DAN, Disabled Artists' Network CIC

WIPE Exhibition 17

Anger

Anger burning deep inside,
Smouldering, not trying to hide.
Yearning to find a way,
To get outside and make your day.
I'm holding on so very tight,
Trying not to let it out of sight.
It ignites my very soul,
Illuminates my essence, whole.
It's seeping out, it feels you near,
You're going to get it, now you're here.
This is on you, there is no other,
They need a father not just a mother.
I'm going to let my anger loose on you,
Who knows what it will decide to do.

©Copyright M Harley

Dance!

Dance,
Flamenco gypsy style!
Smile,
Your flamenco gypsy smile!
Turn,
And hold that proud profile!
And dance a zapateado!
Wail!
That flamenco gypsy wail!
Along,
That Andalusian trail....
Shouting, clapping, in the hot night air.....
Turn,
And let your long, Black hair
Lash me!
As you flash me that Smile.....
And dance a zapateado!

©Copyright Fields Sabelle

Everything's Different, Nothing's The Same

The nights are always there to keep,
What's bottled up and burning deep.
Sanity spills like the pouring rain,
Just another day to bandage the pain.

Shattered Faith, eats its way through,
The mind and heart, the Soul… times two.
Sad and angry, a cocktail served numb,
Although hollow inside, still alive to some.

Heart breaks silently, inhale the tears,
Frustration and madness, switching gears.
Consumed by darkness, claw your way out,
Broken fingernails and a wall of doubt.

Bruised but not broken, an old fairy tale,
A wing and a prayer, this Soul's not for sale.
Breathe in the embers, exhale the flames,
Everything's different, nothing's the same.

©Copyright Donna Smith Gary

In My Heart You'll Stay

I'll hold your dreams, when you are dreaming,
I'd catch your heart, when it is leaning,
Just say the word, whether happy or blue,
I'll rise like the sun, tune a heartstring or two.
I would take a frown, turn it upside down,
Add pure laughter, can you hear the sound.
Tickle the giggles, in a genuine way,
To see your heart smile, like a beaming sun ray.
I could dance with your Soul, for a lifetime or two,
Whisper sweet nothings, ‘til the morning dew,
Hold you with a touch, so gentle and dear
I'd do anything for you, am I making it clear.
I'll count the minutes, ‘til I see you again,
You're my other half, my soulmate, my friend,
I could finish your sentence, feel you breathe,
In my heart you'll stay, for a lifetime I believe.

©Copyright Donna Smith Gary

Life won't wait

Life won't wait,
For traffic lights,
For nightmare dreams,
In the dead of night.

Life won't wait,
For ticking clocks,
For hot water bottles,
And old bed socks.

Life won't wait,
For the young or old,
For the tune it plays,
We all sing the song.

Life won't wait,
For the fear inside,
For those shaky hands,
Holding sharpened knifes.

Life won't wait,
For our indiscretions,
For our lack of empathy,
Our own misdirections.

Life won't wait,
For us to hold its hand,
For the time trickling down,
Depicted by the sand.

©Copyright Steven Michael Pape

Millennial Slavery

You can't build a society without people,
You can't run a business without workers,
You can't build for the future without education,
You can't care for the rich, ignoring the poor.

Everything needs to be balanced,
Everything needs to be fair,
Everything needs to be accessible,
If you want our nation to prosper.

You can't create division by our colour,
You can't restrict us if we can't walk,
You can't tell us who to pray to,
You can't tell us who we should love.

Everyone needs to be open,
Everyone needs to tolerate differences,
Everyone needs to see beyond division,
If you want our nation to prosper.

You can't still see us as slaves,
You can't ignore our reasonable wants,
You can't keep robbing our collective coffers,
You can't keep breaking laws.

The workers out number the bosses,
The workers provide you with wealth,
The workers own the money you squander,
It's time for the power to come back here.

©Copyright Villayat Sunkmanitu

My Resilience

In times of fear,
And ones of chance,
No one to hear,
But resilience.

How to get through,
Standing alone,
Just trust in you,
Just get me home!

In all my pain,
And stubborn defiance,
Tears like rain,
There was resilience.

