BECOMING A MAN

I OFTEN WALK ALONE AT NIGHT
I THINK OF WHAT IS WRONG
OR WHAT IS RIGHT
SOME TIMES MY MIND JUST GOES ASTRAY
I START TO THINK OF PLACES FAR AWAY

I DON'T WANT TO BE FREE
ALL IWANT IS YOU TO BE CLOSE TO ME
I SIT AND PRAY AND HOPE FOR IT TO BE
OH PLEASE MY SON COME HOME TO ME

I LOOK TOWARDS THE SKY
AND START TO WONDER WHY
GOD MADE ME PART OF THIS HUMAN RACE
AND TOWARDS HIM I TURN AND FACE
SIR I AM NOT WORTHY
TO SAY YOUR GRACE

I THINK OF WHAT IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN
I THINK OF ALL I HAVE SEEN
MAYBE I WILL MAYBE I CAN
MAYBE IT’S TIME FOR ME
TO GROW UP AND BE THAT MAN

OH, RAY WHAT HAPPENED TO YOUR HEED
DID YOU DONATE YOUR HAIR TO SOMEONE IN NEED
DID IT FALL OUT THROUGH STRESS AND STRAIN
OR WAS IT THE BARBER  TELL US WHITS HIS NAME

YOU’RE HEED IT SHINES LIKE SOMETHING NEW
DO YOU POLISH IT IN THE MORNING
OR IS EVERY DAY OR TWO
DID YOUR WIFE RUN HER FINGERS
THROUGH YOUR HAIR
OR DID IT ALL FALL OUT DUE TO DISPARE

HAVE YOU THOUGHT OF HAVING SOME WIGS
IF YOU CAN’T AFFORD TO
LIAM CAN MAKE WIGS OUT OF OLD TWIGS
DON’T HIDE YOUR HEED AWAY WITH SHAME
IT’S NOT YOU FAULT YOU’RE NOT TO BLAME

EXPOSE THIS HEED FOR ONCE AND FOR ALL
ITS NOT TO BIG IT’S MAYBE A WEE BIT SMALL
COME ON SHOW US YOUR HEED
IT’S A GOOD LAUGH THAT WE ALL NEED

RABBIE WROTE ABOUT PLACES AND LASSIES
I WILL WRITE ABOUT THE HEED THAT SURPASSES
PEOPLE COME FORM ALL OVER TO FIND
THAT HEED THAT LOOKS LIKE BIG ARES
THAT WAS LEFT BEHIND
WE NEED  THE HEED
POEM BY ANDREW BENNIE

Now that I am homeless
And nowhere to go, what will happen to me
I will be left at the side of the road for all to see
People will pass us by
My heart will be broken as I watch MY partner cry

All because I wanted to get the road mended
It seems that the lady witch she was offended
She said that we had to go
Because we were putting on a radio show

Should we keep quiet and say nothing at all
Or should we go ahead and have a ball
Tell everyone what she is doing
Driving people to wreck and ruin

Someday she will get her turn
And I can tell you I will be there
To watch the fun
If I find a place as fast as I can
Watch out you ***** for I am your man

Everyone in the area will know
Just how bad your tongue can flow
How many more people will be told they have to go?
Try looking around and you will see
Why your site is empty, and people leave
hahahahahahahahaha

AS I SIT HERE WITH NOTHING TO SAY
PEOPLE WALKING PAST
TO THEM IT IS JUST ANOTHER DAY
PlACING MY PAPER CUP SO YOU ALL CAN SEE
IF I HEAR IT RATTLE I WILL LOOK UP AND SMILE
I CAN ONLY SAY PLEASE

WHAT DO THESE PEOPLE THINK WHEN THEY LOOK AT ME
WHAT’S IN THERE HEART HOW DO THEY FEEL
FOR IN THEIR EYES THEY CAN’T BEGIN TO SEE
I AM A HUMAN WITH NOTHING LEFT BUT FEELINGS
MY HEART JUST LIKE YOURS IT CAN BE BROKEN
I FEEL COLD AND IN TERRIBLE PAIN
IF YOU STOP AND ASK ME, I WILL TELL YOU MY NAME

I DON'T WANT TO BE HERE COLD AND POOR
I WOULD LIKE TO BE LIKE YOU HEALTHY HAPPY AND SECURE
YOU SAY GET A JOB BUT WHO WOULD EMPLOY ME
TAKE A LOOK I AM ***** SMELLY AND HAVE NO HOME
AT NIGHT TO KEEP WARM I HAVE TO ROAM

WHY IN YOUR EYES DO I SEE SUCH HATE
I DID NOTHING TO YOU THIS TO ME IS FATE
SOME DAY I WILL GET BACK ON MY FEET
I WILL COME HERE ESPECIALLY FOR YOU ALLTO MEET
I WILL THEN ASK YOU WHY YOU HATED ME SO
AND I WILL TAKE FROM MY POCKET SOME MONEY
AND IN THE POOR MANS CUP I WILL THROW

NEVER JUDGE A BOOK BY ITS COVER
LOOK IN SIDE AND SEE WHAT YOU CAN SEE
THERE ARE JUDGES LAWYERS MILLIONAIRES
THERE ARE MANY MORE WHO HAVE FALLEN FROM GRACE
SO THE NEXT TIME YOU SEE ME SITTING HERE WITH MY CUP
REMEMBER I AM HERE BECAUSE I FELL OUT OF LUCK
GOD MUST HAVE SOMETHING FOR ME TO LEARN
AND THROUGH THIS MISERY IS THE WAY I MUST EARN

