Benjamin Zephaniah

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The poet has died aged 65 from a brain tumour. Here's a seasonal poem from him ....

Talking Turkeys​

Be nice to yu turkeys dis christmas
Cos’ turkeys just wanna hav fun
Turkeys are cool, turkeys are wicked
An every turkey has a Mum.
Be nice to yu turkeys dis christmas,
Don’t eat it, keep it alive,
It could be yu mate, an not on your plate
Say, Yo! Turkey I’m on your side.
I got lots of friends who are turkeys
An all of dem fear christmas time,
Dey wanna enjoy it, dey say humans destroyed it
An humans are out of dere mind,
Yeah, I got lots of friends who are turkeys
Dey all hav a right to a life,
Not to be caged up an genetically made up
By any farmer an his wife.

Turkeys just wanna play reggae
Turkeys just wanna hip-hop
Can yu imagine a nice young turkey saying,
“I cannot wait for de chop”,
Turkeys like getting presents, dey wanna watch christmas TV,
Turkeys hav brains an turkeys feel pain
In many ways like yu an me.

I once knew a turkey called … Turkey
He said “Benji explain to me please,
Who put de turkey in christmas
An what happens to christmas trees?”,
I said “I am not too sure turkey
But it’s nothing to do wid Christ Mass
Humans get greedy an waste more dan need be
An business men mek loadsa cash”.

Be nice to yu turkey dis christmas
Invite dem indoors fe sum greens
Let dem eat cake an let dem partake
In a plate of organic grown beans,
Be nice to yu turkey dis christmas
An spare dem de cut of de knife,
Join Turkeys United an dey’ll be delighted
An yu will mek new friends “FOR LIFE”.
 
Was really saddened to hear of his death today.

I had no idea he was living with a brain tumour :(

Such a characteristic poetic voice.
 
Benjamin Zephaniah was such a great poet and activist. I was shocked to read about his death this morning. May he Rest in Power.

Another great poem from him is this one - ‘Money’

 
The Turkey one would have really concerned me when I was little. On the other hand, to be honest I'm really not very fond of it either at Xmas or otherwise, so not much matter, just the acceptance that why what he's telling us, is all too true.

RIP you lovely man.
 
"Big Brother Is Watching You!" Rhymed Benjamin Zephaniah from speakers in an art installation at Manchester Art Gallery exhibition about art activism and protest, with funky dub beats and more verses I can't remember but my friend who introduced me to him as vegan anarchist British Jamaican poet artist writer and activist would always shout this out loud in public for years afterwards when we met up and unfortunately I can't find the poem or lyrics online, but it was an excellent private joke we shared with the public at unexpected moments, and considering the way the police have infiltrated various activist groups over the years, definitely rings true!

Rastafarian Gentleman with wicked sense of humour and evolving English language to include Jamaican patois in his writings without compromise, I will show gratitude by reading his books, his autobiography and randomly shouting out "Big Brother Is Watching You!" joyously and inappropriately in public!
 
@Inka a thousand thank you's an' ting! My close friend Kirsty who introduced me to all kinds of weird and wonderful worlds including Benjamin Zephaniah's poetry moved to Spain to set-up an off-grid hippy commune, and I'm still part of the same housing co-operative founded by black afro-caribbean asian disabled queer and homeless people over forty years ago, so thanks to poets and writers and creative dreamers for encouraging oppressed people to reclaim space and language and think critically about issues like slavery and what it means to be offered the "Order of the British Empire" and to gratiously and respectfully decline due to having ancestors who were slaves in one's family tree, as Zephaniah famously did well before the "culture wars" or "critical race theory" or "black lives matter" became part of popular culture... RIP Benjamin Zephaniah
 
The final reading at our concert last weekend was this very poem, read beautifully by a youngster. I am so glad we included it.

what an amazing person and such an advocate for others.
 
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