Well done

Well done Luis Suarez for accepting the punishment. Some commentators seem to think that the award was too harsh, and I for one agree with that view. Which is a bit strange seeing that I have never been a fan of Luis Suarez following the Ghanaian incident.

But fair play, accepting the award is a huge step up to the mark, and worthy of the support that Liverpool football club are giving the player.

I would share a drink with him anytime, which is something that I would never have thought myself saying during and following the World Cup. Luis Suarez, stay with Liverpool, because British football needs you. And I for one would pay to see you play, and I've never been to a Premiership game.

Important numbers

Anyone in the U.K. Feeling emotionally distressed or suicidal can call CALM on 0800 58 58 58 or THE SAMARITANS on 08457 90 90 90

Now there's two numbers that are worth noting down and keeping safe. Please remember, you don't need to keep your problems bottled up. If you need help then seek it. I can't tell you the ins and outs of mental ill health as I'm not qualified to do so. I was touched by the news today regarding the need to treat 17 year olds as juveniles and not as adults if detained, and the story of two 17 year olds who committed suicide over what can only be described as trivia. And that's the real problem isn't it? The problems are not trivial for the person affected by whatever it is that is going on in their life. We are all different, and different things impact upon us in different ways.

So chin up and keep those numbers tucked away in case you, your loved one, or a friend ever need them.

Poem: Why?

Why?

You tried to spread your hate
What for?
As you are now no more

Planting bombs to kill and maim
Why then?
Like loser boys and not men

Causing death and injury to many
How come?
Were you devoid love from mum

This is not what she wanted
So why?
Did you cause many to die

As you spread your vile poison
For what?
We locked down you were caught

Your evil failing to break us
And why?
Because our resolve will never die

You tried to break our city
And now?
We wonder why what who how


Roger Bennett
Penrhyncoch, Wales 2013
All rights reserved

Poem: Boston

BOSTON

Weaving your way through crowds that throng
Some of whom had been friends to you
Moving as one with hate and spite
Cowards plotting in place of love
And bringing shame to family

Failing to break us who are strong
You took limbs and souls of a few
While we only done what was right
Keeping one hand inside our glove
And responding with unity

Your shame will last for time so long
While remembering those we knew
We shall forget you more each night
The ones that lost the right to love
And now you mean nothing to me

For we Bostonians are strong
Your carnage will not cloud our hue
Nor diminish our strength and might
As we know the meaning of love
And you learnt that you could not flee

Roger Bennett
Penrhyncoch, Wales 2013
All rights reserved

Why?

It was inevitable given the trauma of the Boston Marathon attacks that I would turn yet again to poetry. Over the course of a few days I wrote two poems about the atrocity. They are titled 'Boston' and 'Why?'. I used a different style when writing each of the poems. 'Boston' was written on the afternoon following the capture of the second suspect. The poem is written with four feet per line, and five lines per stanza with the rhyming scheme ABCDE linking each stanza, with the word 'and' at the start of each fifth line.

The poem 'Why?' began with the opening stanza being jotted down as I thought of the words while getting changed to go out on the Saturday evening. The remainder of this second poem was written in a coffee shop on the Sunday afternoon . 'Why?' is written with six words in each of the first and third lines of each stanza. With two questioning words appearing in each second line. The second and third lines rhyme to provide the scheme ABB.

I suppose that writing poetry is my way of dealing with many of the things that happen, and which I find difficult to comprehend and thereby make sense of. It had been a difficult week emotionally, and for some people that will appear quite strange as I am neither American nor do I live in Boston. But I do have a good friend who lives in the city and two other friends who moved away to Florida. This association and the fragility of my mental health may go some way towards explaining the emotion that appears in my poetry and prose.

I intend to upload the poems 'Boston' and 'Why?' to the poetry page of this Blog, and as always all rights are reserved.

Hard fighting

It's great to see that Boston and the Federal authorities fought hard and tough and thereby swiftly brought the cowards to justice.

Well done to everyone involved in the successful investigation and the successful prosecution of the manhunt. I found the whole thing terribly upsetting and was frequently reduced to tears as the lockdown proceeded and was widely publicised on news channels, social media and news apps. I retired to bed last night disappointed that one of the alleged murderers had escaped, and woke up in the UK this morning to hear that joyful news that he had been apprehended. It was still upsetting to see and hear the news, but at least the emotions were balanced by the knowledge that the Lockdown had been a success and that he was unable to flee the scene.

Well done to one and all. I shall continue to say a prayer for those taken too young and for those injured during this murderous atrocity. But I shall also say a 'thank you' for the successful and astonishingly prompt outcome of the investigation. An outcome that reduced their potential to murder and maim numerous more Bostonians and visitors to the area.

