Poetry and the SSP

by Alan Gay It is astonishing how most of us accept the suffering caused by the huge economic divisions in our society—£6.50 an hour and zero hours contracts existing alongside bankers’ pay; you could list the inequalities in nearly every walk of life. Yet we accept this as normal and tend not see that there is an alternative. Capitalism is only one way of organising society. There is another, fairer way. I became an activist to help bring about change leading towards socialism. I use poetry as a way of saying things that cannot easily be said in any another way. Poetry is my way of revealing what is hidden in the underbelly of capitalism. It might help get members on to the streets.

                     TOADS

Toads are those who own mansions
with swimming pools.

The rest of us rent flats.
All we own is the power in our backs
which we sell to the Toads
to build more mansions.

To the Toads, we are a pot
from which froth is creamed off
to pay more of us
to build even more mansions.

They never let us prosper
otherwise we would build
mansions for ourselves
and not work for them.

They hide behind smiles
telling us they are forced
to pay £6.50 an hour
so that they can compete
against other Toads
                  -the lying toads!

Toads smile a lot
because they swim in prosperity
forcing us to work for them.

We carry banners saying
GIVE US £10 AN HOUR
‘Our work put you in mansions in the first place.
We own the froth you creamed off.
Hand it back.’

The Toads smile, then waddle-off to their mansions
and beside their swimming pools, squat.