It started on a Friday in a land not far away and the idea spread like wildfire and they began anew that day.
He stood up in a market place and read out his idea
“Lets Unify the Whole Planet and make all borders disappear”
“Let’s eliminate all scarcity and ensure a more than a basic wage”
“Let’s have a single Global Currency for Living, commerce and trade”
“Let’s eliminate all Nations, Passports, Visas, Border Walls”
“Let’s close all the armies, navies, airforces too and have no weapons at all”
And as he planted seeds his crowd it grew and grew
until the Whole World was listening not just one or two
He said, Everyone can have free energy, renewable and then we all will thrive
“When we end all governments will be a great day to be alive”
“Do no harm and nurture all and simplify all laws”
“Support and love all people and lift up all the poor”
Have a governance of things based on compassion and doing no harm
Then all people can live in love without fear, in security, without alarm”
Let’s make all food organic, all medicine for free,
free public transport, free schools and homes and life will be easy
“All people just want love, security, happiness and compassion
To create a life of love where all can thrive and live in passion
One Friday afternoon the man stood up and said
He told them his Ideas and world wide they spread
The following poetry was written by James Arthur Warren AKA Thundercloud in memory of Daniel Walmsley, victim of prohibition. Early one morning, the day before the Nimbin Mardi Grass cannabiss law reform protestival I walked outside in the dark as the first light was coming. I heard the tawny frogmouth and listened. Then I went inside and wrote down what came to mind. This happened two more times and now I present the words of the wise owl to you.
There is an indigenous belief that tawny frogmouths are messengers of the dead. This spirit bird crowed three times, before the roosters and the kookaburra early in the morning. When the cock crows three times the truth is told.
The Tawny Frogmouth On Prohibition
The tawny frogmouth came to me very late last night
It was very early morning and it spoke very quiet
“I’ve something important to say and this is my position
Humans will not be free until you END PROHIBITION
I’m a tawny frogmouth owl and I see your frustration
With the punitive justice drug war of incarceration
77,000 non criminal users each year locked and jailed
And crime rates have risen the drug war has failed
80 percent of the injustice system is wasted each year
Locking up people for flowers you people are queer
It is obvious to all that prohibition has failed
When you can harm minimise and empty half the jails
Make access safe and clean drugs a right
Save billions of taxpayers dollars overnight
The police could focus on violent crime
Harm minimisation means there’s less people dying
Harm minimisation means that you support the abusers
Educate and rehabilitate the hard drug abusers
Less Overdoses and violent crime gangs will fade away
Grow herbs freely at home, juice cannabis each day
It is obvious to us that you must End Prohibition
Call all politicians today is your mission
And explain all the benefits of ending the war
On drugs, children, the sick, elderly and poor
Write emails, make videos, protest and shout
End prohibition, let the prisoners out
Time to end prohibition and the drug war
On the socially vulnerable, sick, black and poor
It makes me so mad I’m usually so quiet
Said the tawny frogmouth, I want to sleep now it’s light
The Tawny Frogmouth part 2
The tawny frogmouth came to me early in the morning
As the clouds turned red, as the sun was dawning
The wise old owl hooted and the words he spoke were true
“I’m a tawny frogmouth owl, this is what you need to do”
“Write down what I tell you, what I have to say,
It’s time you humans ended all drug prohibition today
Us tawny frogmouth owls are spirits of the dead
Who died from overdoses and systemic violence” he said
“I know you find it weird and difficult to believe
But tawny frogmouth owls are loved ones that you grieve”
“That is why I’m here with my message for you
Ending Prohibition will save loved ones lives it’s true
I’m a tawny frogmouth owl and I really give a hoot
Prohibition harms but harm minimization is beaut”
I stood there quietly listening to what the wise owl said
“End all prohibition and harm minimization instead
When you end all prohibition everything will be alright
Maybe then” the tawny frogmouth said, “I’ll get some sleep at night”
A kookaburra came in the light of early morning
“Listen to the tawny frogmouth, listen to his warning”
“To end all prohibition and empty half the jails
Change your outdated laws because prohibition has failed”
The kookaburra flew off laughing “Prohibition is a failure”
End all prohibition, hurry up Australia”
The Tawny Frogmouth part 3
The tawny frogmouth owl came to me again
Said, “I’ve got a very important message for you my friend
I’ve come to visit you early in the morning
Because you are the one who will sound my warning
We wise owls think you humans are very strange
