Tag: poem

Save The Whale – 28th April 1984

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ Leave a comment

Save the whale in the sea of blood
Save the whale in the sea of blood
A new handbag, a new rubber
Stop the murderers good and proper
Save the whale in the sea of blood
Save the whale in the sea of blood

2nd June 2023 – By 1984 I had already been vegetarian for two years and inspired by lyrics and information from Crass, Flux of Pink Indians, Subhumans etc I dove into animal rights. One of the first places I would go to in Poole on Saturdays was a stall just outside the mall that always had stacks of provocative information. The things I saw there made me mad.
I don’t know how much of an impact the pro-animal rights movement has had in current times but I am still anti-testing on animals for anything cosmetic. Surely by now, we don’t need to test further for things like shampoo. When it comes to cures for life-threatening diseases and viruses though I am in reluctant support.
I started eating fish and some seafood again in 1998 though not all that often back then and I have been a pescatarian since – 41 years in total so far.
In the 80s it was still seen as radical to be vegetarian and I could list off plenty of reasons to become one, especially as I was asked why anytime it came up. It made me mad that I would have to justify it. These days not many people are surprised at anyone being vegetarian and if anyone does ask me why I just say ‘all the reasons.’
The phrase Save The Whale was a popular slogan inspired by the Japanese slaughter of whales for ‘science’ as they liked people to believe but when I hear the term now all I can think about is the titular Cheech and Chong song, “Save the whale, yeah save the whale, ooooo save the whale, but kill the seals!” Damn, I haven’t seen a Cheech and Chong movie in a long time!

Graveyard Booze Up – 17th April 1984

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ 2 Comments

Digging up bodies, taking back cider
Kicking over crosses, I lay down beside her
Graveyard, graveyard booze up

We tanked her up and she came down
We went to the graveyard instead of around town
Graveyard, graveyard booze up

The skeletons started dancing cos we had too much beer
So we danced with them and forgot about our fear
Graveyard, graveyard booze up

30th May 2023 – If we got to Bournemouth during the afternoon we would grab some lagers and cider and sit around the graveyard next to the car park where Capones was on the top floor. There were often other punks around getting drunk and being generally reckless. It was quiet and secluded so no one really bothered you there. You can see from the picture there was a lot of tree cover and the paths through were really only for folks wishing to attend graves, which didn’t seem to happen very often.
Mary Shelley is buried in this graveyard – something which I just learned this minute! I wouldn’t have known who she was in 1984.
30th Oct 2024 – Shared with Word of the Day Challenge – graveyard

*The Week That Was – 16th April 1984

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ Leave a comment

Record of the week: Ian Dury – Sweet Gene Vincent, The Mob – Let The Tribe Increase LP, Self Abuse – Soldier, Sex Gang Children – Mauritia Mayer

16th April 1984
Couldn’t get to sleep. Only about 3 hours. Mum had a laugh at us sleeping together, stayed in bed with Zoe most of the day. We went to Wimborne and both spent her money. Met Jim who was looking for Bernice. Came back on bus. Zoe didn’t feel too well. Got back into bed. Jim came round. Took some photos. Sat and talked. Me and Zoe got up to things while Jim was singing the Jam. Still couldn’t get to sleep. Eventually did.

17th April 1984
Got 7 hours sleep. Mum came up to wake us up. Huh. Got up. Burd came round. Did some songs with drums. Rupe came along. Took some photos. Jim went. Came back in. Did this and that. Jim came back. Muz came round. Me and Zoe went into other bedroom. Them lot came in doing moonies. Zoe weren’t feeling too well again. Went down the rubbish dump – ‘ad a laugh. All sorts happened – some too rude to mention. Put on DOA.

18th April 1984
Got 4 hours sleep. Woke up Rupe. Watched breakfast TV. Woke Jim and Burd up who slept in the other room. Went out, took some photos. Took Zoe down to Bournemouth. She got on bus. Went back to Wimborne. Met Jim, Burd and Rupe. Jim went on. We went to Dan’s. Bernice ill. Met Jim again. Went to Dan’s. Went round Wimborne. Met this girl who fancied Roo. Hung a tampon on a tree. Pissed around (?) Rupert to this girl. Came back on bus. Really missing Zoe. Still got a buzz from the last couple of days. Had a chat to Zoe on the phone – both unhappy.

19th April 1984
Woke up 11. Played Zoe’s favourite records. Had an apple. Can’t stop thinking about Zoe. Took dog (for a walk). Did some art for my exam. Drew Zoe. Wrote a decent poem. Waiting for Zoe to ring at 6. 6.30 – she hadn’t rung so I rang her. She wasn’t there. Went out to play drums. Zoe rang. We talked for about 50 minutes. I was glad to hear her voice. Went to Burd’s. Roo was there. Went down bus shelter. Talked about the party. Rung Roo’s girl up – had a laugh. Came home. Played Mauritia Mayer and Christian Death.

