Protest Poems

The Ocean

Are we indifferent to the fate of the sea?
By what we do and what we allow to be.
With sewage sludge PCB and DDT

Nuclear waste and plastic debris.
The consequence of trashing the sea

Are horrendous and fatal to you and me.
With factory farming by acoustic device
Shoals of fish are collected in a trice
Along with turtles and dolphins as sacrifice
The rewards and profits of avarice.
We over fish and ocean dump.
No more will we watch the dolphin jump.
And the humpback whale’s tail go thump
After the massive tankers with excess sump
Poisons these creatures with this foul clump.
Still we hunt and fish to overkill
We trash the beaches uncaring until
The ocean becomes a sewer fill
And the creatures in the seas we will kill
Who cleans it up, who pays the bill.
Who cares that is the bitter pill.

<©> Valerie Cook 1998

The Future

The future is uncertain with all that has passed.
Our environment is changing the die is cast.
Our lives are in flux.
Bombing our cities, terror tactics sucks.
Life continues in spite of what transpires,
With some politicians who are fools and liars.
Traffic is in gridlock most of the day,
Our beaches are toxic or so they say.
Rivers and streams susceptible and laced
With poison from industrial waste.
Industry adds to our worry and woe
Using chemicals that damage, we reap what they sow.
Our children have asthma and allergy traits,
Though old folk live longer like creaking gates.
Preservatives in food increase shelf time,
But the taste is gone and the packaging a crime.
The pollution from waste products are dragging us down
Plastic and chemicals are drowning our town.
The land fills are an eyesore and the smell is so bad.
Polluting our planet makes me so mad.
We have grey bins and green bins and boxes for tins
Recycling our rubbish has us on pins.
Our air is offensive for many weeks.
If left for to long it festers and reeks,
World wide it’s a problem and much needs to be done
Before we kill everyone under the sun.
Cut down on travel especially the plane.
Sharing a car journey is very sane.
Recycle as much as you possibly can,
Be aware of the dangers in a spray can.
We have earthquakes, floods and disasters world wide,
Communities shattered and millions have died.
The health of the world is placed in our hands.
The message should go out to other lands.
The world today has much to consider,
Do we sell ourselves to the highest bidder
Look after our planet it’s the only one we`ve got.
Global warming will change our planet a lot.

<©>Valerie Cook August 2005


Terrorists

Terrorists and bombers rule our land.
This nation built on shifting sand.
Their hidden presence is an aggravation,
With attacks on innocents an abomination.
Cities and towns are under threat,
From terrorists without regret.
Spreading their fear, through out our land.
Its all become out of hand
A profane call for revenge and hate,
From people of other religious fate.
This loss of life is such a waste,
A peaceful solution must be faced.
Segregation, subordination all just lead to infuriation.
People will not submit to subjugation.
The guns, the bombs, the violence ended
The various factions all befriended.
Peace for all we must unite.
And stop this constant fight.
No more argument about what or whether,
Forgive: forget; and come together.

<©>Valerie Cook 1998

War

Why do nations wage war on nations.
When the world is so small, we are all relations.
Brother Sister Husband Wives
Everyone is living in each others lives.
We see face to face fighting in city streets,
While politicians discuss it from their parliamentary seats.
Homes demolished and people in flight,
Carrying all they can throughout the night.
Almost daily we hear of insane
Evil perpetrators, of misery and pain.
Yellow Black White or Brown passing the blame.
But mingle our blood the colours the same.
We will all count the waste of mankind
For years to come; from land that is mined.
Africa Rumania Kosova and Pakistan
Ethnic cleansing, since time began.
Man was killing his fellow man.
People fled
Many dead
Those who stayed
Knelt and prayed
Children cried
As their Mothers died
Savaged
Ravaged:
When will it end
And when it does, will we ever mend.

<©> Valerie Cook 1999

The Thin Wedge

Life was mapped out for many women

From the day they where born.

Their future decades ago

Was marriage and children.

They didn’t have choice.

It was what they did .

Dependant on Men,

Unpaid servants, nursemaids and sexual slaves.

Subservient to their will.

Often devoid of feelings or emotion.

