the peace of a Kingdom is no idle talk
deep within the depths of spirit and soul
its there the reality manifests itself
where believing is a concrete experience
and a Kingdom of love all powerful.

I sip at my beer in gentle fright
At the local community open-mike night
Never done this thing before
How it would go I wasn't too sure

My turn came soon, I think is this wise?
My casual air a thin disguise
Get close to the mike, speak slow and clear
They won't understand if they can't hear

I reel off the poems
They laugh and they clap
So in a month's time
Perhaps I'll go back...

I remember racing down the streets,
intoxicated, drunk, hammered,
and out of my mind,
chasing party after party
and skirt after skirt trying
to drown the hole you left
in me.

I remember, not so long ago,
chasing down scheme after scheme,
saying mean things,
having no consideration for
anyone's feelings,
and completely denying the
existence of my own,
trying to justify
the holes we left in
each other.

It's hard to understand —
how I'm acting,
the damage I'm causing
in these situations —
until I've come out the other
side.

And even when I do, I still hear
the dark calling me.
It lies at the bottom of this bottle,
and at the top of my
mind,
waiting its turn.

The UK General Election has run its course.
A “win” for the Conservative Tories
With most votes and seats
Though they lost their parliamentary Majority,
And can only govern
By doing a deal with the Northern Irish DUP
Who oppose the rights of gays and women
And want to bring back hanging.

Yet Labour too are celebrating a win:
Halving the gap between the Tories and themselves
And winning loads of votes and seats.
OK they finished fifty odd seats behind,
But hey!

And then the Libdems “won” four more seats.
Plus The Greens held Brighton by a merry mile.
The Scottish Nationalists still got thirty five seats,
In spite of Nicola Sturgeon calling for
Another referendum on independence.
Sinn Fein in Northern Ireland got more seats too.
And the Welsh limited their damage by Labour.

“Winners” all, except for UKIP.
That’s politics.
Until the next election.
Which might be fairly soon.

Paul Butters

Never put up with anyone
Who is always putting you down!
Your life would be a better one
Without them and their ilk around.
Let negativity begone
And positivity abound!

THE WORLD TODAY IS SHATTERED AND TORN
DEATH IS ALL AROUND US TERRORISM IS BORN
WE MUST FIGHT THIS SCOURGE UNTIL WE WIN
DEDICATION TO OUR TASK IS WHERE LIFE WILL BEGIN



THE PEOPLE AROUND US MUST BE PROTECTED
FROM THIS SLOW MOVING CREEPING DISEASE
COUNTRIES ALL BAND TOGETHER AND FIGHT THIS FOE
LIKE A COOL CALM AND RELENTLESS BREEZE



SWEEPING ACROSS DESERTS AND OUR FALLEN CITIES
BRINGING WITH THEM A UNITED AND STRONG VOICE
WE MUST DESTROY THE DEMON WE KNOW AS TERROR
FOR MANKIND'S FUTURE THERE IS NO CHOICE