You seem so conservative and reluctant to embrace change
Your outdated laws are causing much frustration
Time to End Prohibition and change this situation
It isn’t rocket science in fact is plain to see
That your prohibition laws take people’s rights to be
Healthy, free and happy and lock them in a prison
Jails full of poor and black, incarceration rates have risen
Mummy went to jail, Nana went there too
All because of the herbal cannabis they grew
Prohibition is an attack on human rights
It is such an injustice, I have trouble sleeping at night
Humans do you get it? I do I’m an owl
Adopt harm minimization and end prohibition now
Prohibition is social manipulation, slavery in disguise
Prohibition causes violent crime to rise
When prohibition exists people live in fear
Of truth and being caught, imprisoned for a year
Please call your politicians the tawny frogmouth said
When you harm minimise, I can go to bed
Please reconsider your perspective on prohibition of drugs
Free the plants and herbs and undercut the thugs
When you end prohibition there will be a reduction in crime
With harm minimization, there will be less parents crying
When you end prohibition billions of dollars will be saved
Less cops, prisons, lawyers, deaths, more health and happiness every day
I have nearly finished, I’ll try to have a sleep
But I find it very difficult because I often weep
For the victims of the drug war, those overdosed and dead
Brothers, sisters, children’s deaths preventable he said
I’m a tawny frogmouth owl and there is something you must do
Harm minimise, end prohibition now what I’m saying is true
Everyone can see prohibition is a failure
End prohibition now change is good Australia
There is one more thing, you cannot waste your vote
Put a 1 next to the HEMP PARTY in the Senate when you vote.”
#auspol #EndProhibition #MinimiseHarm #Vote1HEMP
Thundercloud’s new book End Prohibition Poetry Nimbin Mardi Grass 2019
2019
This poem and many more are available in my newest book End Prohibition Poetry Nimbin Mardi Grass 2019 by contacting me via email
James Arthur Warren (BSc AES, GCTSL, MTESOL)
AKA Thundercloud Repairian
email:1english1@gmail.com
Writer, poet, performer and finalist in the 2019 Banjo Paterson Australian Poetry Competition
Photo: Tawny Frogmouth in front of Atlantis by James Arthur Warren https://www.instagram.com/1english1video/
Read on to find out about my newest book End Prohibition Poetry Nimbin Mardi Grass 2019 released especially for the cannabis law reform rally in Nimbin, New South Wales, Australia,
I arrived in Nimbin in early May 2017 for Mardi Grass and met another newcomer to Nimbin by the name of Daniel Walmsley. Daniel was a kind young man in his mid twenties and talented artist who had just received an arts grant. He was excited to be able to do what he loved and be paid for it. Unfortunately for Daniel he overdosed and choked in his vomit early one Saturday morning. I happened to be going for an early morning walk when I came across a nurse trying to resuscitate Daniel and gave assistance
The following poem is dedicated to the memory of Daniel and all the victims of the “War on drugs” which is really a war on people who were not able to get safe doses when they were self medicating because of the punitive justice system which puts “users” in to “fear of truth”, hiding their addictions and unable to get assistance in recovery. Daniel Walmsley
It started on a cold Friday
The drumming circle, dance and play
All the families gathered around
Barefoot on the cold hard ground
Drummers drumming having fun
Stomping feet down goes the sun
Fires burning in the parks
Shooting stars and burning sparks
Rhythmic hands all beat it out
The drumming circle dance about
Nimbin on a Friday night
Drum and dance by fire light
They bring their drums out to the street
Where dancing feet move to the beat
Dreadlocks smokes it clean and green
He beats his blue drum with the team
Down by the fire at the Oasis
There’s lots of friends and friendly faces
Try this hit, it won’t hurt you
He overdoses and starts to spew
Starts the walk to hospital
“I’m OhDee-ing” He starts to call
Falls down to the cold hard ground
In his vomit starts to drown
Nurse and passers by all thump
On his heart they start to pump
“Call an ambulance” they cry
“Daniel, Daniel, please don’t die
CPR the people start
Giving breath and pumping heart
Police and ambulance arrived
For forty five minutes we all tried
Sun comes up cold Saturday
Daniel’s soul flies away
Leaving behind broken hearts
Drawing and paintings of Daniel’s arts
Overdosed on cold concrete
Laying dead with cold bare feet
End prohibition right now, today
Harm minimisation saves lives we say
Laying on the cold hard ground
His heart stopped and just shut down
His life might be a memory
End prohibition for safety
Thundercloud’s new book End Prohibition Poetry Nimbin Mardi Grass 2019
Dedicated to the memory of Daniel Walmsley
Specially produced for Mardi Grass, I have copies of my new book now available, End Prohibition Poetry Nimbin Mardi Grass 2019 for $10+$2.50 postage in Australia.