POEM BY ANDREW BENNIE

As I leave for war

Waving goodbye to my family and my dear wife
No knowing what is going to happen to my life
We were all marched to this muddy trench
Where the dead and dying lay causing this terrible stench

My feet were so sore they felt like blokes of ice
It felt as if my legs didn’t move this feeling is not nice
I just want to go home
I don’t want to pay the price

You are told to shoot to ****
And this takes on a professional skill
As soon as you see the someone’s head
Don’t hesitate shoot to **** making sure he is dead

Why are we killing our fellow man?
We should stop this the best way we can
We must all stop this take a look at this *******
Let’s make it better for our fellow man
And for those poor souls that fell

Why is it that man will never learn that war must stop?
Let’s make peace let’s give peace all we have got
I am an ordinary man I don’t want to **** or main
It was my government that gave me my gun
When they called out my name
I was told to **** the enemy
But can anyone tell me who the enemy is

The enemy breaths walk and talks just like me
I know for when we marched by, I heard his plea
Forgive me God for what I have done
We were told we had to **** and never to run
I can tell you God this is no fun
Oh, please God make this terrible war go away

Women and children are dying needlessly and for what
To prove to ** or do these people at the head forgot
This world will never be the same
We all just want to live our life again

With happiness, laughter, and friendship
Please God lets walk free without any shame
Forgive us for what we have done
And please remember
On this the 11hour of the 11day of November
Remember then

Poem by Andrew Bennie

God has taken you away
We are all heartbroken,
For all we ever wanted was for you to stay
We remember you with a heart full of love
You were a wonderful, beautiful person
Your inspiration and personality shone well above

Your hearty laughter, it always rang out
You loved and cared for everyone, without a doubt
Shaun, he was your pride and joy
When he met Natalie, he became a man
But he still was your wee boy
The grand kids they filled your days with love and pride
You always loved having them close by your side

Although you are gone, you will always be near
Memories of you will always be in our hearts and so clear
Then Margaret there is your loving big man
For Derek he treasured you and has done all he can
Derek loved you with his heart and soul
He cared for you devotedly as he played his role

But alas my dearest Margaret you are gone
And there is nothing we can do
For God he has seen the wonders and beauty within you
He has taken you up to his home in the sky
And to this day we all wonder why

Our eyes and hearts are filling with sadness and tears
For this was one of our greatest fears
Rest in peace your battle you have won
You faced it with dignity and strength
And in good times with laughter and fun
Goodbye dear sweet Margaret, till we meet again
Thank you for being an amazing and a wonderful friend

Dear mother as I lie here with death all around
People lying face buried in the ground
I try hard to think of places back home
And of people I knew and places we would roam

I think of my friends when we sat and talked
And it was by the river
Where my darling and I we kissed and walked
Please tell me what I am doing here
Does God want me to ****? Must I carry on?
Please mother can you make it stop
Or has it got to go on and on

Can no one see the harm they are doing?
The husband, mothers, sons, and uncles
Their lives are in ruins
These men will never ever be the same
Is there no one out there can feel the shame
They are weary, tired, and drained
As they walk like zombies
Through the bodies,blood,muck,and rain

The explosions stop you lay back and draw a sight
It’s time to clean up this terrible mess
And listen to grown men cry
It’s the cry for help to ease their suffering and pain
For men whose bodies will never ever look the same

Then there is the wagon that collects the dead
There’s no time for feelings
Just throw them on
By legs or head
As it moves to the end of the trench
Its wheels getting rutted in the dirt
What a smell as the blood oozes out
Through the holes in their shirt

The blind and maimed they are tied onto the cart
They walk with no meaning as if they had no heart
Their toes stick out of the side of their boots
Their arms just dangle like flowers with no roots

One after the other they just trudge along
There’s always one who tries hard to sing a song
What is he singing or best why?
He doesn’t know don’t stop him
For he’s better singing than starting to cry

It won’t be long before it starts all over again
Till bombs fall from the sky like pouring rain
It’s then we start to shake with fear
As bits of bodies start falling near

Oh mother how I envy you
Your nice warm house
I have always have thoughts for yon little mouse
He will be tucked up nice and warm
Waiting for the next day to dawn

Me I will lie in this muddy grave
Hoping that someday I will be saved
An angel will come and take me away
I will be taken to God’s house
Where I will stay

So my dear mothers each night as you go to bed
Spare a thought for me in your head
I will always remember when I kissed you
And said goodbye
When you think of me mother
Take a long hard look towards the sky

I will be the brightest star than can be found
As they lay my body in the ground
No more will my loud laughter ring out
For my dearest mother my burning light
Has just been blow out
I love you mother
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
LEAST YOU EVER FORGET
THE DAY WE DIED FOR YOU
God bless one and all
Poem by Andrew Bennie
On the 11th day of the 11th month

In these fields is where the red poppy grows
No seeds were used
It came from all the blood we did sow
Why else would the poppy be coloured red
The colour came from the blood of the dead

As they lay in Flanders field
With death all around
The cannon fire was the only sound
They each looked as if they were fast asleep
Lying there bodies all twisted in a heap

This lovely ground that once was green
Now oozes red with all the dead to be seen
The stretcher bearers running doing their best
Trying hard to find the living amid this mess

They are dodging the bullets that are flying around
Only stopping to collect the living crying on the ground
The day will come when we return
To pay homage to our dead
Amid the poppies on Flanders field
Flaming and burning so red
poetry by
Andrew Bennie