Inside Looking Out

By Milton Godfrey

First poetry collection from Birmingham professional musician and playwright Milton Godfrey,

• Language: English
• Publisher: APS Publications
• Release date: Apr 25, 2019
• ISBN: 9781386474937

Book preview

DEDICATION

Dedicated to my mother Inez Blanche Golding for her wisdom, courage, humour and kindness in the face of adversity. Her unrelenting love, tolerance and patience, will always be a source of inspiration.

‘Through difficulties undaunted.’

FOREWORD

‘Inside Looking Out,’ is a collection of poetry and short stories, some of which have been published in a variety of magazines and anthologies. The work draws its inspiration from my Caribbean experience, in the Caribbean, and England, and highlights some social, eco-nomic and political realities, past and present. The three short stories set in the 1950’s and 60’s are factual.

I don’t think it is unreasonable to say that, because we live in a multi-ethnic society, literature we offer children in schools should be a reflection of such. More often than not, that is not the case.

It is somewhat unfortunate that many second, third and present generation Caribbean children in England, in particular, did not and still do not have enough information about the experiences of their fore parents and their history, through formal education. This was necessary and still is, to link with the past.

By using the past as a point of departure, it would give young people a better opportunity to evaluate the past, present, and  their possible future location in society, from a social, economic and political point of view.

Milton Godfrey

CONTENTS

Disappointment

Suspicion

My City

Fallen Man

Inside Looking Out

Identity

Retribution

Here Is The News

The Feast Of Death

What Is Black?

The Neighbourhood

Passing Strangers

A Love Poem

Rasta Man Chant

Kilroy Posse

Come With Me

Dem Waa Rapp

Weapons Of War

Sailing Boats

The Sixteen Year Session

In Mind

I Open My Eye

Solitude

Three Short Stories

On Reflection

The Magic Man

The Suitcase Saga

The Prisoner

Music

Sane Philosophy

DISAPPOINTMENT

He boarded the plane

In innocence;

Imagined a reality,

But was disappointed

Within hours.

No gold-paved streets

Or welcome that excites,

Just smoke-filled atmosphere

From a bird’s eye view,

And on landing, a plot

That thickens.

He is not innocent anymore,

Neither can he save the return fare.

SUSPICION

A Bible story was told

To be

Of love and peace

And joy

That people cared

And how they love

But I think it’s

Just a ploy.

The teacher doesn’t

Like my hair

The children think

I’m a pain

My mother she says

Never mind

And I try never

To complain.

And people aren’t

Too friendly

I can tell the way

They look at me

But I don’t really care

At all

Cause I feel brave and free

My Sunday best is

Useless now

My shoes are almost worn

And father says there’s

No work

The factories are all

Closed down.

The police aren’t too kind

To me

They think that I’m

Non plus

And every time they

Search me

They tell me it’s for Sus.

Sometimes I think that

Life’s not fair

Sometimes I ponder when

I often wonder what

Will happen

When I reach the age

Of ten.

MY CITY

My city has many black faces,

Natives of the sun,

Some distant brothers.

In my city adopted cultures

Do not hide realities

Of history.

My city has more pollution

Than opportunities and

Lives are wasted.

In my city, delicately balanced

Lives exist in the midst of

Uncertainty.

My city is an asphalt dynasty,

Where opportunists oppress

Through the law machine.

My city is life, pain, death,

Pleasure, love and hate;

But there is hope and will

In the hearts of the sons

And daughters of the sun.

FALLEN MAN

He doesn’t smile and

His ragged pants

Display poor hygiene.

Some say misfortune

Plays the hand.

With head