It’s only available directly from me so send me an email 1english1@gmail.com if you would like a copy or pop in to fantAsian Eatery Nimbin to pick up a copy.
Sample
If you were the parent of a child who was sick would you give cannabis to your son named Rick?
If you were a wife of a man with cancer would you give cannabis as a life enhancer?
If you were a doctor and you knew a cure, pharmaceutical poisons or a herb that’s pure?
If a harmless herb can heal many people why is it registered, licensed, illegal?
The Banjo Paterson Bush Poetry Festival in Orange, New South Wales begins on the 17th of February. There are a number of events happening throughout Orange and the surrounding district until the 24th of February 2019.
Events include The Banjo Paterson Bush Poetry Competition which I am entering a poem titled “Our Darling is Dying”. There is also Rotary Brekky and Poetry on the Pavers as well as Poetry in the Pub featuring the Poet’s Brawl. In the poets brawl, poets have one minute to deliver any original poem, bush, slam, rhyming, non-rhyming but must use both the words “Banjo” and “Orange”.
“Andy Banjo Player” is the poem I have written for the “poets brawl”, tell me what you think in the comments.
Andy played a banjo with an orange and he played it very bad
It made a juicy squishy sound and it drove his mother mad
Orange juice went everywhere and pith and peel too
The ants came by the millions and the fruit flies flew
He played with so much gusto and a lot of zeal
Grated it and juiced, he was left with orange peel
Only when he ran out of juice did Andy’s playing stop
So he ran out to a fruit stall and bought a kilo from the shop
Playing “Orange Crush”, the song from REM
Played every single orange till he’d juiced all of them
Bottled it and marketed it and only told the truth
Under the trade make of Andy’s Banjo Orange Juice
Copyright 2019
If you like this poetry and want to read more please follow me or you can also find me on Youtube at 1english1video
It’s Christmas eve in Nimbin and yesterday I was invited to an interview and reading of my selected poetry at 2NCR 92.9fm (link to live stream) Northern Rivers Community Radio in Lismore. Before I left, I went back to get a couple of copies of my books, “Love in Nimbin” and “Lust in Nimbin” to give to the presenters.
I grabbed my books and saw my box full of handwritten notebooks. I randomly opened the note book called “Do what you love” and there was two “lost poems” from 2017 that I had missed adding to my books when I hurriedly published them for Mardi Grass 2018. The poems I found were one about and experience I had when I first arrived in Nimbin. The other poem was one that I had written at a Medical Cannabis wotkshop during a symposium put on by the Hemp Embassy in Nimbin. This has inspired me to add these two poems to the second and revised editions of Love in Nimbin and Lust in Nimbin.
I am pretty careful with the storage of my manuscripts and this episode reminded me that I need to continue with my storage practices so that I leave behind a legacy of the original writing.
This morning, I awoke on the 24th of December, Christmas Eve and Facebook reminded me of a seven year old post which was one of my early poems that I had totally forgotten about. I will publish this poem in one of my upcoming books, however I have also decided to share it with you as a gift of love to hopefully put a smile on your face.
On the table.
He laid her on the table.
So white and clean and bare.
His forehead wet with beads of sweat.
He rubbed her here and there.
He touched her neck and then her breast.
And then drooling felt her thigh.
The slit was wet and all was set,
He gave a joyous cry.
The hole was wide…he looked inside.
All was dark and murky.
He rubbed his hands and stretched his arms…
And then he stuffed the turkey.
More animal poetry is on the way when I listen to what the animals say
I’ve finished writing “Seahorse Medicine for future humans” and my next step is to illustrate, edit and format for print but that takes time and money both of which are stretched thin at the moment. However, I do keep on writing and now have enough poetry for a second book of children’s animal poetry (Seahorse Medicine Too Grow) as well as begining on a third collection called “Seahorse Medicine Three: Animals speak through me.”