God Bless America

Boston

My heart goes out to everyone involved in or affected by the dreadful murderous events at the Boston Marathon. I was reduced to tears watching the news as it unfolded and had to turn off the broadcast. Even today I have problems viewing or hearing about this particular news. Yet again a coward or cowards cause the harm.

Whether it's an IED hidden at the side of the road to kill, a car bomb to kill, someone with a gun in a cinema, or roaming on an island, or a gang kicking to death a defenceless vagrant; wherever you are, it's the same old story of the cowards inflicting the harm. A bomb amongst spectators, a gun when others don't have a gun, a knife when others don't have a knife, or group numbers to overwhelm the victim. It's rarely aggression on a level playing field. It's always an unbalanced equation where the perpetrator has a clear advantage. This is why we must never bend. We must also brush aside our sensibilities and do unto others that which they choose to do or try to do to us. I know that we should turn the other cheek, and that everyone should love their enemy. But when you cry while watching what should have been a happy event, you also start to understand that society needs to develop a different set of rules to deal with extremes. Whether its homeland homegrown silly reason terror, or what we tend to term international 'extremists'; the outcome is nevertheless extreme. The outcome is also not limited to geography, as history has shown that we have had our fair share of car bombs and nail bombs in the United Kingdom. Soft targets are soft, but we need to stop being soft with those who do this stuff.

Torture them by all means if it's going to help in gathering intelligence or assist our understanding of what drives them to extremes. Do not hesitate to extradite them to those countries who would like to house them in their systems and thereafter prosecute them. Stop treating them as equals, and instead begin to understand that those who engage in violence and murder, thereby relinquish their right to the systems that are in place to protect others. It's time to make sure that those who deal in violence, begin to understand that they and their families will pay big time. It's time for those who govern our countries to stop pussy footing around, and instead start fighting back hard.

Gwent Fire Brigade 30 Year Reunion

This is one of the Gwent Fire Brigade Young Firefighter 30 year Reunion photographs taken in Newport Gwent (Monmouthshire) in April 2013 in a pub at the Pill end of Commercial Street

Poetry for a friend

Scottish

I am a Scot from the city of hills
That Burgh nestling amongst deep crevices
My anthem consists of the blowing wind
As my tartan flutters to form its liege
My Scotland is not just about the brave
It's also a place of art and culture

Popular plays draw the crowds and fill tills
With Cathedrals of song for services
And religion I shall never rescind
My strong castle you can but try to siege
For I am a true Scot and not a slave
With identity that shall never rupture

Roger Bennett, 2013
All rights reserved

This poem was written with a Scottish friend and actor in mind. The 'city of hills' refers to his hometown Edinburgh. The 'blowing wind' is of course the bagpipes. The reference to religion is deliberately neutral to cater for a diverse society and the many denominations that now exist beyond the main two. The line 'my strong castle' has nothing to do about structures, but instead refers to strength of character. This theme continues with the last two lines. The poem was written with five feet per line and two stanzas each consisting of six lines. The rhyming sequence ABCDEF applies to each of the stanzas rather than the lines within. The first four lines were written in March and the remainder of the poem completed in April. The gap between the two writing sessions occurred because I wanted to write a poem called 'O Benrhyncoch' about Matthew Wilson MC and another about James Ashworth VC, along with completing some artwork, and spending time with our grandchildren.

Danny Nightingale

You can see from my last few posts that I hold our military in the highest regard. Brave young men and women who choose to serve Queen and Country. Check out the following link if you wish to support Sgt Danny Nightingale who has served his country well and has helped to preserve freedom for others. Having done his duty to the highest standard; Sgt Nightingale now faces financial hardship defending his freedom from the unnecessary and continual legal actions against him.

http://www.bigbrotherwatch.org.uk/

Simply copy and paste the link into your server, or do a web search for "big brother watch"

More Poppy Fiels

My original sketches and ideas have now been outlined onto the watercolour paper ready for painting and this photograph shows the pencil construction lines. I opted for 7mm line spacing and large text for the poem as after all the words are the main part of the imagery. The intention is to paint the background and detailing and then paint in the poem rather than use an ink pen. I'm using A3 size 180 gsm acid free paper and Winsor Newton Artist quality water colour.

