The rhythm of time.....

There's an inner thing in every man,
Do you know this thing my friend?
It has withstood the blows of a million years,
And will do so to the end.

It was born when time did not exist,
And it grew up out of life,
It cut down evil's strangling vines,
Like a slashing searing knife.

It lit fires when fires were not,
And burnt the mind of man,
Tempering leandened hearts to steel,
From the time that time began.

It wept by the waters of Babylon,
And when all men were a loss,
It screeched in writhing agony,
And it hung bleeding from the Cross.

It died in Rome by lion and sword,
And in defiant cruel array,
When the deathly word was 'Spartacus'
Along with Appian Way.

It marched with Wat the Tyler's poor,
And frightened lord and king,
And it was emblazoned in their deathly stare,
As e'er a living thing.

It smiled in holy innocence,
Before conquistadors of old,
So meek and tame and unaware,
Of the deathly power of gold.

It burst forth through pitiful Paris streets,
And stormed the old Bastille,
And marched upon the serpent's head,
And crushed it 'neath its heel.

It died in blood on Buffalo Plains,
And starved by moons of rain,
Its heart was buried in Wounded Knee,
But it will come to rise again.

It screamed aloud by Kerry lakes,
As it was knelt upon the ground,
And it died in great defiance,
As they coldly shot it down.

It is found in every light of hope,
It knows no bounds nor space
It has risen in red and black and white,
It is there in every race.

It lies in the hearts of heroes dead,
It screams in tyrants' eyes,
It has reached the peak of mountains high,
It comes searing 'cross the skies.

It lights the dark of this prison cell,
It thunders forth its might,
It is 'the undauntable thought', my friend,
That thought that says 'I'm right!'

By 'BS'

First day of Glastonbury 2011

As if by magic the rain clouds gathered above in preparation for the start of Glastonbury 2011. well its on the menu isnt it and and wellie manufacturers rely on it to boost their low summer trade. if you go and return home without Glastonbury dried mud on your boots you somehow feel cheated. but not for me I'm home 200 miles away in the relative comfort of my home settling down in front of my High Definition telly with beer in one hand and a reefer in the other [oh echoes of the old Glastonbury days haha] with my feet up on the puffy I'm definitly feeling in old Hippy mode...peace man!...Turn on tune in drop out!...My spirit is free an my heart is passionate! etc etc so.....I settle back feeling pretty laidback and in anticipation of some musical highs and nostalgia flashbacks.




I sat through over 4 hours of BBC broadcast Glastonbury and the long anticipated appearance of U2 who the festival has been trying to book since the 1980s. you will recall when they finally achieved this last year in 2010 lead singer Bono hurt his back and the whole shabang was cancelled so....finally they would appear and set the place alight! hmm...the trouble with anticipation and building something up in your mind is we tend to over anticipate and expectations are exaggerated to a degree with the result that it just doesnt live upto the headfit. sadly the rain clouds opened up almost on quo as a bad omen and it poured down. but the enthusiasm of the audience which numbered tens of thousands didnt appear dampened at it...indeed you could feel the atmospheric High from the crowd...oh this is going to be good I thought as I sat in my comfy armchair semi drunk'n'stoned..I had a silly smile across my face and felt like I was there pushing an shoving in that heaving happy sea of people oblivious to the pouring rain and sticky mud...I mean its the best rock band in the world U2! hmm well..we all get swept up in the moment dont we even ole hippies like me haha.



anyhow the moment arrived and suddenly the band appeared on stage to a cresendo of applause'n'cheer..hey! The first choice of track wasnt a grabber like you'd expect from this band because they usually like to grab you by the balls early and hold you there for 2 hours but....the opener didnt achieve that. I started to notice things like the band members didnt display much spirit or enthusiasm...maybe it was the pouring rain? I mean multi-millionaire Rock gods are used to the best creature comforts and conditions..or maybe the were a bit nervous because of the big build up to appearing at this iconic festival for the first time? whatever they appeared to me to be dragging their feet a bit. another thing that struck me to was Bono..he looked old tonite. his forehead looked wrinkled and his face frowns deeper..ok these guys are now in their mid 40s but that isnt really old. he also looked a little overweight and moved in a wooden fashion...not the usual sprightly spirited Bono who normally steals the stage and grabs your eye etc no....for whatever reason it didnt all 'fit' tonite and I felt a little disappointed after about 20 mins. dont get me wrong there were emotional and exciting moments yes during the set but...it had patches of lacklustre. The crowd were screaming and cheering all the way but I've come to notice the new generation of Glasto-ites will scream'n'wave at anything put in front of them..I mean the TV cameras are there and mummy'n'daddy are watching at home so....yes a good show by the band but.....you dont want 'buts'