The following poems will be included in the third book
The Bush Turkey
The Bush turkey is a nurturing man
Hatches the eggs because he can
In the forest
Scratch around
Pile the leaves
Bush turkey mound
Raises the kids
For his wife
Father nurtures
New young life
Feels the temperature
Neck of yellow
Patient waiting
Until chicks cheep, “hello”
“Daddy, daddy we love you”
For all the nurturing
You do”
Bush turkey
With a head of red
Yellow necklace
Powerful legs
Wings of Black
Lustre Shine
You nurture life
You are
Divine
Brother Bush turkey
Came toward me
His three sisters hid away
He’d come over as a decoy
To protect his sisters
What a boy
There was dad
Working hard
Big yellow neck
Scratching hard
With powerful legs
Adjust the temperature
Incubating eggs
Gentle men
Care and protect
Nurture family
And respect life
Just like a Bush turkey
Soldier Crabs 1
Sensitive and strong
With armour of blue
Left right left right
How do you
Not trip over
With so many legs
Running all together
And not tangle your legs?
Tiny Birds
Little tiny birds fly towards the light
To escape the darkness and when they’re closed inside
Up towards the heaven where the sun lights up the sky
Little birds swoop and soar towards the light up high
You might consider action and today is the day
There’s a climate emergency that won’t go away
If we don’t work together to protest and shout
The message won’t be heard and will not get out
Imagine a world filled with peace and free energy
From renewables for all and plant billions of trees
I won’t happen if you believe the Courier Mail
If you don’t protect and take action the ecosystem could fail
But if you start today to protect life on Earth
End the coal days with a renewable rebirth
Take the day off to take Climate Action
To stop the Climate Emergency and government Inaction
You might consider to #disrupt and #disobey
The propaganda in the Courier Mail today
Get out of your home and take over the street
When we all work together the climate emergency is beat
There’s a climate emergency, time for you
Glue yourself to the road with superglue
Get on the fresh air and protest today
Or the #Climate Emergency is coming your way
Original Poetry written by Thundercloud Repairian, Nimbin based publisher, writer and performance poet. Thundercloud is available for performances and readings
Crepuscular rays of the sun through the trees
In the dawn there is silence, not even a breeze
Rising in the East and flying through the sky
Shining on all from your birth till the day that you die
There’s blue sky, fresh air and flowers around
In this place of abundance birds and trees all abound
I love the morning that is born from the night
When the Earth spins around and we get sunlight
I give thanks for the beauty and light in the morning
I give thanks for all life and the sun as it is dawning
Without the sun and trees little moisture would rise
Then there would be very few clouds in the skies
There would be no Thunderclouds to make falling rain
To wash away garbage and bring new growth again
I love the mountains, the trees and the rays of the sun
Because lonely life in the darkness would not be fun
Sitting up late one night I had a thought of war
How the whole world would be happy if it was gone forever more
I thought about a world where everyone lives in love and peace
And how we’d laugh, smile and dance with joy the day we end the war disease
We’d eliminate all fear and all humans could grow and thrive
The day we close the armies will be great to be alive
Melt down all the warships, tanks and fighter planes
Give the soldiers all jobs planting trees, fruit, growing grains
We’ll remove the border walls and no more competition
There will no longer be the need for the old Waring tradition
Because instead of fighting, everyone will lend a hand
When we end all war will be an awesome day and grand
It will happen in my lifetime and it’s going to be great
The day we all unite will be the day we celebrate
The ending of the wars, the killing and the fear
And all the weapons gone and the peace that will appear
Everyone will share their food and there will be no scarcity
The day the war machines stop will be the day humanity is free
From the fear and anxiety and loathing of each other
Look in the eyes of everyone and you’ll see your sister, brother
We’ll be happy and all smiling, forgiving with compassion
With no more separation and competition we will fashion
A world of peace and love with happiness the plan
Where everyone can celebrate, boy, girl, woman man
Now you’ve heard my story let’s begin today
Imagine all the happiness when all wars go away
You can start where you are and achieve your inner peace
Eliminate your guns and fear of other people disease
Because that is where it starts when you dehumanize
When you think of other people as less with judgement on your eyes
And you impose on others your judgement about being
And enforce it with a war, is the scenario I’m seeing
But you don’t need to be scared or bullying and so demanding
When you can be accepting, listening, caring and understanding
And approach all people as humans with love and with compassion
A world of peace without war, the whole will fashion
All people came together with love and peace their job
United all the world as One United Mob
Because war was bad for business and war a social failure
And it started with an idea that spread, one night in Australia
