The game of life …..

 

Black lives matter! What do these three words mean to me

It means everything for as long as I live and breathe

It is within my blood, in the fibers of my being and in every heartbeat

In the way I move, the rhythm of my soul, the words that I speak

The nature of my existence intertwines with other souls

And my empathy is in overdrive as the world is out of control

The systems are broken and there is no sign of change ahead

People have been murdered in broad daylight and slaughtered in their bed

By the very people who swore an oath to protect all souls

The system supports their decisions on when to apply integrity and how to uphold

How long can you victimize a whole race?

Before we retaliate, demand to be acknowledged and request a place

A place to belong, a place of peace, a fair system in which to believe

Incarceration, murder, poverty, victimization, an endless list

Our souls rise every morning to face this injustice

Whilst all lives are acknowledged, black lives have not mattered

We are the souls that were ripped from homes

Tortured, beaten and sold

Souls with monetary value but a life with no worth

Who wonder what our purpose is as we remain incarcerated on this Earth

Seeking emancipation by any means year after year

The media turn it into something that it is not

And many will hope that the movement is quickly forgot

But if you took a moment to truly understand what it means

Question why the tortured victim screams

We have no power to make the change alone

We are vulnerable inside and outside of our home

There is no safe place for us to be

The choke hold doesn’t loosen nor does the knee

When an entire race pleads ‘I can’t breathe’

I have seen my ancestors swing from trees

Whilst others were beaten, broken, caged and bleed

And what has changed?

I look around and it remains the same

Hidden agenda’s within policy and procedure remain to ensure control

No compliance results in the loss of another soul

I question why? Why and how is it not a given

As much as it is for all else living

That souls have to declare that our lives matter

Because we live in a world of ignorance; if it doesn’t affect you then it’s not your issue

All lives matter; then accept that black lives matter too

Whatever that may mean to you, as some souls do not get to choose

In the game of life if you are born black you automatically lose

© L. Blair 

Let me school you

We offer up so much praise to the Teachers during this pandemic
when in reality they knew what they were getting into becoming an academic
Just as parents knew what they were getting into bringing a baby into this world
what they didn't know is that they would be expected to teach that little boy or girl
French, Geography, Maths, English, R.E, P.E, Music, Science and I.T
Let us not forget that this stuff went out of the window straight after GCSE's
I no longer teach my child as their knowledge has surpassed mine
my responsibilities are now feeding, clothing, shopping, budgeting and managing time
I am now the Nurse, Tooth Fairy, Santa, Easter Bunny, cleaner, the cook and most importantly Mom
the giver of life, the wonder woman of nature and the all divine to my little one
So to now be told I must ensure my child continues to learn at home
with at least two texts a day from school and once a week the teacher will also phone
Messages to "suggest" a routine for my child to keep
suggesting their up at 7:30am, learning until 4:30 and by 9:30 their asleep
First of all my child is no longer in your care after 3 o'clock
and if you keep texting me on Saturday's and Sunday's your number will get blocked
Realistically your suggesting I teach my child better than you actually do
along with all of the other responsibilities I have beyond home school
So I don't need your suggestions about what time they should be out of bed
these are not normal times let us not forget
My child attended their virtual class, on time at 8:45
with an expectation of being able to use a programme I have never used in my life
So imagine my confusion when the lesson ends after only half an hour has passed
partly because the teacher couldn't use it either and couldn't complete the tasks
And that was that until Wednesday and then Friday another 'class'
so for all of her expectations, I'll be interested to see how long they last
After issuing a schedule to me which states between 9:00 & 4:30, my child must be taught at home
even though they have a different teacher for every lesson at school, I must do this all alone
I also must work from home on the same computer you want my child to use
whilst I support their emotional and mental needs to make sense of everything they are going through
so whilst all of these articles are being written stating as a parent I only do a fraction of what the teachers do
I am every teacher rolled into one, I am also everything else too!
© L. Blair                                                                                             

COVID-19

A New World Order

Fist fights go viral as people scavenge for the last toilet roll
they give in to fear and their primal instincts take a hold
Stock piling and panic buying
a daily update of the number of people dying
Normality is no longer an option as the world is now consumed
with the government panicking people but not actually being clear on what to do
Theaters', restaurants, cinema's, pubs, clubs and schools close
as we all prepare for lock down and isolation, unsure of what the future may hold
Changes are happening around the world and there are other things on the news
reports under the radar of what other people are up to
Gun and ammunition sales soar amid panic buying in the U.S
while in the UK it's tissue, pasta, flour, rice and bread
Countries began to close their ports and planes were being grounded
whilst shows and concerts continued in the UK and the world watched dumbfounded
Until good ol' Boris finally puts his foot down and said 'that's it, your grounded!'
to protect the people from themselves as their actions were astounding
Supermarkets open one hour earlier for older shoppers to get their essentials
because respect, manners, and being civilised is now greed, selfish and credentials
Talks were held with the government to provide care packages for the elderly
more companies should take the initiative instead of raking up their prices hourly
Local shops inflating prices beyond all reasoning and practicality
a world of 'every man for themselves', while people and businesses suffer financially
Delays by the government to do what is right
a thought aside for the vulnerable, the elderly and the sick, I hear your plight
Society is too busy fighting each other and trying to preserve their own
as we venture into the dark of territory unknown
I feel heartbreak and disappointment in the things that I see
as people fight over material things that they don't even need
The homeless have been scooped up from their outdoor apartments
as despite the housing shortage the government now have a place for them
Airports are being prepared to house the bodies of those not yet even diagnosed
sending letters to inform the vulnerable that letters could find them exposed
The five second rule no longer applies when you drop something on the floor
As people are outside licking poles, toilet seats, shelves and car doors
We all know there's information that is being kept from us
as we are advised to keep our distance but stay in touch
Distracting daily updates; the devil is in the details, inclusive of a smokescreen
Stay home and get paid, isolate to stem the flow, yet they don't know what they mean
Lots of ideas but they have not yet devised a system to put those payments through
feed hungry people lies and it can taste like the truth
They appear to be figuring things out as they go along
from the very beginning their response time took too long
I don't believe that things will just go back to how they used to be
but time will tell, and they have bought themselves enough, so I guess we will see

An Influential Generation

A Botox and Champagne party on a Wednesday afternoon
searching for perfection before posting on YouTube
years of dedication to being a Social Media Influencer
willing to take off an inch over there and an inch over here
hearing the negativity and reading the comments below
the mental health effects this must have on a young person is hard to know
A Social Influencer is now seen as a career path to the youth
judgement's continuously on your looks and what you can do to improve
Psychologists say young people will feel the rush of the initial buzz
which will turn into an addiction of maintaining an image that cannot be touched
an unrealistic ideal which is put out into the world for all to see
leaves followers being influenced by something they cannot actually achieve
a world of measuring yourself by other people's views
none of who actually know the real you, but then it's solely based on the visual
Influencers motivated by Influencers and everybody starts to look the same
a feeling of being flawed and less than perfect is finally okay ....
as the new normal is to surgically make the change, all in the name of fame!
free surgery is offered to Celebrities and Influencers as they work hand in hand
to promote each other's presence and publish each other's brand
it's illegal to advertise cosmetic surgery to under 18's
but it is not illegal for Influencers to blog their surgery and show influential
followers what can be achieved
with a nip and tuck here and a nose job there
why is it as easy to change your face as it is to change the colour of your hair?
Beautiful people desperately seeking likes and acceptance
it leaves me to question; where are the influenced of the Influencers destined?

© L. Blair