The Gorbals from Glasgow Green

polemic

Breaking News

 

Breaking news: a baby’s born!

In fire and flood, earthquake and storm,

a still, small cry: a babe is born.

 

Breaking news: four horsemen ride

—sickness, famine, death and war—

and stronger than all, a babe is born.

 

Breaking news: a dying earth.

Be still, be brave, my breaking heart,

and always warm: a baby’s born.

 

Now fear itself is overthrown,

oh weary soul be not careworn—

your Self, itself a babe, is born.                                       

 

Stay Strong in Sorrow, Sisters

6 November 2024

 

Now is the time to rise, not turn away

and tend our wounds but know that in defeat

we learn our lessons, find our fight.

 

While victors self-congratulate and crow,

we welcome that from which they hide:

the future flows in with its sea-change

and tyrants least of all can slow its tide.

 

Stay strong in sorrow, sisters,

our hearts with fire filled;

now is the time to work

and dig foundations: build!

 

 

Audio

Becoming

 

Bless those of us mixed of gender,

trans, non-binary, neutral, fluid,

genderqueer and two-spirit:

living proof that we’re not only

man or woman, cock and bull

or cow and hen – but we are more

than procreation: we are human.

 

Bless those of us mixed of blood,

living proof that we’re not only

black or white or brown or olive

but all the colours in the sun,

Arab, Jew and Caucasian,

Slav and African and Asian,

each one of us is pure, is human.

 

Bless those of us mixed of mind

whose voices take us to the edge.

They are myself, yet also not:

me or not-me, how to tell?

They take you all the way to hell

where – even there – can be salvation

and the rising of the human.

 

 

 

 

Bless those of us neuro-diverse,

Down, Autistic, ADHD,

all who shun normality,

teaching vulnerability,

the superpower of the heart,

embodying the truly human.

 

Bless also the open-minded,

who seek but do not own the truth,

discriminate but do not judge,

who take a stand while being moved,

receive the wisdom of religion

and of science, and tradition,

while knowing truth is still unfolding;

we are learning and evolving,

slowly all becoming human.

I woke

 

I woke with your sun on my face,

Your fire in my heart, your life in my hands,

And found I can know what it’s like to be you.

 

When you suffer, I feel you hurting,

When you tire I walk in your shoes,

When you rise your joy increases my own,

And I find I am freed from the cage of my self.

 

I was lost, I was bound,

Alone, I was broke,

I was sleeping but now

I am woke.

 

 

A Curse  

on ending a friendship by messaging

 

Double, double, email trouble

texts seethe and whatsapps bubble.

 

Round the cauldron there she goes,

in the poison'd message throws,

current cliches, unthought thoughts

she chucks in the toxic pot.

Truth is twisting like a snake

resentment in the cauldron bakes

gall of goat and jaundiced eye

misunderstandings multiply

high-horse’s hoof and adder’s tongue

crabbéd hate in one still young.

Slick-sliding words that sting and bite

the lizard brain spews plenty shite.

 

For a charm to lose your friends

This hell-broth will speed the end.

Double, double, email trouble

texts seethe and whatsapps bubble.

 

Coda, after Blake

I was angry with my friend; 

I told my wrath, my wrath did end.

I was angry with my friend; 

I Whatsapped it, friendship did end. 

 

Rest in peace, our friendship

 

Rest in peace, our friendship; go in peace, my friend.

Take with you my affection, my delight

in the creations of your hands, your mind,

and songs springing from your vibrant heart.

But take back trust and my respect, for in the storm

of your rejection these precious things were wrecked.

I’ll keep memories, indestructible

in my heart, of the times when you were generous

self-reflective, truthful, kind.

                                                                                          .



 

Just Do It

 

I have been trying

to get out of my head

and into my heart.

‘Invite your mind,’

my mentor said,

‘into your heart.’

 

The trouble with trying:

the hour comes

when you forget,

slip back in your head,

turn cool and hard,

 

 

 

 

 

disconnect, defend,

leave trails of hurt,

wounded partner,

damaged friends.

 

So I’ve stopped trying

to connect with feelings:

I just have to start.

I can do it, just do it

wake up and step

straight into the heart.