(A collection of poems, written June 2015-July 2015 )
BY Liam Whetstone
©2015 LIAM WHETSTONE all rights reserved
This publication is in copyright. Subject to statutory exception
And to the provisions of relevant collective licensing agreements, no reproduction of any part may take place without the written permission of Liam Whetstone.
Contents
Authors Note
Dedication
A Sermon of Explanation
Innocent Ignorance
Crossing the Rubicon
A Lesson in Politics
Facing the Inquisition
Inferior/Superior
No Surrender
An Important Distinction
The Spine of the Soul
Storming the Bastille
Regrets and Retractions
To Those Who Think They Know Best
Diatribe of Insanity
Spectrums
The Aftermath
Applause for the Praiseworthy
The Other Syndrome
Civilised Sensibilities
Under the Microscope
Storm and Stress
The Ten Year Winter
My Therapist
Reaching the Summit
The Comfort Zone
How Far Can This Go?
May I Have Your Attention Ladies and Gentleman
A Fresh Perspective
The Final Breakdown Approaches
Occupiers of Positions of Mistrust
All I Ask
Authors Note
Dear reader, this is my 8th collection of poems, these 30 poems were written and developed during June and July 2015. The ideas, content and inspiration for these poems build up over a period of about a year from June 2014. These poems reflect my state of mind and opinions on how things are in the world. The title for the collection (The Innermost Core) reflects the mood, intent, direction and tone of the poems. There was another potential title for the collection (More Life in the Darkness) but I considered that this title did not reflect the content of the poems as well as the title I chose. I hope you enjoy the poems.
Dedication
I would like to dedicate my 8th poetry collection to all those who are kind enough to read it and take time to think about the meanings, themes, topics and opinions expressed in the poems.
Liam Whetstone.
A Sermon of Explanation
I do not demand
That you adopt my opinions
I do not demand
That you adopt my viewpoints
I do not demand
That you adopt my perspectives
I just ask politely that you think
Things through carefully
And form your own opinions
Innocent Ignorance
To those who are yet to understand
To those who are kind enough to listen
I always speak plainly
I never implicate, lie or imply
I say exactly what I mean
I always think through what I say
To me tone of voice and facial expression are
Irrelevant when making statements
Why not heed the content
Why not interpret it as intended
I ask questions to get information
I do not ask questions to mock or judge
I know you normal people can’t help
Perceiving inferences and implications
It’s not your fault
Most of you have been brought up to
Sense, feel and react
But we were born to
Listen, think and respond.
Crossing the Rubicon
This river lies only yards from me
To cross it would be folly
In the eyes of some
But to me
To cross it is necessary
Nay to cross it is ones duty.
One must cross this river
And preach ones truth to
Those who wish to hear it
And to those who wish to
Cover their ears.
A Lesson in Politics
From an early age
We are taught right from wrong
We learn that stealing is wrong
We learn to share everything
We learn that violence is wrong
We learn that insults are wrong
We learn that discrimination is wrong
We learn that greed is wrong
We are taught to
Treat each other with respect
Ladies and gentleman
This is socialism.
Facing the Inquisition
Welcome, thanks for coming
Please sit down
Sat opposite you
are three people
ready to question you.
There is no pressure
But
Be careful what you say
One word out of place
Will cost you your future
So, tell us about yourself
Why should we hire you?
What sets you apart
From the other candidates?
One long, stressful
Hour later,
The end of the ordeal
Obligatory hand shakes
And the ominous
We will let you know
Inferior/Superior
It isn’t a complex
I am inferior
It isn’t a complex
I am superior
I am nothing
I am everything
I am a genius
I am a fool
From one extreme
To the other
Impulsive thought patterns
Race through the mind
The centre of the mind
Needs to wake up
Restore the balance
And rediscover rationality.
No Surrender
Whenever my principles are questioned
I will defend them
Even though the banks
Are ruling the world
And people either
Accept capitalism
Or
Do not understand it
I will never surrender
My values of socialism,
Yes there is
A Conservative government
But not everyone is a Tory
Whilst the
Green Party exists
And whilst the
Very honourable Jeremy Corbyn
Continues to keep the flame
Of peace and equality alive.
I will not surrender
My ethics
Or my values
An Important Distinction
This is not a decease
This is not a disability
This is not a disorder
This is not a condition
This is not a health problem
This is not a mental illness
This is not a learning difficulty
This is not an indication of no wisdom
This is just another way of being.
