35. Houston we’ve got a problem – Illiyyin Morrison
Dec 29th, 2009
To what do we owe the pleasure of earth
Money or flesh, or power, or peace
Gratitude for a new birth
Or nothing in the least
Do we need to escape politicians
Run from wrath like scared beasts
Fear the needle of physicians
Or holy water of high-priests
Do we need usury
Or a banker’s bonus
To live a life of luxury
The weight of debt upon us
Do we need the riches
That go with cars and clothes
Spells of wicked witches
To know our friends or foes
Do we need guns and knives
Or our own destruction
Do we need to beat our wives
Or officers’ corruption
Do we need drugs and syringe
Metal spoon and belt
To watch the little baby cringe
At the thousandth blow he’s dealt?
Do we need graffiti on walls
Drawn by angry youths
Ten year old girls at men’s calls
Prostitution in phone booths?
Do we need pollution of the planet
Or our greenhouse gasses
Standing stones made of granite
Students shooting classes?
Do we need bombs and battle
Or a first black president
Illness spread by dead cattle
Men murdered by accident?
Do we need blood diamonds
Or blood of child soldiers
Do we need private islands
Or poor broken Afrikaners
Million dollar pension plans
Coffee from the mountain blue
Do we need these hoodie clans
Or pandemic of swine flu
Do we need black or Asian
Or to teach freedom of speech
Indian or Caucasian
Or power within one man’s reach
Do we need a thousand questions
To produce the right answers
Or have asinine suggestions
To make us become thinkers
For pleasure of being on earth,
Justice, freedom, what do we owe
Fear of what appears at birth?
Or can we just say ‘No’?
Brilliant. Didn’t know you could produce creative writing of this calibre.
Well done Illiyin!
Excellent. Long may it continue and bring you and others around you great insights.
Well done Illiyin. You tell ‘em. It is so encouraging to hear from one so young.
Incredible!
wow, you’re young, and you have the ability to provide a portrait and encouraging people with this^^
great work Illiyin, and it is very interesting indeed
it is very interesting indeed
Deep within lies the heart that sees,
that articulates and sets people free, Illiyin
Was just browsing threw the website and read your poem illiyin and was surprised to tell the truth…very good! i liked the way everything just went together so nicely.
Marvellous !!!!!
Thats the great thing about poem of the week people who you don’t expect spring out of the woodwork with insightful poetic gems !!! al hamdullillah