The Fire Inside

There are still some great pieces we haven’t shared from our #creativechallenge week that you will see over the next few weeks up in the blog. Today we’d like to share this poem written by one of our facilitators on Day 6. Over a week after the fire at Grenfell Tower, our thoughts are still with those affected – this piece reflects on some of those emotions felt in response to the terrible news we wooke up to last Wednesday

The Fire Inside – A Prayer for Justice
A raging fire stirs within the core of my soul
As a troubling truth touches down on home ground.
A call for Justice reawakened.
The forgotten ashes of my early twenties righteous rebellion reignited after allowing over a decade of getting by in life to successfully soak out the fury.
Leading a life takes over and the piercing pain of immense injustice – becomes numb.
How can I continue to be so angry at the state of the world my whole life? What good does it do? Passionate political idealism won’t feed my kid!
It’s all a sodding mess we all know that, continuously swamped by all the news.
As we sink silently into a sense of helplessness.
Endless atrocities day after day, scrolling on by, masses of innocent lives lost around the world, drowning children, bombs dropped, avoidable fires….
NO THIS IS NOT IN MY NAME!
I wake up.
Sparks flare up – How dare they do this!
Who’s ‘they’ they say – ‘Well the powers that be’
Well how long exactly will this ‘they’ take power over me???
The numbness in my throat has held me helpless – There’s no way for the frustrated feelings to come through.
Whatever can I say to make a difference? Whatever the hell can I do?
The imbalances of this world are so deeply entrenched. Selfish greedy hands in blood are completely drenched.
So is it from the colonial legacy or does it go back even way before?
But wherever it stems from – I just simply cannot understand it – Why some have so much less and some will stop at nothing to have more and more and more.
That’s only just the start of it as the flames begin to burn.
It’s around all the deceit and the lies and the cover-ups that my gut really starts to churn… And my heart yearns for a truer, fairer way.
Extreme bias, media control corrupting the minds of the multiples.
So that all will always be as it has always been. And slowly but surely, there’s no way out, there’s no way in.
No choice, no voice – They’re all the bloody same!
Politicians and the multinational corporates bankers (w***ers) playing their bloody games……
Well hold up wait a minute minister….
THIS IS NOT IN MY NAME!
I pay the taxes, I pay you to work for me. I place my vote for you to represent my community.
Not for outlandish expenses exceeding way more than you need.
Or for perky privileges to satisfy your greed.
You represent the people, you hear what we have to say.
About our concerns and our worries and what affects us day to day.
We’re talking basic civil rights here – Housing, Education and Health.
Putting our money where it matters, not abusing the nation’s wealth.
What’s with all this contracting out to private companies that simply don’t give a shit?
They’re not interested in our wellbeing or our safety, only profit profit profit!
And now this….. THIS !
A tower block in flames.
A completely avoidable tragedy of negligence….
NO – NO WAY – THIS IS NOT IN MY NAME!!!
Today my fury is unleached and unstoppable.
Free to be again at last.
An almost refreshing reminder of how I used to feel back then in the past.
Now people are coming together again and finding force in solidarity.
We are finding our CHOICE and VOICE again and saying..
NO THIS CANNOT BE!
On the streets we’re calling “May Must Go!”
And I’m reminded of when I used to shout
On the streets of London, as a young girl, maybe 7 years old,
“Maggie Maggie Maggie – OUT OUT OUT!!!
History repeats itself but at the same time it changes.
Moving forward constantly charged by US THE PEOPLE – the progressive rearrangers.
We shall never stop believing
We shall never give up HOPE
We have the power of the people
We have the power of our VOTE.
It’s somehow good to feel these feelings even though tonight I have cried and cried and cried.
As my thoughts are totally tormented by all the horrific stories and of all those who have died.
My heart breaks open to deep pain and anger – the fire inside.
This could have been avoided if just ONE PERSON had listened, if just ONE PERSON had tried.
It takes just one spark to start a fire. It takes just one person to make a change.
ONE by ONE by ONE by ONE we shall come together,
And as MANY we SHALL rearrange.
JUSTICE * HOPE * BELIEF * CHOICE * VOICE * COMMUNITY * UNITY
By Ali Jane – 17.6.2017
In dedication to the residents of Grenfell Tower, London and the World.