The Spine of the Soul
Let’s find a cure for these poor people
So say the disgusting, the evil
A cure for what, I ask?
A cure for thinking differently
If a cure were to be found it would be
A waste of medical research
If you were to cure my autism
You would be destroying my very personality
Without it I would no longer be myself
Spend the money on searching
For a cure for cancer instead.
Storming the Bastille
To do such a thing
Is not left wing
To commit violence
In the name of peace
Is a contradiction
And a vile crime
This is not the way
To restore the balance
If people have
Any basic intelligence
The balance would be restored
Through common sense.
If such a thing existed
Regrets and Retractions
I once wrote that love was a lie
I now retract this unconditionally
I was once a habitual self-mutilator
I deeply regret this
I was once dependant on alcohol
I deeply regret this
I regret writing
A very graphically heavy poem
About the holocaust.
This was very insensitive
It was not my place to do this
But it was Primo’s
I apologise to all
Whom this offended
To Those Who Think They Know Best
Sometimes you are wrong
Sometimes your advice is misguided
Sometimes you are condescending
Sometimes you are patronising
Sometimes you are disrespectful
Sometimes you simply dismiss the problem
Sometimes your advice
Is based on not listening
Sometimes your advice is reactionary
Responsive advice is more useful
I shall seek help from those who
Respect me, in future.
Diatribe of Insanity
They are all against me
They are all mocking me
They are all in it together
Constant criticism
Constant put downs
Infinite negative remarks
Each second
Each minute
Each hour
Each day
Each week
I am under siege
Yes it is a conspiracy
And I have unmasked it
All evidence points to this
Soon I will have my revenge
And we will see who is laughing then
Mock me at your peril
Conspire against me in vain.
Spectrums
A line that goes from one to ten
Some find this concept useful
Some find this concept helpful
Some find this concept restrictive
Some find this concept misleading
It means something to everyone
Indeed doctors find it very useful
To me it only helps up to a point
Insofar as it generates a label
Why not try to empathise
With the individual instead of deciphering
Mere lines that go from one to ten.
The Aftermath
The tears have been wiped away
The mist has cleared
The dust has settled
The result is confirmed
Five years hard work gone
Up in smoke
The shock of the stark reality
The rejection of decency
In favour of a return
To the dark days of
Greed, despair, and destitution
It is every decent persons
Duty to fight for the vulnerable
To protect the weak
To campaign for global equality
The work begins now comrades
Applause for the Praiseworthy
This is not for
Those who
Have achieved fame
Through doing nothing
This is not for
Those who
Have amassed a large amount of wealth
Praise and applause
Is wasted on such people
It is for
Those who protect the weak
Those who protect the disabled
Those who care for the disadvantaged
Those who stand up for equality
For those with zero tolerance to
Discrimination in all its forms
For those who campaign for peace
For those who have kind hearts
For those who have empathy
Ladies and gentleman
Please stand and
Applaud these great people.
The Other Syndrome
So society has a nice little label for us
But what about the rest
A syndrome is merely
A collection of behaviours
Why is it that we
Are diagnosed and not them?
Is it because the majority
Is considered normal just because
It is the majority
If autism is a collection of
Behaviours that can be diagnosed
Then why not diagnose the “others”
And raise awareness of
Neurotypical syndrome
As well as Asperger’s
To help prevent
The stupid
Conversational misunderstandings.
Civilised Sensibilities
Acceptance of all
Not mere tolerance
As tolerance implies
“Putting up with”
Care in an emotional way
Not just in a practical way
Pacifism because it’s logical
Empathy because it’s useful
The hand of friendship
Not the smirk of mockery
Underneath the flesh
We are all the same
We are all skeletons
It’s a pity that all humans do
Not practice acceptance
It’s such a shame that
There is needles separatism
We are all the same on the inside
So why do some still
Fail to practice decency.
Under the Microscope
Yes let me see
Let the analysis begin
Let us examine this
Innocuous thing
Let us dissect this
Insignificant matter
Looking at this I can see
Things that others can not
Or so it seems to me
Yes let’s see
What is this evil thing?
That I have discovered
Yes well I am convinced it is
Something very evil indeed
But others say it’s nothing
Others say my conclusions
Are based on nothing
Others say my investigations are foolish
Well let me see
Let’s just examine this again.
