A New Label?

Jennospot 85  A New Label?

 

Yesterday, Peter St John 'ad some writer friends over at 'is place ter talk about poetry an' lit'ry stuff loike that. Peter showed 'em a poem wot 'ee wrote a little while ago, an' since it's that toime o' year when we fink about armistice, an' our soldiers an' such, they reckoned as 'ow it would be good ter share it wiv ovver people. So 'ere it is, fer yew:

 

The Label on Jimmy Jim's Locker

 

He's so bright and keen,

Soldier Jimmy, nineteen.

Uniform new;

All derring-do,

And ready to fight—

Take up arms for the right.

Esprit de corps—

"War to end every war".

The label he sticks on his locker.

 

With barrack square drill,

They prepare Jim to kill.

Discipline please—

"Shoulder arms. Stand at ease".

When Jim swears the oath

Country first— nothing loath—

He underscores

War to end all the wars—

The label he's stuck on his locker.

 

In battlefield hell

All is shot, shit and shell.

There Jimmy stands:

Is that blood on his hands?

As bombshells mushroom—

Deadly blossoms in bloom—

Can we be sure

This is war to end war:

Like the label that's stuck on Jim's locker?

 

But where's Jimmy now?

He's not come for his chow.

Not in the mess—

Or the barracks we guess.

Our Jim can't be found.

Jimmy's life is unwound.

All given for

Final war— to end war—

The label on brave Jimmy's locker.

 

Our Jim seeks no shroud;

Jimmy, soldier so proud.

Jim underground

Goes ahead, onward bound.

Far better for us

To discuss without fuss

How to end war—

No more war to end war—

A new label for Jimmy Jim's locker?.

 

Wiv luv from Jenno

By the way, if'n yew'd loike ter know more about Peter St John yew c'd go, if'n yew want, ter: http://www.peterstjohn.net/index_9.htm

Halloween

Jennospot 84  Halloween

 

"Now it is the time of night that the graves, all gaping wide, everyone lets forth his sprite, in the churchway paths to glide."

Cripes, din't ol’ Shakespeare 'ave a fantastic way wiv words? An' it's Halloween on October 31, wot is jus' the moment when all them sprites, an' spirits, an' creepy-scary fings come a-glidin' around out o' the churchyard. An' if'n yew don't treat 'em roight… well cripes, so much the worse fer yew…!

There's some people in moi village o' Widdlin'ton wot won't never go through the churchyard at night, never moind at Halloween. But Peter won sixpence in a bet wiv Selena over that. Cripes, 'ee nearly died o' fright a-doin' it. It were in a good cause though, 'cos 'ee needed the money urgent loike ter go ter Lunnon.

Any'ow, all that's by the way, 'cos Oi wanted ter tell yew about Halloween, wot's the evenin' afore All Saints' Day. In the real old days, this were the eve o' the end of the year, an' they used ter light big bonfires on top o' the 'ills ter scare away the evil spirits. An' then the souls of all them wot were dead, c'd come back an' visit their 'omes.

Touble is, along wiv all them souls come a whole lot o' ghosts an' witches, an goblins an' ghouls, an' scary spirits wot are too 'orrible even ter mention. So most ev'rybody got around them big bonfires so's they'd feel safe. It were noice an' warm too, wot don't come amiss on top of an 'ill at this toime o' the year.

 

Any'ow, them wot couldn't go up the 'ill would barricade themselves inside their 'ouses, wot didn't do much good, 'cos them sprites wot c'd get out o' their graves, wouldn't 'ave no trouble at all comin' down the chimney or through the key'ole, if'n yew see wot Oi mean. So if'n somebody come a-knockin' on the door in the dark, yew couldn't never know wevver it were a neighbour or a sprite. Cripes, it moight even be yer long dead, great, great, great gran'muvver, an' yew wouldn't want ter turn 'er away, would yew? So ter be on the safe side, if somebody come a-knockin', yew'd give 'em a treat so's they wouldn't do yew no 'arm.

Well, kids ain't stupid, so they latched on ter this, an' went around in disguise a-knockin' on people's doors fer "trick or treat"; wot ain't such a bad idea when yew come ter fink of it. An' not only that, they was safe from all them 'orrible sprites etc, 'cos their disguises were so terrifyin' that they would scare the very Devil 'imself. See wot Oi mean…?

Any'ow, 'ave yerself a safe an 'appy 'Alloween, booooooh,

Wiv luv from Jenno

  

By the way, if'n yew'd loike ter know more about that sixpence wot Peter won, yew c'n read about it in "Gang Petition": http://www.peterstjohn.net/index_6.htm

There Ain't Nuffink Better

Jennospot 83  There ain't nuffink better

 

Cripes, ain't it wunnerful? There ain't no doubt about it. An' it don't matter wevver it's somefink wots jus' come all new, or wevver it's about someone or somefink wot yew've known ever since the cows 'ave come 'ome an' been milked. There ain't nuffink really wot's better; leastways, Oi ain't found out yet wot it could be. Yeah, that's roight… Oi'm talkin' about love

Love is all about carin', an' sharin', an' about bein' there jus' a-grinnin' an' a-bearin'-up when fings don't go the way yew fink they oughtter. It's about bein' able ter say wot yew really fink, quite darin' like really, 'cos yew know that the person wot's listenin' won't get shirty at yew. An' it's about calmin' fings down when somebody starts bangin' around an' gettin' a bit 'ot under the collar. Cripes, love is getting out the cups, an' brewin' some tea, when somebody's feelin' a bit down; an' Oi don't mean when it's yew wot's down.