After the show you had the usual interview in the BBC tent festooned with plastic flowers and tacky Hippy type memoribelia like something out of a Clacton tourist shop. but even then the band members seemed out of sorts and unrelaxed. Bono came out with his usual crap about saving the millions of poor and the mystic aura of Glastonbury etc etc oh lord please listen to yourself at times man! so over all I felt a bit cheated and deflated...certainly not spiritually lifted by the music like I expected. I started to wonder did I have a bad batch of dope or crap supermarket beer? did I miss the vibe somewhere? am I tired or just too old for this?? no I dont think so. To put my cynical hat on this festival simply isnt living up to my memory of old. can you remember the original hippy festival of Glastonbury and the inspiration of those early Hippies who created it? it actually meant something special back then and was a show piece of the alternative society we were trying to create way from Straight society..it was a weekend vision of our new world that we dreamed of albeit in a youthful naive way. but it doesnt matter because you can always gleen the good bits from any dream. The event I was watching tonite didnt resemble that dream of old but a new model...like a car altered for trend/fashion purposes but was ruined in the process..or a remake of an old classic film that comes out ok but diluted in content and quality.




Glastonbury is still a good thing for its creation of community and fun...for the music and of course for business and jobs. thats the essence of it really today. its not spiritual but a corporate summer event..like an exaggerated village fete on the village green. a summer camp for middle class kids pretending to be hippies for the weekend with their designer multi-colored wellies and fake tans. its a meeting place for eccentrics and perceived multi-culturalism. for family outings and people to dress up in funny costumes and ape to the ever present TV cameras...a place for kids to escape their parents for a long weekend and be wild..its a like a Butlins summer camp for teens etc etc ok its good in one sense but devoid of the original concept. its simply now a corporate event and empty of meaning.



Even the usual BBC TV presenters came across as a little stale and just going through the motions...certainly no youthful enthusiasm from boring middle aged MILF DJ Jo Wiley with her posh accent and silly designer ripped jeans at the knee..oh lord thats become so crass and expected. is she trying to say I'm hip and rock'n'roll? it simply doesnt work Jo....you look past your sell by date. Then theres Mark Lamarr another radio 2 DJ and TV presenter who looks 15 years older then his 44 years. he presents himself tonite unshaven with a greying mess of stubble and hippy farmer hat and overcoat looking more like an extra in a Benny hill sketch...trying to portray a Hippy of old and not succeeding in fact he was born in that famous counter-culture year of 1967...summer of Love and flower power remember?...well I do anyway. sorry Mark it didnt work you looked a prat to my eyes. There was also that Aussie sound presenter Zac? not sure what he does or where he comes from? but he talks too much and tries to over emphasis his musical knowledge which irritates..over all a poor performance from the BBC presenters too.



On a serious note....There were a group of young protesters in the audience who had planned in advance and with the permission of the festival organisers to protest against U2's recent decision to shift their business organisation out of Eire their home country to avoid paying their tax rate. you've got to understand here that Ireland are currently suffering their 2nd worst recession in history and are in financial dire straits. U2 earned £120 million plus last year from various sales/tours and are estimated to be worth jointly £800 million so vastly rich beyond most peoples dreams yet they choose to leave their ailing country at its worst point to avoid the tax....all this and lead singer Bono makes a huge point of caring about his country and the under priviliged of the world etc etc how two faced is this!? Stay and pay your taxes U2..help your country when in need! I was disappointed when this young protest group with their planned demonstration to bring the tax issue to our attention were not allowed to be on camera. indeed as soon as they inflated their 20 foot balloon with words printed across it ' U need to pay your taxes 2' they had thuggish security guards jump on them and bundle them away...how un-Glastonbury in spirit.




