Libra Political Scales Shape Poem

Some people think Libra is the best star sign.  Usually it is because they are Librans, and Marc Latham is no different.  We are now in the Libra month (September 23 – October 23), so here’s an FM poem that celebrates the Libran reputation for careful judgement, symbolised by scales. 

 

It is also an exciting political time in Britain, with Ed Miliband elected as the new Labour leader offering hope of a return to basics for the traditionally socialist party.

 

David Cameron has also been doing a pretty good job so far as the Conservative Prime Minister, so hopefully Britain can get itself out the current economic melee, and back into credit, without too much pain along the way for the people. 

 

 

Libran Political Scales

 

Poem from the Other Side of the Other

Beware music and poetry, because they could be supernatural oratory. 
This poem is okay though, so that first sentence, please ignore.

  Backward Static Messages

Does the phrase: devil in the detail
mean difference ‘tween slug and snail
Or is it a more direct reference
to all things evil and elephants

dog is god and the devil is lived

the devil is in the deer tail
Bambi’s eaten the holy grail
it’s usurped ol’ billy two horns
Tufty is the new devil’s spawn

Peace Day Poem

It’s Peace Day today, so Marc Latham thought he’d write a little poem to celebrate the day.  He’d like to think there’ll be peace in the foreseeable future, but unfortunately doesn’t expect it!  Here’s the poem:                                       

PEACE DAY POEM

Peace is in the air
don’t let it get in your hair,
grab it woman and man
it doesn’t come in a can
like beans or mushy peas,
it’s carried on the warm breeze
that sometimes blows through
valleys and villages, me and you,

catch the spirit and run with it

mountains and towns, them and us,
peace vibe causes hush,
after centuries of war the time
to consider hate a crime
may well be upon our Earth,
can you deliver its birth
or will you let it slip again
until your God knows when.

I was alerted to the day by Care2, which has free ecards for all occasions.

Book Burning: Two Thousand Years of Monotheistic Sillyness Poem

Marc Latham latest FM poem is a comment on the book burning controversy that’s been going on over the last few days, as well as all the other crimes done by those proclaiming to be working in the name of a good God; and how he thinks it shows up all the sillyness and destruction that the monotheistic religions have been spreading around the world for two thousand years… with no respite in sight judging from the media and believers’ reactions!

Not that everything done by the religions is bad, or all the believers at fault, but there has been a lot of what they would consider devilish acts done in the name of the monotheistic religions, and they have many a time created Hell on Earth.

Long after Jesus Christ is said to have left the Earth, the Devil was created out of pagan gods like Pan, who were then disposed with.  The poem therefore makes the point that the Devil is only in those who believe in it.  The title is derived from an old horror film.

The Devil Rides Out…Of You!

Devil, Devil,
repent thyself,
the Devil must be
within you, because
you don’t believe
in what we say.

pagan gods Frankensteined to Devil

you say what pays
and create fear
around us, with
the Devil inside you.
your belief,
Devil, Devil.

Poem Inspired by a Margerine Advert and Environmentalism

This poem was inspired by a few thoughts and the Clover margarine advert.  The advert’s narrative proclaims that it is nice in the centre of society’s extremes, as Clover promotes its product as being in the middle of the butter/marge  health/taste extremes.  The title also plays on the Cloverfield film title, as I recently saw for movie for the first time.

As society becomes a little greener, and I’m not totally green, I guess I’m not far from the centre of the UK environment spectrum now.  So although it’s partly autobiographical, it’s more about those living on the extremes of environmentalism.

There are some environmentalists who live in what seems an extreme way to those in the centre, but they probably believe that they have to live like that just to balance those who don’t do anything to protect the environment, or even disregard it to the point of wilfully damaging it. The latter are not generally considered extremists or out of centre.

Cloverfield Central

I don’t wanna seem an extremist
On the outside of the limit
I’d rather be heading towards centre
On a butter sweet halcyon adventure

What’s stopping me, is what’s not limiting you

It’s easy to appear society’s norm
In a culture based on conform
To waste and want necessarily above
Protecting life’s riches and planetary love

I also wrote an article about hegemony theory that is relevant to this topic, as it discusses how some groups in society are inside or outside society’s acceptability.  It’s on Suite 101. 

New Poem Reflecting on Reality and the Reality of Reflections

They say the camera never lies, but does a mirror reflection?  Marc Latham’s latest Folding Mirror poem falls from cosmic lucidity to earthly shadows as he reflects on what we can see on the surface…and below it.  

Marc took these two photos at different times, and only realised how reflective they are when he uploaded them to the computer!  

Here’s the poem:   

cosmic lucidity

Reflecting on Reality, the Reality of Reflections  

clear sky with island clouds
sun shines brightly down
over trees of olive
peppering the horizon
broad as daylight
as realistic as rockery  

Water is clear, clarity is what?  

is reflection my conclusion
muddied by illusion
filtered through memory
timber floating on wind
yellow orb periscopes up
from tea filled blue cup  

sky in water

This poem was created amongst the Leeds Canal Towpath Treasures

Big Brother Celebrities Ultimately Risk Losing Themselves?: Poem Investigates

Marc Latham’s new Folding Mirror poem questions how much we own of ourselves, and how much is owned by others. We can control our self-perceptions and actions to a certain extent, but we cannot control how we are perceived and acted against.  

Therefore, do we only own half ourselves, and the other half is owned by those we meet and are known by? And does the more you keep yourself to yourself retain more of your self, and that is why retreats and self-isolation can be good for growing your self, while being in somewhere like the Big Brother house on reality television can make you lose track of yourself?  

And can a period of isolated retreat grow your self to the point of epiphany? Where you keep all yourself to yourself; a respite for rebuilding that strengthens your self enough that you feel you are whole again. Somewhere that you don’t have to give half your self to anybody else, and you don’t have to receive their perceptions of you.  

If you give yourself to the world: through writing, art, music or just your personality; it can be cathartic and rewarding or draining and depressing?  Sometimes it is both, and sometimes these twists in mood affect the same people at different times.    

Here’s the poem:   

Inside Out  

 Do we see the world, as the world sees us
Do we own ourselves, or are we dependent on others
Do we think freely, or are our thoughts governed
Do we create identity, or is it instilled
Do we live for ourselves, or for others  

 Inside is ours? Outside is theirs?  

 We live for others, but also ourselves
We are born, and create social image
We think thoughts, from what we have learned
We are ourselves, but we also exist within society
We see the world, and we are seen by it  

 I also wrote an article inspired by this poem for Suite 101