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Benjamin Zephaniah

Benjamin Zephaniah

Neighbours

I am the type you are supposed to fear
Black and foreign
Big and dreadlocks
An uneducated grass eater.
 
I talk in tongues
I chant at night
I appear anywhere,
I sleep with lions
And when the moon gets me
I am a Wailer.
 
I am moving in
Next door to you
So you can get to know me,
You will see my shadow
In the bathroom window,
My aromas will occupy
Your space,
Our ball will be in your court.
How will you feel?
 
You should feel good
You have been chosen.
 
I am the type you are supposed to love
Dark and mysterious
Tall and natural
Thinking, tea total.
I talk in schools
I sing on TV
I am in the papers,
I keep cool cats
 
And when the sun is shining
I go Carnival.

#English

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Dis poetry

Dis poetry is like a riddim dat dr… De tongue fires a riddim dat shoot… Dis poetry is designed fe rantin Dance hall style, big mouth chanti… Dis poetry nar put yu to sleep
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Everybody Is Doing It

In Hawaii they Hula They Tango in Argentina They Reggae in Jamaica And they Rumba down in Cuba, In Trinidad and Tobago
The Dancers V, by David Hockney
We Refugees

I come from a musical place Where they shoot me for my song And my brother has been tortured By my brother in my land. I come from a beautiful place
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What Stephen Lawrence Has Taught Us

We know who the killers are, We have watched them strut before… As proud as sick Mussolinis’, We have watched them strut before… Compassionless and arrogant,
The Death of Joy Gardner

They put a leather belt around her 13 feet of tape and bound her Handcuffs to secure her And only God knows what else, She’s illegal, so deport her
Fair Play

Mirror mirror on the wall Could you please return our ball Our football went through your cra… You have two now Give one back.
Ride

We first met on a golden night As the moon radiated love light On the dock of the bay. Somewhere between the real deal an… We lay unapologetically
Bought and Sold

Smart big awards and prize money Is killing off black poetry It’s not censors or dictators that… The lure of meeting royalty And touching high society
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Vegan Steven

There was a young vegan Called Steven, Who just would not kill for no rea… This kid would not eat No cheese or no meat
Rong Radio

My ears are battered and burned an… i have just learned that i have be… listening to the wrong radio stati… My mind has been brutalised now th… I’ve been listening to the wrong r…
The British

Take some Picts, Celts and Silur… And let them settle, Then overrun them with Roman conq… Remove the Romans after approxima… Add lots of Norman French to some
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Wot a Pair

I waz walking down Wyefront stree… When me trousers ran away, I waz feeling incomplete But still me trousers would not st… When I found where they had gone
Touch

When I see you I know life was ma… When I see you I don’t wanna die When I don’t see you, I sleep and… It’s the truth I am telling you,… Sometime I think I cant survive w…
Who's Who

I used to think nurses Were women, I used to think police Were men, I used to think poets
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White Comedy

I waz whitemailed By a white witch, Wid white magic An white lies, Branded by a white sheep



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