Storm and Stress
It may be sunny outside
It may be settled indoors
But on the inside
Storm after storm is raging
One irrational assumption after another
Putting one and one together and getting
A thousand,
Immediate tasks neglected by madness
Hopelessly fighting of storm after storm
Consumed by a self-conceived catastrophe
The end is nigh a voice says in my head.
A thick fog surrounds me
Shielding me from the pleasant reality
Hidden deep within lies my sense of rationale
I will defeat these evil storms.
The Ten Year Winter
The great British public
Have doomed themselves
Not to a winter of discontent
But to a ten year winter
Of freezing living standards
An increase in poverty
An increase in homelessness
A loss of human rights
An uncertainty even
For the employed
Who sit nervously on
So called
Flexible hour contracts
And those who have
No choice but to
Attend those
Excellent nourishment centres.
Well, there was an election
And there was a clear result
So, let us enjoy
This 10 year winter.
My Therapist
He has four legs and a tail
He sleeps in a box in the hall
He sort of looks like a fox
He is named after
The little man with the
Red and yellow car.
He likes going for walkies
He likes to eat stake
He likes to sleep at my feet
He likes to sit next to me on the park
He likes to sit next to me in the car
He barks when someone knocks on the door
But most of all
His presence relaxes me
And helps me to defeat stress
And dark moods
Reaching the Summit
One second at a time
One minute at a time
One hour at a time
One day at a time
One month at a time
The target comes into view
I walk up to the summit of the hill
And sit on the grass
Feeling relieved and relaxed
Drinking clear reinvigorating
Water from the stream of enrichment
The taste of wine forgotten
The Comfort Zone
It is here where
Everything is settled
It’s here where everything
Runs smoothly.
I like it here
No one can upset me
Nothing can stress me
I think I will stay here.
How Far Can This Go?
Should we all just
say what we think?
Should we always consider?
Who it is that we are talking to
When saying certain things?
Is there a line
We should never cross?
Is the line
A form of superficial censorship
To me it always
Depends on the opinion
Not who is saying it
There are certain
Opinions that are
Offensive by definition
There are certain
Opinions that are
Not offensive by definition
So are some opinions
More valid than others
If they are ethical?
And are some opinions
Less valid if
They are unethical?
May I Have Your Attention Ladies and Gentleman
There are some things
Seriously wrong with this
Great modern world
Many of you refuse
To notice this
Many of you think
It’s got nothing to do with you
Many of you think these problems
Are just how things are
Poverty
Famine
Destruction
War
Inequality
Racism
Intolerance
Why is it that some of you
Think these things
Should not be challenged?
Why do some of you think?
Everything should stay as it is
Indeed some of you think
Every change is wrong.
This I cannot
And will not accept.
And why is it stupid
As some of you say?
To stand up for what is right
To treat all human beings as equals
To want each other to be safe
To want an end to war
To want an end to poverty
To want an end to famine.
Why is all this
A utopian pipe dream?
A Fresh Perspective
It is indeed helpful
When someone is able to read
A writers verses from a
Neutral perspective
And offer advice
Nay it is
A necessary safety net.
To prevent the writer
Falling into the
Trap of insensitivity
The Final Breakdown Approaches
In the beginning there were
Sunny skies, blue clear seas
Fresh air, pure crystal water
Unmeasurable enthusiasm for the journey
Now the tracks are rusted
The wheels of the train are worn out
The same old lines
The same old days
Each day the journey takes longer
The wheels get slower
The engine straining to its limits
Eventually it will just slow
Down to a complete halt
And become a piece of history.
Occupiers of Positions of Mistrust
These fine people
Are here to help us
Fully trained and with
Supreme intelligence
They listen to us
Or appear to do
They assess our needs based on
Well I am not quite sure
They prescribe us pills
That have shocking side effects
They sit there in a position
Of pious authority
Convinced what they read
In some old textbook
Contains within its crinkled pages
All the answers to help the patient
In their recovery
But are these experts
Really worthy of trust
All I Ask
I do not want luxury
I do not want gold
I do not want power
I do not want fame
I do not wish for recognition
I do ask for-
Just one week without being misunderstood
Just one week without being judged
Just one week without being criticised
Just one week without, being mocked
Just one week without being patronised
Is this too much to ask?
Liam Whetstone 