All of the friends,
They knew me not!
Yet made amends,
Fighting inner rot.

Friends and family,
They turn and run,
Though you're with me,
There's no fun!!

So don't give in,
Take the day and chance,
Start with looking within,
There's Your resilience.

So when it's bad,
Going round the bend,
Try and be glad,
Of resilience -Your friend!

©Copyright Jason Walker

Summer Evening

Listening to singing fountains,
Dreaming,
In silky tenderness,
Of summer evening.

Suddenly the heart,
Light as a feather,
Goes flying,
Whirling in the wind.

Lands heavy like a rock,
Making circles,
In melancholic,
Memories of waters.

The city is gazing,
Through the veils of twilight,
Cold and empty,
Glass eyes of windows.

Night is landing at the airport,
Of urban loneliness,
Along with scattered raindrops,
Upon concrete fields.

©Copyright Ieva Rasmussen

The quiet room

In this quiet room,
With get well cards,
The creams and pills,
In tubes and jars.

And hand-drawn cartoons,
Created by small hands,
Bright colourful pictures,
Depict the sea and sand.

There's a pale form,
Cocooned in the sheets,
Calm and so peaceful,
Entering the big sleep.

The window is open,
Such a subtle breeze,
The soul has now flown,
On its final release.

©Copyright Steven Michael Pape

Watch Out!

The beasts are sleeping,
As I slip silently into the day.
I move furtively through the minutes,
Walking on the outside of my feet,
Placing each foot with precision,
Circling away from their lair.
Gaining distance,
My confidence increases,
My stride shows purpose,
I count my footfalls as I walk away.
The orange sun glimmers,
Through deep, watery clouds.
Children laugh and chase,
The world keeps turning,
I round the corner.
Only to feel a prickle on my skin,
A gaze on my back,
A hot breath on my neck.
No point in running.
Best to slow down.
Who else can feed them?

©Copyright Jo McAulay

Battle of Baghdad

All wearing the same uniform,
Forcing the Iraq nation to conform.
They're parading the dead on my T.V,
I'm watching it consumed by misery.

Human targets for a government war,
Ambushed soldiers behind closed doors.
Too much human loss and pain,
Lost lives for financial gain.

The bombing started again tonight,
I watch the reports, see the fright.
Men fighting and women too,
Doing it all for me and for you.

They're flying the flag, like before,
Covering the brave, the dead on the floor.
Emphatic looks on their foreign faces,
How I'm glad I'm not in those places.

When the bombing finally stops,
That's when the supplies are dropped off,
Helping those innocent in this war,
Funding a country whose natives are poor.

Doppelgangers were all lined up that day,
So no one could get a shot anyway.
Saddam was copying an English trade,
Just like the one Churchill made.

We're counting the days hoping war will end soon,
Praying for peace, when there is only doom.

©Copyright Steven Michael Pape

Dark to my Core

I feel that same old desperation,
Creeping up inside.
The one that makes me
Want to jump into a hole and hide.
It's unmistakable,
Overwhelming sadness hits,
I'm sinking faster
Than a ton of bricks.
It grips hold of me tightly,
The darkness descends,
Trapped in this horror,
When will it end.
I'm so … angry,
Depression has got me once more.
I shine on the outside
But I'm dark to the core.

Humanity Alive

No caste, no colour, creed and race,
Free from hate, untouchability and disgrace.
The men live, love, laugh together,
With mutual respect like brothers.
No one is inferior and none is superior,
The men of soil, all have the golden behaviour.
The lives celebrate, pleasure of humanity,
For a broken soul, all show mercy and divinity.
War, Rape, Refugee, devil, evil no more exists,
With unbound joy, fortune and decency, all enjoy the life's fest.
The harmonious music of oneness,
Will entertain the god & goddess.
The Almighty will smile seeing the humanity's fair drive,
Let’s all make a world beautiful where Humanity alive!

Just another Solar Panel

As I lay on the decking lapping up the sun,
The warmth sensation wraps around my skin and moves deeper in.
I open my eyes and see the wiggly in flight of a Nat glowing in the golden hues of light,
Moving against the blue sky.

