THE BIG ISSUE

by ray pool

Sunday 22nd January 2017 4:37 pm

Here on the winter high street

things were looking up

footfall strong, shops brisk

then I saw the bundle on the ground

Big Issue seller, news of

Trump the billionaire

a moment for that bright hair.

Coin of the realm slowly trickled down

discs of bright conscience

salves of small guilt.

under his hood shined in my vision

a former dweller under different skies

comfortable in his skin it seemed to me

as the paler ones passed by.

When prospects are this low

sad luck tugs at our sleeve

sorry to see us go

and can it be right that

someone's soul can be so easily raised

and so cheaply held.

Comments

raypool

Tue 24th Jan 2017 21:36

Hi David. Your comment is expectedly quite a big deal to do it justice. Of course one's openness to major experiences do shape our attitudes to a great extent, and you have brought a reasoned and refined common sense to deep questions. As a guide, I would say that the earliest years bring lifelong challenges of adaptation to weaknesses and strengths. I've always been a sucker for the underdog, by nature. I suppose religion gives a blanket moral dimension to live by (in theory) ; but it is dubious if this can extend to a change in any major sense. 2000 years later as you imply people hold fast to ideals seldom put to ultimate tests.

Re the incident in Guildford, yes a hard lesson learned, but it feels like that liberty was a kind of rejection of the spirit of kindness, but of course everyone is an individual, so it is with all of us. I think danger lurks when we pigeonhole . All the world is a bleeding stage mate.

Thanks elP i'm glad you pointed out those lines, as I always try to sign off with a decent ending.

Ray x

elPintor

Tue 24th Jan 2017 14:40

I find those final three lines acutely poignant...a very profound question.

elP

raypool

Tue 24th Jan 2017 10:36

Thanks Stu I appreciate your view and the impotence it projects - I have passed that milestone some time back being much older; philosophy tries to handle the dire state of much of humanity but I think it is much cruder than that. I mainly try just to describe what I see and feel and maybe hint at another layer; sensitives like yourself must suffer by experience. I recall just after the war a general air of long suffering and the deprivations of much of what we take for granted today. It can a bit sickening how tight the screws of commerce have bitten in.
The poem here maybe has found its mark , so I don't take your points as a criticism rather as an affirmation. If we don't feel for the living things how can we care for other issues?

yours faithfully Godlike person x

Ray (sorry you're having a rough time - the sun is getting higher every day though).

Stu Buck

Mon 23rd Jan 2017 22:08

i feel i could easily paste the comment i wrote on your facebook here ray. power corrupts and humanity is flawed. i am constantly surprised at how aghast everyone is when things go wrong. we have been fucking this world up since we grew thumbs. statistically speaking we are as safe and comfortable in our lives as we have ever been. i dislike this current wave of people sat in their nice houses on their i-phones, sipping a glass of red wine while the dishwasher runs in the background, complaining at how awful they have it. how about pushing all that negative energy in to art, poetry and helping our fellow man.

i suppose not!

im not criticising your piece by the way its very clever and topical and i know the spirit it is written in, its just i do feel we are aiming our outrage at people who will never, ever care and who will never, ever change.

welcome to the human race. we are all doomed.

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THE BIG ISSUE

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