After 4 hours slouching in my chair I felt totally drained of emotion and a little empty....deflated emotionally I mean instead of lifted. thankful that I wasnt there in the rain'n'mud like I wished I was 4 hours previously. Thumbs up to the festival and the thousands that still enjoy it but for me personally its a different animal that I dont recognise anymore....I'm off to bed to dream of days of old..oh it was such a special time back then...there was a magic in the air in Glastonbury 1970s model...a feeling of Camelot....isnt that what dreams are made of? CALLEN















Words of Wisdom...." The only things in life you will regret.....are the risks you didnt take "

This Timeless Place

THIS TIMELESS PLACE

Diamonds on the velvet

Starlight in the black

A valley steeped in history

Far from the beaten track

Strawberries in the water

Crystals on the sea

This timeless place of mystery

This secret I can see

I come here to slay my demons

Heaven's eyes will stare them down

Now I know the magic of believing

Now I hear the beauty of no sound





In a place where witches gather

In a grave of shipwrecked souls

I found a taste that I can savour

And I turned off life's controls

In the warm Atlantic sunlight

In the wild and sea green air

Did I try to touch the moonlight

This timeless place can take me there

This timeless place that we can share





An ocean like a mirror

But a stranger in the glass

A mouth that's always welcome

Swallows my dreams at last

A wind that seems to whisper

Blows a cyclone in my mind

And when you are like a hurricane

All my thoughts can then unwind

I didn't come to find redemption

But it came and found me here

I can see but almost blind myself

When that starlit sky's so clear





I saw the place where witches guard us

I saw the mariners of Arbroath

The world marches on regardless

But now I'm haunted by their ghosts

In the warm Atlantic sunlight

In the wild and deep blue sky

For the love of gold and moonlight

This timeless place won't pass you by

This timeless place won't let you die





She watches beauty through my eyes

She reads the words that I would write

And she knows there is no curse

The sights and thoughts were always hers

She saw the ghosts of sailors in my mind

She smelt their death within my sight

And she knows that they are at peace

She knows their souls have found release

Sailors on the turquoise

Widows wrapped in black

A witch that's never vanquished

And death wears its usual mac

She smiled and kissed a mariner

An Arbroath smokie who might steam

He bucked and kicked like a stallion

In a wet and deathly dream





In a place where witches gather

Near where those sailors died

My god! I've dreamed of changes

That spells and sails now sanctify

This timeless place in the Atlantic

This ocean wave and wild blue wind

This timeless place is so romantic

This timeless place where love begins





And those mariners of Arbroath

Seem to listen through the years

I can almost hear them swear that oath

I can almost hear them crying tears





In a place where witches gather

A timeless place where sailors lie

Their sight is blind to changes

But our night's eyes cannot comply

In the bright stars of the Atlantic

I fell again in love with life

This timeless place is so romantic

This timeless place

This timeless place

This timeless place

This timeless place within my sight













Words of Wisdom........" The point of living and of being an optimist is to be foolish enough to believe the best is yet to come"

Get me to the church on time...The Royal Wedding 29th April 2011

Well the widely promoted Royal event finally arrived and passed with military precision unsurprisingly as it was their stage managed show. A huge technicolor extravaganza that lit up tv screens the world over. In modern media terms it was a cross between a tv soap opera and reality show with a sprinkling of Romance straight out of a Jane Austin novel. Pomp and pageantry in bucket loads and brightly colored camp uniforms and shiny swords that you might expect from a West end Theatre production of "Oh What A Lovely War". It was all there filling the Plasma screens in glorious 3D color. To me it was like one of those cosy sunday afternoon films on the telly where you slip your shoes off..knees up on the sofa...pour a glass of wine..darken the room and settle down cosily to watch a nostalgic old film of yesteryear for pure escapism. indeed thats what the whole spectacle was designed for to distract joe public away from todays serious world events.



Sitting there watching it all unfold on the screen it was so easy to slip into a trance like state of National pride and nostalgia....indeed I did for a while but it wasnt because I am woolly headed over the monarchy or believed in fairytails..no it was because I'm big on History and value some elements of Tradition even relating to past monarchy but I state here very clearly I'm not a Royalist...nor an I woolly headed over such things. I am a Realist and my head in stuck firmly in the 21st Century where it so belongs..its a pity more of the Mall flag wavers arent the same. I must stress here I'm not a moany ole spoilsport either The Royal family today are an oddity and in reality are little more then a Tourist attraction for foreign visitors of which the British economy relies upon because they flock here in their millions to view old Britain. Many Royal supporters will argue that they are a figurehead or brand label of this country and promote world trade because of the image of political stability they portray..I think there is some worth in this view but its hard to prove.