While between our two spaces the screeching of flies passing the spot of then and now to gone,
Takes me back to a motor bike race I might have seen,
Where one is trying to outwit another.
Quit Annoying when I am trying to soak up the sun!

©Copyright Paul A Carruthers.

Men Will Always Be Men

Men will always be men in myriad ways,
Uncontrolled species of unpredictable grace,
Hide behind many masks difficult to trace,
An authority to reckon with in human race.

An infant boy grins full teeth smiles,
Contagious teasing an art in his vibes,
Loves to irritate and provoke in vice,
Always throwing tantrums to win his dice.

The awkward age in mischievous teens,
A mystic wanderer of adventurous dreams,
Modern approach to fantasies mean,
Dare devil in distressed blue jeans.

Men in thirties when in worldly gain,
Possess pragmatism from vices vain,
Ready to settle with homely girl sane,
Stoops to any level for life in main.

Once settled at home eyes begin to roam,
Flirting creativity for beauty moan,
Like waves their thoughts frothy foam,
Ambitious architecture rising dome.

Men O! men, born habitual philanderer,
Polygamy nature, monogamy venture,
Casanova company, bed mate wonder,
A wife for hearth, children for future.

Men O! men when will you perceive,
You are the Adam, first conceived,
A perfect creation of divine presence,
Keep heart and mind in true essence.

©Copyright Jyotirmaya Thakur

My Darling Grainne

I was out one day patrolling my beat,
When I saw this girl in front of me,
She was hoppin’ to and fro on her dainty feet,
My darling Grainne.

Everyone who tried to pass,
Were drawn in by the spell she cast,
They couldn’t help watch her feet so fast,
My darling Grainne.

She knew I was a country cop,
But she carried on dancing, she didn’t stop,
She jumped a hip, a hip n a hop,
My darling Grainne.

As she danced and we all stood,
The music played and it was good,
My heart was filled with so much love,
For my darlin Grainne.

With her bright red hair and pale face,
And her long white gown edged with lace,
She danced around with so much grace,
My darling Grainne.

She danced all day and she danced all night,
‘Til the sun came up so big n bright,
Oh, what a beautiful sight,
My darling Grainne.

Oh what a beautiful sight,
My darling Grainne,
My darling Grainne.

My truth

Don't listen to the rumours,
If you want to know something about me, ask me.
Don't listen to those that try to bend my truth to their purpose.
If you want my truth, ask me.
Don't listen to those that want to further their aims through my story,
It's not their truth to give.
Most of you wouldn't have the courage to walk the path I've taken,
Your judgement of me means nothing.

Pocket

A pocket of beauty intruded upon by the incessant drone of life.
Oh how I lament the forgone and unknown days of peace.
A lack of anything but natural movement - the sound of a more gentle existence.
Peace - oh how I long for it.
The art of seeing is the absence
of the intrusion of noise.
Echoes of modern greed
and the scurrying of the population
reaches far into natures own pockets.
I strive for silence, for peace, and for calm.
One day - when time allows
and patience bares fruit
I shall find it but for now I pack up my possessions and
journey on.

©Copyright Francesca Rachel

The Fragile Brown Triangle

I spied a brown triangle on the cubicle floor - 'What is it?' I wondered,
A scrap of manila paper or a small piece of wood? I needed to see more.
So I bent down to have a closer look and there it was - and then I knew -
It was a large brown moth, dormant and so still - waiting to take flight.
A piece of soft paper failed to enclose it - and it rushed past my hands on the floor.
Then it took to the air in an erratic path - confined by the cubicle walls.
Overcoming my fear of large insects in flight, I caught it in my soft cupped hands -
So with no damage incurred - it now had a chance of freedom.
Next was the journey down stairs to outside - safe in its human cage,
whilst its fragile wings beat gently against my skin - now a treasured experience.
And then … with opened fingers it flew off into the night sky - free to fulfil its destiny!

Torn

My heart is torn asunder,
It ceases to beat.
Sadness that cannot heal,
Passion without heat.
Once I felt your love,
Fervent and forever.
A love unlike any other,
A heart you could not tether.
Loneliness becomes my friend,
Abandoned am I.
My heart is cold,
In despair I lie.