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Union
Jacks
We
are the jacks from the back to backs
Where the endless spinning stopped
And the feed-line pressure dropped
And the last bus route was chopped.
We are the grime from the high tide line
And you didn't see us coming when you let us out the mine.
Listen up! Sunniye!
Ek nayee duniya benayengay!
We
are the jocks from the high-rise blocks
Where the lifts are always broke
And the twoc'd cars belch black smoke
Where the new deal was revoked.
We are the beast from somewhere in the East
And you didn't think about us when you divvied up the feast.
Salaam, salaam! Have a nice day!
You've got the ball. We'd like to play.
What's In A Name?
I chose
the name Tina Love because I originally intended to perform in drag.
A lot of my poetry is humorous and the act would have worked quite
well. When I found out there was already a drag poet doing the rounds,
I decided to drop the frock but keep the name. My poetry is meant
to challenge people's expectations and the name does that in spades!
Where
the endless spinning stopped
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| What
is being British? |
I have
lived all my life in the textile belt of northern England and have
seen this area suffer as traditional industries have declined. My
poem reflects on the consequences of this decline for the people
of my area.
Ek
nayee duniya
My poem contains a few words of Urdu, the official language of Pakistan.
I grew up with many Pakistani friends and neighbours, who had been
brought to this country to work in the mills. I wanted their voices
to be heard in my poem. The words mean "Listen! We will build
a new world."
High
tide line
My people are the people who have been left behind as the tide of
industry has receded and a post-industrial economy replaced it.
While this new economy has brought even greater wealth for the better
off, my people have been left to struggle on benefits or in low
paid jobs.
Underclass
Sadly, my people are often demonised in the media as a "criminal
underclass" or "economic migrants", as "benefits
cheats" or "gangsters", "drug users", or
"Muslim youths". We are being fooled into hating and fearing
each other instead of seeing that we are all together in the same
boat.
We'd
like to play
My poem is a request from the people of my Britain to be allowed
to join in with the game of life and to share in our nation's prosperity.
It is a call for us to join together and build a new, fairer and
friendlier world.
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