Education: dominated by men.

Oxford and Cambridge said no to women.

The Medical Profession the Law and the Armed Services,

Closed their doors to aspiring females.

Very few got through, it was a battle of persistence,

Dismissed as feather brained females.

Amelia Pankhurst rallied the Suffragettes,

Against the injustice of a society:

That refused the vote,

Restricted education, opportunity and choice,

To every women in the land.

It was a thin wedge.

Then the Ist World War started.

Women did men`s work.

In Factories and Foundries.

Making bullets and bombs.

Building and flying aircraft,

Driving buses and heavy lorries.

While men dug trenches and fought for freedom.

Today women have a degree of equality,

But still in the iron grip of male domination.

Still fighting their corner in many ways.

But I fear they may have gone too far,

Lost something in the process.

Stripped away, courtesy and respect

That men had towards them in the past.

Have they just become one of the boys.

Is this what they fought for;

Drinking smoking swearing fighting.

They now have different choices .

They must make sure they are the right ones.

Women`s unique ability to reproduce, nurture and guide

Their young to achieve their potential in life.

Helping them develop good social conscience

Respect for others.

And by example showing them the way.

By creating a stable and happy home life.

Supporting and encouraging each other

To viewing marriage with dignity and strength of character.

Of sharing and caring through out life.

Looking at society today

I doubt that many will view this as their role.

It is a selfish society.

Celebrity led with values that leave me cold.

Valerie Cook 2008

Armagedon

Power and avarice

Control our world.

Peace and goodwill

Towards our fellow man

Is still a hymn.

A dream for most.

War,Violence and Hate.

Deaths an indifference

If its not in our backyard.

Forget it!

The earth is shaken by turmoil.

It`s people horrified and stunned.

Acts of violence,otrocities

Happening everyday on this planet.

Even Mother Nature shows her powers.

Disaster after disaster,earth is in torment.

Earthquakes Floods Hurricanes and Fires

Ravage and destroy everything in their path.

Armagedon time and time again.

<©> Valerie Cook 1998

Kill

The Humpback Whales,

Quickly turn tails.

There`s blood on the ice,

They won`t pay the price.

Horrific scenes to see.

This carnage they flee.

Back to the open sea.

Red stains on the ice,

Sacrifice at what price.

Seals slither and slip away,

Helpless Cubs stay and play.

Clubbed to death by men of greed.

Society demands but do they need,

This brutal act that feeds their coffers.

Surely there are alternatives on offer.

The shame stays with me,

When this slaughter I see.

We must continue to fight,

For freedom`s their right.

Gods creatures aren`t lent;

They were never ment

To be hunted and killed.

But this heritage is instilled

In a world full of greed.

Yes, we have people to feed.

But as sport must they die.

To the hunt is the cry;

Fox and stag fly by

To be torn into bits,

While in fear and fits.

It`s inhuman it`s wrong

In this world they belong.

We should treasure all life

Not introduce this strife

To gods creatures on earth.

Why kill soon after birth?

To pander to fashion or fame

These beautiful creatures are slain.

This act is a disgrace.

And taints the whole human race.

<©> Valerie Cook 2000

Education

The futures uncertain for many today.

Education is free but some parents do pay,

So their children will have an advantage over others

In business and life than their sisters or brothers.

No jobs, no prospects for many it seems

After hard work at school to realise their dreams.

Higher Education requires a Government Loan,

Which is not enough to live on, the Students moan.

Once established in a career they have to pay it back.

But often they struggling to stay in the black.

Young men and women leave family and home

For adventure and freedom to far countries they roam.

Others depart for a distant place

To seek a better life, is no disgrace.
So life goes on in England today,

Some will leave but many will stay

And hope that their life will improve

To justify why they chose not to move

© ValCook 2001

Boredom

Boredom destroys understanding and calm.

Boredom in children does nothing but harm.

The long summer breaks when the weather is dull.

The TV and Video games on young minds pull.

No more playing out free in the fields all around

They must be near home, within sight and sound.

The world has become a cruel and untrustworthy place

For children, no matter what creed or race.

© Val Cook 2001

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