Poem: Poverty and Protest

Poverty and protest go hand and hand

Fighting for a better land

Working class people taking a stand

Against the injustices

Since time began

Porteous Riots at Edinburgh’s gates

This unjust man knew his fate

When he shot these people down

The riots started throughout the town

Look through history you will find

Protests were on people’s minds

The right to have their voices heard

Was what these people so deserved

Throughout the ages we can see

The right to speak was not to be

So the protest did begin to start

To demonstrate came from the heart

Of people who were tired and weary

Of poverty oppression and desperation

So they gathered to mount a demonstration

This was done in many ways through songs and plays

People gathered information through thinkers of their generations

Playwriters Poets Artists Trade Unionists Socialist all

Gathered together to hear the call

Of people who were so unhappy starving homeless

Made them fight which leaders called unrest

Polictians make promises for votes

Once elected they are all forgot

Activists present charters with good intentions

City fathers leading them on

Promises broken What has gone wrong ?

Trade Unions now have no say

Thatcher took all their rights away

She crushed communities even took our childrens milk

Riots on street this women caused

With her unjust brutal laws

Poll tax she tried to impose the Scottish nation angerley rose

To fight the cuts we brought her down

No longer for her to rule with an iron hand

She killed our nation throughout the land

Future governments once elected

Did not repeal the Acts she created

Broken promises once again

When will this torture end ?

Now there will be a referendum for independance

Political parties running scared incase Scotland vote YES

They tell us we are “BETTER TOGETHER ” people know what is best

Scottish people will decide no more Broken promises Unjust cuts

Welfare reforms Prices rising .

No jobs to see beyond the horizon

For our youths there is no future

People shivering in the winter

For many it is heat or eat

Poverty rising at an alarming rate

Homeless people have no hope

This present government is a joke

“BETTER TOGETHER ” ? Better for who ?

Polititians not me or you

Now they are trying to gather the masses

For what ? I believe to save their own asses

Scotland should show the way

Vote differently have your say

Remember all the broken promises

Remember all this on referendum day.

Anna Hutchison (by email)