Tim Minchin's "F- the Poor" with a link to his video

I would be liar
if I pretended to admire...

etc etc...

...with all the usual Tim Minchin charm and determination to shock.

I love the little internal rhyme-scheme he drops in from time to time. (yes, that's my excuse, and I'm sticking with it.)

I think I first saw Tim Minchin playing "a coked-up rock star" and the role strangely suited him. Now, every so often, a song of his pops up on my feed. I thought I'd share this one. Hope you checked it out and enjoyed it - it seemed very important at this time, when we are facing so many disasters, and when people are saying how important their charity is, while turning away from the bigger issue of poverty.

Have a great week, I hope you enjoyed the piece in all it's horror :) 
A.J. Ponder

If you like this, you might also like:

Happy Birthday in a Minor Key by Bill Bailey  (Another great comedic lyricist) 

Or

my poem Ask Me Not

Have You Heard the News

Have you heard the news today?

Did you notice that the lights have changed?
or when?
seems we've all been driving for too long
and that's the song-
but it doesn't have to be
we can be free

If you'd just listen to the fool on the hill-
but you never listened to fools, did you?
and those experts
oh boy
so you kept your cents close
and spent profligately,
willingly

Yeah, well, that's a luxury
it's time to notice that your rights are gone
there's no flying on
when we cage the poor
no-one sings sweeter
when we throw our brothers, our sisters
off the cliff
it's not if

But who pays the piper -
to pick up the pieces.

A.J. Ponder

NB Yes, of course I acknowledge the influence of a couple of lines from The Beatles song. Comes from listening to their music in the car while thinking about current events.

Best wishes to all, and have a great week,
A.J.

Have you heard the news?

If you're reading my blog at the moment this will be a horribly familiar theme.
Anyone can make a stand - not just Meryl Streep in her Golden Globes 2017 speech. But on the phones, in the street -banding with friends and doing whatever needs to be done for human rights environmental needs, and democratic principles.  Corporate interests have shown money will trump all, and they're framing the debate. They tell us that we're not powerful and we can't change the world - well, that's only right if they can keep you at home and ignoring politics because you feel powerless. So...

Have you heard the
News?
Do you know?
Where you were
When
democracy died?
When
the free world fell?

Have you seen the news
What did you choose?
Where the f*ck were you
When
the lies flew
And before we knew
The meme had set

Did you see #maga become #masa
Make America Scared Again
And all because
We forgot it's our job
To stand up to power
And make the world a better place.

Have you seen the
Show?
Do you know?
Where you were
When
the free vote fell?
Did you see?
When
Jim Crow raised his head
Did you raise your voice?
Or did you watch him
Tear the vote
Away
From the poor
The huddled masses
Yearning to breathe free?

Now you can choose to sing
Everything is
Awesome
To drown out
Reality.
Or you can stand against
The entity that is corporate greed
And demand our world back.

Where are you?
The world is falling.

A.J.

Right, and lets get to it. What can we do?

Well, I have only one thing to say- Are you Ready? okay nobody's really ready for "interesting times"
But small things can make a huge difference. Here's a piece from Ecowatch. 6 Lessons Learned Fighting Oppressive Regimes While Trying to Protect People and Planet.
We can do this.

If we stand for truth, human rights, and the environment, and try to make a tiny difference for at least one of those we can make this world a better place. :)

One of the most important things an American can do is protect their voting rights. " The US Civil Rights Commission concluded that the odds of your vote being miscounted or tossed out are 900% greater if you vote in a community of color." So if I was an American I'd join the local @ACLU   https://www.aclu.org/issues/voting-rights  But there are other great organizations you might prefer.

Stay strong, have fun, and never give up hope. We need you. :)
A.J. Ponder

The Art of Modern Warfare with Words

They shall frame you,
then they shall destroy you,
mark my words,
there is no middle ground.

First they demonised the poor
for the crimes of the rich
Then they demonised the Muslims,
to steal oil
Now they're framing the Jews
with an old lie,
an evil lie
to stop you from seeing the whole picture.

They shall frame you,
then they shall destroy you,
mark my words,
brushstrokes matter.
 
We, the people,
are not the threat
The threat is the obscene voice
of corporations
A voice that has corrupted
the politicians
A voice that has corrupted
the media
A voice that
calls to your fears
and twists them.

Once they've framed you,
then they shall destroy you
Mark my words
the fight is now,
or not at all
As the media bows to
the narrative,
their integrity as
bought and sold as the politicians
receiving tobacco PAC cheques
on the house floor.

They shall frame you,
then they shall call you violent
and place the gun
They shall accuse you of the crimes
they have committed
They shall pay a pittance
and take everything -
water
freedom
your very life
and when there is nothing left,
they will blame you.

So please break the frame 
before it destroys you
Mark my words,
there is no middle ground -
unless you stand up -
unless you say no -
unless you yell the truth
like the smallest Who in Whoville.
Please make a noise,
just a yip or a squeak,
because
you are
our only hope.

They shall frame you,
then they shall destroy you
Mark my words,
the fight is now
or not at all.


A.J. Ponder



There is a companion poem for this piece, published 5 years ago, it's called Perspective.  http://anafflictionofpoetry.blogspot.co.nz/2011/03/tuesday-poem-perspective.html

So how is your world being framed?

1. Lying by Omission
2. Controlling the Debate
3. Scripting and Synchronizing News
4. Politicizing Everything  
5 Chasing and creating buzzwords and memes
6. Asking the Wrong Questions
7. Closing down the topic - or airing it like the birther conspiracy long after it was dead.
8 Triviality and Distraction
9. Outright Lying


It's time to fight for our rights #noDAPL #livingwage #HumanRights #sustainability #eco #climatechange #change #education #green #impact #peace #democracy #defundDAPL #PoliticalPrisoner #environment #pollution #climate #globalwarming #solar

Peace Out :)

A.J. Ponder

Robbin' Hood Meets the Land of Free Speech

Hood Robbers - Hood Robbin'

They took from the poor

And they gave to the rich

Sold everyone's rights

Then fed us a pitch

So now we eat slogans

With clay for our bed

And watch the sky glowing

far over our heads

Hood Robbers - Hood Robbin'

'cause money is power

And money is speech

But I've got no money

So-

Unfortunately American Politics has been rather big news this week.  And maybe I'd be almost as oblivious of it all if it wasn't for a certain program - (turns to camera) Damn You Colbert!  So what's new?  Politics, power and corruption are a world-wide phenomenon.  Of course, like NZ Americans have free speech and equal rights but it seems "some people are more equal than others".  Here Colbert explains how corporations' free speech is infringed, so I guess its lucky a certain decision went their way.

Here in little old NZ I don't think many people believe such a thing could never happen after all money and politics is relatively closely regulated, but we are buffeted by what is happening overseas.  And of course our system isn't perfect - which is why NZ, we need our own political comedy.  How else am I expected to have any idea about what is happening in the outside world?  After all the news is too depressing, and parliament is enough to induce catatonia. Besides, surely in this economic climate laughter is the best medicine :)

More poems can be found here at the rather awesome Tuesday Poem Blog. This week's poem is Wild Bees by John Griffin, but wait there's more, visit the side bar to the right to find the blogs of many wonderful NZ poets and authors.  Enjoy

A.J. Ponder's work is available through Rona Gallery, Amazon, and good Wellington bookstores