Love is when yew turn yerself inside-out an' upside down ter get over a problem wot somebody's 'aving, when it ain't really yer problem. 'Cos love c'n always make a way ter foind the best in any kinda situation.

Love is finkin' of ovvers, when yew'd rather fink of yerself. It's givin' out a smile, even when yew don't feel much loike smilin'.

Love makes a diff'rence ter somebody's day, if'n yew see wot Oi mean.

So 'ave yerself an 'appy day,

Wiv luv from Jenno

 

By the way, 'ave yew seen moi latest collection of the stuff wot Oi put up on Facebook? If'n yew want, yew c'n 'ave a look at it on http://www.smashwords.com/b/243552. Yew c'n even download it fer free, or yew c'n read it online. That is, if'n yew loike…

Votes fer Women

Jennospot 82 – Votes fer Women

 

Terday Oi'm goin' ter tell yew a little bit about a real famous lady. Fact is, Oi don't reckon as 'ow there's any lady more famous than wot she is, but o' course yew don't 'ave ter agree wiv me if'n yew don't want; that's up ter yew. Any'ow yew've prob'ly guessed already 'oo it is: Mrs Emmeline Pankhurst!

O' corse she weren't called Pankhurst when she was born at Manchester in 1858, 'cos 'er fam'ly name were Goulden. She become Mrs Pankhurst when she got married in 1879 ter Richard Marsden Pankhurst wot were a lawyer. 'Ee must've been a roight sympathetic sort o' man, 'cos it were 'im wot wrote the the first woman suffrage bill around 1865 (wot didn't 'ave much luck) an' later on, the Married Women's Property acts, wot did.

 Any'ow, around 1890, Emmeline set up the Women's Franchise League (a bit loike wot Oi did wiv the "Go-Getter Girls" in "Gang Loyalty", wot didn't 'ave a whole lot o' luck neither) but Emmeline 'ad some luck 'cos er League got the roight fer women ter vote in local elections, but not fer the House of Commons.

Oi reckon 'as 'ow this encouraged 'er ter go on wiv 'er idea, 'cos in 1903, she founded the Women's Social and Political Union (WSPU) wot got inter trouble two years later when a couple of its members got chucked outta a meetin' o' the Liberal party (wot is more loike the Conservatives terday) fer demandin' a resolution about votes fer women. Fings got worse outside, 'cos it seems they got arrested fer assaultin' the police. When they refused ter pay fines, they was put inter prison. This weren't good fer them, but it were real good fer WSPU publicity.

From then on, Emmeline really got 'er dander up compaignin' agaist the Liberals 'cos 'er followers started ter go out o' their way ter interrupt meetin's o' cabinet ministers. Cripes, then Emmeline 'erself got arrested and jailed fer distributin' a leaflet callin' on people ter "rush the House o' Commons". Cripes, did that ever start a barney! It turned inter somefink loike a war (wot we also 'ad in Widdlin'ton wiv our "Gang Warfare") until she declared a "truce" wiv the introduction of a "conciliation" bill on women's suffrage. But the truce didn't last long 'cos the government blocked the bill. An' did that ever set fings off…!

The WSPU become loike a nest o' wasps wot yew've poked wiv a stick (wot Oi don't recommend yew do). The members started settin' fire ter fings, chainin' themselves up an' doin' ovver such shockin' acts. Mrs Pankhurst got 'erself sent ter prison again, where she refused ter eat. They would let 'er go out fer a while, so as she could eat an build up 'er strength, but just as she were a bit better, they arrested 'er again an' put 'er back in a cell. They did this twelve times in a year. Cripes, can yew imagine…! Not only that, but ovvers of 'er followers got themselves jailed an' all.

Any'ow, then come the First World War in 1914. So, wiv this foreign threat to the nation, Emmeline called off the suffrage campaign, an' the government released all the suffragette prisoners.

Durin' the war, Mrs Pankhurst visited the United States of America, Canada, an' Russia  encouragin' women ter stand up fer their political roights. She went back to England in 1926 where she was chosen ter be the Conservative candidate fer a constituency in the east of London, but by this toime she were getting' on a bit in years an' 'er 'ealth weren't so good. But cripes, at the finish she 'ad satisfaction fer all 'er determination over the years. A few weeks before 'er death, the Representation of the People Act 1928, wot gives equal votin' roights ter men an' women, was passed by Parliament.

Although Emmeline Pankhurst didn't never get elected ter Parliament, she very nearly got in at the finish. There's a statue of 'er in Victoria Towers Gardens. Yew c'n go an' see 'er if'n yew loike. She stands roight up against the railin's o' the Houses o' Parliament. Yeah, real close. Oi still reckon 'as 'ow there ain't no lady wot is more worthy o' fame than wot she is. There's lots of us ladies around the world wot still ain't got the roight ter vote. So jus' fink o' Emmeline Pankhurst all yew ladies wot do 'ave the roight, next toime yew go out ter vote fer yer president or yer parliamentary representative.

Luv from Jenno.

By the way, Oi visited Emmeline's statue once wiv Peter, when we went up ter Lunnon tergevver. Yew c'n read about it, if'n yew loike, in chapter 19 o' "Gang Petition" (http://www.peterstjohn.net/index_6.htm). Vote well...