To me the Royal family represents Elitism and the class system in this country that has dogged us for generations. certainly oppressing the lower classes denying them opportunities and social standing. denying them political freedoms and advancement in many areas. The Royals also represent Empire which no longer exists and we all know past Empire ambitions oppressed other cultures in the world and invented Negro slavery. not to mention sowing the seeds of many of the world conflicts/wars we are experiencing today. Empire was good for an elitist few in the past but didnt give much to the lower classes. I argue that Empire should be assigned to the history books as a negative thing and not celebrated like it was at the Royal wedding. The Royals have no real political power in todays Britain and hardly influences Parliament..remember Parliament and Democracy only exists because of rebellion and civil war in this country thanks to Cromwell and his rebels. To re-instate the Monarchy after creating Parliament was a big mistake in my view. Like I said they are a modern oddity in todays world and represent very little.





I havent mentioned the happy couple whose day it was after all. I personally think they are both rather nice and appear reasonably down to earth [well the media have painted this picture]..indeed its hard not to like them and I sincerely wish them well. I just hope sweet Kate is fully aware [unlike Diana before her] what shes letting herself in for? being a Commoner she didnt have Posh Dianas training in the Aristocratic world she came from. Many will think the wearing of Dianas ring was a nice touch but it rings differently to me....its well written the royals view women as mere fillys there for breeding future kings as inbreeding is important to them and its well documented that after Princess Diana spouted a few male baby heirs she was more or less disgarded by the inner circle..even bonny Prince charlie chose to spend his private and intimate time with his mistress Camilla rather then his Princess wife. Theres that famous moment captured on film of newly engaged Charles and Diana speaking to the tv news camera when he was asked if he was in love?...his somber reply was " I'm not sure what love is"...she was there as a mere filly for breeding. lets hope sweet Kate doesnt suffer the same fate a few years down the line but I think shes safe until she sprouts male heirs dont you?




One of my biggest beefs on the wedding extravaganza is of course the cost. We must all be aware that we are currently suffering the worst recession since the 2nd world war and everyone in this island country is suffering as a result of cowboy bankers who were unregulated by government and of course semi corrupt government members toboot. Make no mistake we are in a very bad way out in the real world away from the fairytail wedding images. Out on the street our public services are being drastically cut and we havent seen the results of that yet. In our hospitals the cuts are savage as frontline nursing staff are being sacked and doctors are being forced out. Not to mention our current government are slowly selling off our precious NHS to the private sector. patient care is suffering and people are dying literally because of those cuts. in our schools teachers are not being employed for lack of money and classes are increasingly being run by teaching assistants which is scarey as the education of our children is vital. Our armed forces are being diluted to a frightening level with sackings right across the 3 forces and equipment being scrapped..yet the crazy thing is our corrupt government is getting us involved in new war conflicts that have nothing to do with us the latest being Liberia. its easy to forget our involvement in old wars in Afghanistan/Irag are costing this country many £millions each day.





add to this our arts budgets are being cut..our Libraries..our Charity organisations are going under...our industries are failing through lack of investments etc etc all this madness happening yet the fairytale Royal wedding is being funded via the already empty public purse. its estimated the wedding pomp itself has cost up to £100million and add to that the public holiday with lost industrial production of which our failing economy desperately needs will amount to almost £3-4 billion. Its really quite hard to take in the end costs and what reward does such expenditure bring? a few days of unity and public happiness/escapism? We are talking about one of the richest families in the world here with their £billion plus fortune and their riches increase every year because of the Royals investment and property/land ownership. I am outraged that we the suffering public had to finance this over the top display of elitism and class...if the Royals wanted to set an example and show they understand our current suffering in this country why didnt they finance this wedding? we're all in it together arent we?



I am of course aware the Royals give a lot of pleasure to millions of ordinary folk. I am not advocating here lining them up against the wall and shooting the lot of them..although it may not be a bad thing for our future. I would be happy to see them remain for the few positive reasons I mentioned somewhere above but..let the flag waving royalists agree to fund them by paying maybe an extra 50p tax per week and those who dont want them which numbers millions as well opt out of having their taxes taken without choice..thats fair and Democratic isnt it? I do understand why ordinary folk love them so much. The Royals represent a past age and values which are now lost in this country thanks to corrupt government policies that have dilluted the essence of this nation over the past 5 decades. People hark back to a time of morale standards and social community with institutions in place that bound us together etc those things are gone now and people wrongly think the Royals that represent a bygone age can bring that back...its misguided thinking in my view. if the British public can only get together in community during Royal events then we are in serious trouble...The fairytale Wedding does not reflect reality I'm afraid its as real as a tv soap. In the real world we live in streets where neighbours dont know one another and make no effort to do so. we have allowed ourselves to slip into an Orwellian Big Brother police state out there...the fairytale isnt true!



