BETRAYAL, 1991
Late night, Moving swiftly,
Past post-war
Peacetime housing,
Worn down wooden fences,
Midnight curtains,
Tightly closed
Violence hidden,
like urban wildlife.
I halt. The arc of an ambush
Gathers around me.
A shock that
Restores sobriety
Familiar chants
And repeated taunts,
Then a butt to the head,
Then a thwack to the balls
And then, it was you
Your street light debut,
That stubborn scythe
Of your kitchen knife,
Swished and scarred.
Tore through my clothes
An intent to harm,
But I survived.
Was this some
savage ceremony?
Your way to atone
For once knowing me?
Later on, I'd hear
Of your meetings in town,
Of deals struck up
To help take me down.
In barrooms,
You were hypnotized
By promises of purity
And renewed pride.
When asked, what hurt more?
Being betrayed?
Or by the beatings?
Or by your blunted blade?
What hurts is that
You're still out there
Greeting those
Who cannot share,
Or conform to your vision.
Those hunted,
Seeking refuge,
Running scared.
By Jay Lewis
Something you should know:
Jason Lewis is a Birmingham based music, movie and arts obsessive. Jason's encyclopedic knowledge of 80s/90s Arts films is a debt to his embedded status in the Triangle Arts Centre frontlines back then. When Jason's not watching what other people are watching, and not listening to whatever other people are listening to he's taking the time out to tell people about it on his facebook page which is well worth checking out.
Joy to Enjoy today:
12.01am: Ancient Champion - Under Pressure »»
1am: Ade Crossen - Thoughtful Choice »»
2am: Jackie Stein - The Battle of Social Media »»
3am: Dave Pitt - Spiderman Brendan »»
4am: Jimmy Andrex - Festival of Brexit »»
5am: Brendan Hawthorne - We Are Here »»
6am: Ahmed Magare - We Cannot Walk Alone »»
7am: Emma Purshouse - Mermaid on the Number 3 »»
8am: Rue Collinge - That Year »»
9am: Deborah Alma - Mother of Pearl »»
10am: Steve Pottinger - Fatima »»
11am: Jay Lewis - Betrayal 1991 »»
12pm: Hollie McNish - Honestly »»
1pm: Emma Purshouse - Five Minutes on a Midland Train »»
2pm: Rebecca Stanhope - Take Your Hands Off Me »»
3pm: Michael Pederson - Here in a Glasgow Tenement - Not Asleep, Not Awake Either »»
4pm: Glyn Phillips - Doorways »»
5pm: PixieVic - Curious Choices »»
6pm Christian Present - Poeme »»
7pm John Robinson - My Reply To You »»
8pm David Benjamin Blower - 47 »»
9pm Emma Purshouse - Feeling Low? »»
10pm Steve Pottinger - Jam today: Mrs Veronica Blake’s manifesto for a brighter future »»
11pm Jay Lewis - The Starling 1976 »»