Poem and Artwork, All Rights Reserved R. Bennett, Penrhyncoch 2013

Poppy Fields

This is very much looking as if it is the image that will form the basis of my watercolour painting that I intend to complete to showcase my four stanza five feet per line poem called; 'Poppy Fields'. The poem begins with the Great War and ends by reminding the reader that each year those poppy fields will return. The idea with the image is to have the poem on the left hand side upper third of the page, possibly with the text painted rather than using an ink pen, and the stretcher party moving towards the poem but set in the lower third on the right hand side. The uniforms used are deliberately different and span over a century. These variety of uniforms are brought together to demonstrate the continuation of conflict and suffering and the need to care for those who are injured or have lost loved ones during military campaigns. We usually read books and view art from left to right. Therefore the poem is on the left as it's the main theme, and the different uniforms begin with the earliest also from left to right. The draped Union Jack can be taken either way i.e. a flag instead of a neutral coloured blanket covering the injured, or a flag draped over the body of a fallen comrade. The imagery supports the poem rather than dictating how the words are to be interpreted.

A Society

The Kenneth Burns work mentions the KKK. It's sad to note that the Ku Klux Klan was founded in the Confederacy in December 1865; although sources differ on it being the brainchild of six college students or six Confederate veterans. Or maybe they were students who fought for the Confederacy? Whoever were the founding fathers, it is disappointing to note that from the death throes of the Civil War came such a society. I never understood how the White Supremacists gained such a foothold in the States, but having watched the programme and learnt about the Civil War, it all starts to make sense. From Abraham Lincoln, through Nathan Bedford Forrest and onto to Jane Elliott. Civil liberties, enslavement, and racial segregation have been a hundred year plus struggle for the Union, and it has taken many strong characters to try to set the record straight each time parts of society ventures from the straight and narrow. I suspect that it is a struggle that will in many ways last another hundred years or more. Green eyed, blue eyed, brown eyed. The colour shouldn't matter, the simple fact is; they are all now Americans.

The Civil War

I'm watching the Kenneth Lauren Burns 1989 epic; 'The Civil War' narrated by David McCullough . Having watched seven episodes so far, I can safely conclude that if you don't know that much about the United States of America, then this documentary is a great place to start. I now know why there is a Thanksgiving and why it's on the date that it is. I know why the national cemetery is where it is. And i know a bit more about our cousins from across The Pond. It's all moving stuff, made more moving by the haunting soundtrack. Miss it at your peril as it inform, as to why the United States is what it is.

Jane Elliott

Social Media websites can be full of crap. There certainly seems to be an increase in spamming and re-posting of pointless statements and images. You know the kind of thing; "click 'like' if you can see the word"or "how many faces can you see?" And so on and of forth.

Indeed, much if not most of the re-posting is pretty pointless. I can handle pointless and stupid, but I can't help reacting to the gravely offensive. The one that I picked up on today emanated from across The Pond. It's geographical origins is relevant to this Blog post as the study that disproves the theory also originated from the United States. Cast your mind back to 1968 and the assassination of Dr Martin Luther King Jr. Following the murder of Dr king Jr; Ms. Jane Elliott a teacher in all white and all Christian school located in Riceville, Iowa; taught her charges about discrimination using nothing more than eye colour and a reliance on the inherent bigotry and separation views of people and groups.

The lessons which the astute Ms. Elliott recorded for prosperity were an attempt to help the children understand the irrelevance of superficial racial differences and thereby assist the children to understand the then swelling equal rights movement. The thrust of the lessons was to suggest that people with certain eye colours are different from people with other eye colours. Of course we know that is untrue, but how else do you differentiate in an all Christian and all white group when trying to show differences that simply aren't there? It is easy to recognise the kind of suggestions that could be made to the children. It could be suggested that people with blue eyes are unreliable and arrive late. This could be supported by reference to someone who has blue eyes and meets the stated criteria, thereafter all blue eyed children in the class are tarnished by the same statement. You could say something about green eyed people and then suggest that they need to eat less food, thereafter depriving them of a certain treat. Or, keep the brown eyed children in-doors during playtime. The sad part being that any statement can be turned on its head, and whichever way the wind blows, the children as a group follow. Now this isn't a scientific nor detailed explanation of something which a lovely lady has spent her life studying, understanding, and teaching. But it should be enough data for you to understand the thrust of the subject.

So when someone re-posts a "blue eyed people are lovely" statement on a social media website, you can now understand why the hairs on the back of my neck stood up. No they are not, blue eyed people simply have blue eyes. Some are lovely, and some are little horrors. Others are both lovely and have moments of trouble. Some are hateful and some are caring. You see folks; we are all blue eyed, green eyed, brown eyed, whatever colour eyed people, and all of those colours don't bring about any distinction or differences whatsoever. If you don't believe me, then pop across The Pond and ask Ms. Elliott.