20th April 1984
Woke up. Gave my mum card and presents. Read book. Ate food. Went to Houldey’s. They gave me some wine. Came back. Dandy and Becky came in. Then went. Zoe rang – thank god. I’m really missing her. Talked for a while. Went to Houldey’s later again. It was Mr H’s birthday today as well. Came back, put on Christian Death with strobe and Mauritia Mayer.

21st April 1984
Got up. Fucked around. Decided to go to Poole. So went to see Pam who’s doing alright. Saw Dusty. Went down Poole. Saw Justin. Saw Lisa and her mate – went to park to drink cider. Came back. Zoe rang. Had a chat. Can’t stop thinking about her. Went to Houldey’s I think, I dunno. Came back. Watched Woody Allen – fucking good film. Can’t remember anything else.

22nd April 1984
Got up – practised drums. Ate food. Rang Zoe – had a nice chat. Had a bath – I was smelling a bit, and went to Houldey’s – took Mauritia Mayer. Went down BMX track. Met Jamie and Burty. Went back to Houldey’s. Came home. Went back – cleaned Beki’s window. Took record back. Went down BMX – had a laugh. Bought some fags. Went to Houldey’s. Came back. Watched film. Made semolina. Went to bed.

After The Exodus – 7th April 1984

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ Leave a comment

The National Front are on another march
A march for freedom in the past
‘Expel the minorities for the master race’
Worship a picture of the Fuhrer’s face

Raise your hands and shout ‘Sieg Heil’
Kick in the blacks in true fascist style
Now you’ve got the power in your hands
To expel your aliens from across our lands

So your plan goes ahead and all is done
No more odd cultures to spoil your fun
When then will you persecute?
Who’s next in line for you to shoot?

The master race is supposed to be happy and free
But something’s wrong and you begin to see
That your plan was not such a good idea
The people are restless cos their view is clear

Unemployment has fallen and all looks well
But vacancies have risen and there’s nothing to sell
Who’ll do your shitwork now the labour’s gone?
It’s only after the exodus you’ll find that you’re wrong

24th Jul 2024 – Although not particularly eloquent I’m impressed that the 16-year-old me from 40 years ago understood much of the hypocrisy of blaming others for one’s own woes. It is still the same old tired rhetoric. I saw it in the UK at the time, even worse in Australia in the 2000s and once again here in Thailand where the locals bemoan Burmese and Laos workers taking jobs away from locals. The ‘shitwork’ that the locals are not prepared to do for the same money.

Mice And Men – 21st March 1984

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ Leave a comment

They’re winding up the world that’s got too old
Flowers destroyed and no earth to hold
No precious life for us to grasp
Only contaminated air to gasp

Historic monuments will all crumble down
Finally destroyed the government and crown
All the class barriers finally broke
Lying now on the grass to choke

The power struggle has finally closed
To my waiting death, I slowly dozed
The fright has ended, the shock has gone
Now I’m asking you – who has won?

Wasted Reality – 7th March 1984

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ Leave a comment

Where are we today? Where do we stand?
We see the misery destroying this sweet land
What words can describe the endless flow of tears?
Who has got the brains to think up new ideas?

When is the end? It’s been in sight for too long
Who will be left when the dead are gone?
Such questions shouldn’t need to be made
But they’re never answered, we’re always betrayed

Death is the easy way out if you’re so depressed
But we must stick together and rise to be the best
Cos we can beat the decay if we try hard enough
You don’t have to be hard, you don’t have to be tough

Starving third-world, dirty tramps, moneyless youths
Unemployed middle-aged, racist hooligans, fighting idiots
Angry rioters, unfair treatment, crooked politicians
Dealers in death, mentally insane, criminal faction
IRA’s destruction, terrorist element, stupid apartheid
Black v white, prostitutes in the life, anti-gay demonstrations
Cancer-ridden pensioners, retired widows, sickness of Vietnam
Now Afghanistan, lying friends, evil religions that teach you to hate
This is reality.

Techno-Master – 23rd February 1984

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ Leave a comment

They travel in little white boxes
Machine-made machines in metal dances
Steel meets steel on foreign rocks
Crashing waves in circle trances

Kiss me to be clever
My heartaches mercury
Shiny lips of steel
From this century

Eating glass in broken shards
Hosting of metal Mardi Gras
Toast to our past as our century bleeds
We are the masters of a forgotten creed

Kiss me quick before I twist
It was a chance that we missed
Miss me now as I break
Technology was our mistake

A Piece Of Paper – 15th February 1984

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ Leave a comment

All the songs on a piece of paper
Writing about my extravagant caper
And of my hate for this system
School, army, law – I’m no Christian

29th May 2023 – A succinct list of hated things. Or was I already aware that everything I was listening to and writing myself was about the same things over and over? I don’t think I was that self-aware yet. I do remember my mum asking me to stop listening to such angry and depressing music but my contradictory self denied that it made me feel depressed. She may have been right but I felt it was important at the time to be learning about things worked out there in the real world, which I was still very far away from.