the sanctuary that’s here
will soon be gone – one weeps – one wonders – one cries
to know – what letter c will soon be left – what pain we fear...

so the letter c gets shaken up – we know the carers touch its shock
and when the spreading of the closing of the doors gets heard
the letter c gets bigger – is uppercase and moves round with the clock
(the letter c’s the chime that times for all of us – it’s time we cared)

and the capital C that’s always there to kick us in the teeth
does not hold back – whatever pain – whatever tears we bleed

for thirty eight degrees
 
so the oaks are ok and the beeches stand tall
the blue bells will spring up and the leafage will fall
the ways that we wander won’t be sold off for homes
the winds will keep whistling in splenderous tones
 
so sing to the forest – hark to the bark
but don’t sit on your laurels – when you out of the dark
use it or lose it – keep pushing the point
what we want is its safety – where the weathers anoint
 
the winds will keep whistling in splenderous tones
the ways that we wander won’t be sold off for homes


produced for the anti-library cuts - stapleford

the books go by

goodbye the hours - the books go by
the axe falls down - the pages close
the richness dies – the language cries
we sit and watch it decompose

the literacy we seek to build
runs out of bricks – the voices stunned
where do we sit – for quiet’s still?
time’s been chewed – decision’s done

and stapleford – for that’s my home
where the library’s a meeting space
where kids rhyme round – then toddle home
our eyes grow dust – soon open less than half the days

our eyes grow dust – soon open less than half the days
where kids rhymed round – then toddled home
where the library was a meeting space
and stapleford – for that’s still my home

time was chewed – all decisions done
where did we sit – for quiet’s still?
it’s not just bricks – the voices stunned
about the literacy we sought to build

we sat and watched it decompose
the richness dead – the language cried
the axe fell down - the pages closed
goodbye the hours - the books went by

goodbye silver birch (the bulldozing of land near toton sidings)

goodbye silver birch - your roots are torn away and gone
the railings see the blankness now – the nothingness
no fox – no rabbits run across – all fungus drawn
away and through the seasons wealth – the less

is now the norm – no rough – no edges – no paths to lose
or pace your life – and what will we be gifted with?  what now
that sales have done the dirty? what will replace the bruise
they’ve given us?  so goodbye silver birch –  we seek the how

they’ve done this – who’s taken morning breaths away from us?
who’s ripped the veins between two towns and tied them tight?
goodbye silver birch – your microclimate swallowed up
by bulldozer – who hired the machines? opened up the light

who opened up the earth and made it swallow up the grain?
goodbye silver birch – what was is gone – now levelled to the same


the answer (dedicated to amnesty)

the hammer couldn't hammer
its face - smelted in the flames
had run out of pride

the hand couldn't work the hammer
it's nails since plucked
lay like coarse feathers
            (weeping)

the arm couldn't lift its hand
its muscles split and cut
spilling grief on the floor

and the shoulder couldn't
understand the language
            of the arm
the joint was all twisted up
- forced 'round
stuck with cigarettes
            chiselled with pain
            and ignorance

the face could not scream with hurt
its words pulled out
alongside its tongue
            and its passion

the answer died away somewhere
            (became forgotten)




the ballad of the city library staff (our uniforms undone)
(news report – Nottingham City Library Staff to wear uniforms)
 
gather up your uniforms – inspection’s near at hand
we’re obviously not smart enough – though people say we’re grand
what colour are we having? will it ride with wear?
but what about my clothes of faith?  they’re neither here nor there!
 
they’re neither here nor there my friends!
they’re neither here nor there!
but what about my clothes of faith? 
they’re neither here nor there!
 
perhaps they’re sending us to fight – like soldiers in iraq
is the library a battlefield – will our uniform be black
or grey or serge maybe? i’m hoping for pale blue
shall we dress in disney coloured clothes – has anyone a clue?
 
has anyone a clue my friends?
has anyone a clue?
shall we dress in disney coloured clothes –
has anyone a clue?
 
how much the cost? how much the stress – perhaps they’ve just not thought
a little consultation please – but thoughts add up to nought
a raise in wage would be nice enough before you bring in this
or facilities to be much improved – perhaps you get the gist
 
perhaps you get the gist my friends
perhaps you get the gist
our facilities to be much improved?
perhaps you get the gist
 
so off we go in uniform – like marching off to war
hup one hup two hup three hup four – our resignations soar! (repeat until fade)