Are You Blacked Out?

Yeah mon -
I was jus walk'in the super market
an these black guys were look'in at me
an sez -

So where's your shooter mon?
This is a blackout -
you should jus rob the supermarket.

I'm like - "ok yeah," but really,
it was jus like a shade o blue deep,
like the bottomless sea.

So wot's a guy sposed to do?

What?

Hey listen friend -

The place I live is Brixton not Brighton,
and has the highest number of mugg'ins
and street crimes for miles around

Every night I go out I leave a light on
Every night I go to bed I have to listen
to car alarms ring'in - cops chas'in robbers

It's still my current sacred ground

I keep an eye on every penny that's sent,
live with what's really happening and different -
like grannies hitch'in rides on their itch'in feet

Or Jamaicans play'in their crazy noise
Or Tibetan monks talk'in about Beats
Or Afghan home boys who live on my street

And downtown poets organizing resistance to war
And the dope dealers from whom I sometimes score
Do you want to know more?

The place I live is Brixton not Brighton -

Call me and I'll leave a light on.

© 2003 - Adam Skidmore
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