Indeed the Orwellian feared State did show its ugly face prior to the wedding event when big brother police raided umpteen addresses both in london and outside arresting innocent people on trumped up charges that they were suspected of plotting to disrupt the Royal event. including 3 London squats where whole families were thrown in jail cells for 3 days without charge..only on suspicion of pre-crimes. that is surely reminiscent of past Royal behavior ie throw them in the tower. Even the registered and legitimate protest groups had their freedom of speech taken away from them for 3 days so thats Royal Democracy in action..its not a fairytale vision I want to be part of....my Royal flag has no wind in its sail..god save the Queen! CALLEN














Words of Wisdom..... "To get to the end of the rainbow...you have to put up with the rain"

Rolling Stones - Satisfaction Live In The Park

TURN TO STONE

" Have you ever felt the wind blow softly on your face "
when the stars hung like diamonds in the sky........
Have you ever tasted teardrops when your dreams have been erased
when the love you loved has turned and said "goodbye"


Have you ever seen the morning when its drawn upon the mountain
and the mist is like a blanket upon the sky........
Have you ever heard your own heart when its crying and shouting
at the one you loved who just turned and said "goodbye"


I didnt know but I guess we were strangers
now shes gone and I am left alone
Theres nothing left here but things to remember...
the way her heart has turned to stone


Have you ever seen a moment like the black of midnite
when you felt your life was over and you cried
Have you ever prayed to your maker when just living was too much
when the one you loved just turned and said "goodbye"


I didnt know but I guess we were strangers now shes gone
I am left here alone with nothing but things to remember
oh lord my heart has turned to stone.










Words of Wisdom......" To create art means putting ones head..ones eye..ones heart on the same axis "

New beginning...New year...new opportunities....2011

So..how many new year resolutions you gonna make and probably end up breaking? People in western culture are so flighty and lacking in self disciplines. I ponder is it because we are without religious faith these days? or maybe because we are blinded by endless temptations? Is consumerism so unsatisfying that we crave more and more in a vain attempt to find something? until in the end we are totally lost spiritually and consumed ourselves!



Yes the end of an old year causes reflection and stock taking..unless of course you wanna stay on the same ole treadmill as last year. Its time to reflect quietly on the lost opportunities of last year and the mistakes we made with people. Trying not to repeat them. Like a beautiful king snake in the garden of Eden we should shred our old skins once a year and face the new year a new. we need to spiritually evolve and hopefully become better people..this crazy violent world needs that!



We need to stop and question the way we live. we are greedy and selfish..we are impulsive and reactionary..we are arrogant and narrow minded...its not our fault because we have been taught to behave that way. many travel through each year thinking the most important thing in life is...our own happiness! we want a better car..better/bigger house..the latest electronic gadget accessory..more exotic holidays..more better sex..wanna wanna wanna...so..where does it all end? what is the ultimate goal? A better world?



In the near future when there really is a 'Them and Us' society divided by extremes of wealth education and technical know how. Where the chosen minority live in security gated communities and the under classes live on massive cctv watched estates with their own shopping malls schools and social facilities. when sea levels have risen and we no longer have long hazy summers but hurricane storms are the norm. that western liberal religions have all but died out and the world faith is predominantly Islam. The oil has all but run out and we cant afford to purchase/run the new electronic cars and in any case we are restricted to 20 miles per week etc etc is this really a picture of the future?



Why not make a resolution to be more human from now on? to think of others less fortunate than ourselves..to be more tolerant to those that are different to us in race look philosophy culture. To have respect for our communities and the world we live in. To not follow false heroes like celebrities or consume without thought. To look beyond materialism because its all just glitter and not gold. when you are a nan or grandad in the future and your little grandchild looks up at you and innocently asks.." What did you do nan/grandad before the world changed? " Will you reply.." Oh I was too busy having a good time with my big house/fast cars/latest Ipod phone/cool fashions/binge drinking/casual multiply sex partners etc etc to even notice the changes in the world" Its a brand new year and if we try we do have the power to change things for the better.




When you walk out the door tomorrow make an effort...reach out with kindness to someone new for a change and break through that wall you have built around yourself...what wall you might say? are you sure there isnt one?. break free from your cosy social clique and connect with others. Its called caring and community...remember when we had that? Our societies have slipped into a surreal scenario where neighbours living on the same street or even housing block are strangers. Even elderly folk living in our midst can die and no one knows for weeks. its unreal. One of my new year Resolutions is to try and be a better person in 2011 and reach out. Are you going to make the effort?? CALLEN







Words of wisdom...." The road to hell is..paved with good intentions!"