[poem:] Ray Hearne: Going for Growth

Under a high heel of virtual concrete and steel
overshadowing all I can see
puthers of unsubtle dust rim the wheels
of the vehicles rolling interminably
going for growth mother, going for growth
mother, you and me both know that going for growth
isn’t everything money men swear it to be
in the sight of the shanty-town citizenry

Motorway, freeway, expressway or carriageway
making away with what’s left of the day
junk-sellers, bank-tellers, umbrella-fellers
hair-gellers with little or nothing to say
save ‘going for growth,’ mother, ‘going for growth’
mother, you and me both know your ‘going for growth’
isn’t half the carved up cake it’s cracked up to be
when it comes to the shanty-town citizenry

Barrio, rookery, slum and favela
the sons and the daughters of too many lies
kissing the cheeks of their own little children
are seeing the same look in each other’s eyes
‘going for growth’ mother, ‘going for growth’
mother, you and me both know your ‘going for growth’
isn’t even a slow road to where we should be
in the eyes of the shanty-town citizenry

Licking the long lips of valleys, young rivers
are tonguing the notes of a new poetry
clinging to zephyrs and mangos and tamarinds
hum-along melodies are ribboning free
going for growth mother, going for growth
mother, you and me both know that going for growth
’s never more than slogan for day-glow TV
or a joke to the shanty-town citizenry

going for growth mother, going for growth
there’s a whole other show now for you and me both
in the voices like millions of tributaries
singing out for the shanty-town citizenry

it’s the song of the voiceless, between you and me,
to the tune of the shanty-town citizenry

(Feb – April 08)