Commute

Individual reality

With no means of control

Secluded and peaceful

You shut down your soul

.
Headphones and crisp packets

Breathily killing time 

Silent and still 

As his eyes meet mine 

.

Lipstick lined with confidence 

Innocence with lust

Lost in the motion 

A mutual distrust 

.

A lullaby so gentle

The mother’s arms are steel 

Preparing for arrival

Unable to feel

.

Separation comes quickly 

A harsh fall from grace 

The senses are muted 

You return to your place. 

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Strong and stable

Purple flowers swarm her eyes, 

adjusting to the inevitable loneliness, 

the doll she once cherished 

a long ago friend.

She is too old for dolls

too old to pretend.

.

she contorts her toes into last winters boots, 

Feet slamming against the wooden floor.

Her heartbroken mother weighs safety with coins.

A child crying from hunger is hard to ignore.
.

We are strong, and we are stable. 

Yet her body is weak. 

The rent is overdue 

And it’s too cold to sleep. 
.

“And in tough times, 

everyone must suffer pain.” 

But what is a paper cut 

compared to a flame? 

Philosophy and suffering

Buddhism teaches that suffering is an inherent part of existence caused by our desire for sensual pleasures. Siddhartha Gautama explains that in order to achieve happiness, we must detach ourself from cravings and overcome our ego. 

I personally feel connected to Buddhism and the path to enlightenment however I cannot help disagreeing with the idea of detachment.  

Supporting the work of Miguel De Unamund, I see suffering as an essential tool in human existence. For example, suffering is useful motivation to act against inequality and social injustice. Instead of apathy, suffering forces us to become active in the world around us through the desire to decrease the pain we feel. 

The main difference between the two approaches depends on the motivation behind your actions. If you are wanting to achieve independent happiness then detachment and Buddhist teaching should be your chosen method. However, if you believe that personal happiness isn’t the goal, but a collective and universal peace then I would advise you to see suffering as a learning tool. For example if you do wrong then feel guilty, this guilt can guide your future choices and help you to avoid future suffering. 

This being said, both methods can be mutually exclusive. For example there will be many times that suffering occurs without a solution, e.g illness. In these times it is useful to use detachment as it allows you to have an escape from suffering without holding yourself responsible for the pain of others. 

The day I met God

Through the shadows 

The darkest days

Of ‘walking the path less trodden” 

.

You stay near

And yet through fear 

I have long since forgotten

.

Your memory is imbedded

Soaked in my skin 

As as adolescence grows strong 

.

 Straying from your plan 

You take my hand 

And guide me from my wrong 

.

And now I know 

The words you speak 

The path you have created 

.

I am your voice 

My life, your choice 

The world’s less complicated 

Apple handcuffs

Deceiving devices

With illusions of home 

Enchanting, enforcing 

You are never alone 

.

Trapped within technology
a smile quickly missed 

Isolating, instigating 

The grip on your wrist 

.

Addicted to Apple

Their fingers will bleed

Ostracizing, Oppressing  

Entwined in your greed

.

Stuck to screens 

Eyes accustomed to strain

Unfeeling, unattached 

Exempt from the blame

.

Foretelling the future

Lift up your head 

Apathy, atrocity 

 society is dead

Teddy bears and blowjobs

She lives in fantasy

a world of bliss

Broken down, destroyed 

When she has her first kiss

.

There’s lemonade in her wine

But a slur in her voice

She learns that position 

Is never her choice 

.

She’s all teddy bears and blow jobs 

Her waist getting thinner

Yet those ‘oh so practiced’ lustful eyes 

are reserved for the mirror 

.

Craves excitement and adventure 

Using twilight for reference 

Learns the art of seduction 

Whilst having no preference 

.

Adolescent naivety, 

Swallows her whole

But her innocent outlook

Is quick to unfold 

   .

She learns to smoke and inhale

drink without repulsion

And for hormones that rage 

She finds a solution 

.

She wears clothes for the fashion

Watching other girls chatter

She mimics their movements 

Her true thoughts don’t matter

.

Then she meets an admirer

His smile fake and kind 

Strategic and manipulative

Desire fills his mind

  .

His intentions are obvious

He  stands far too near

She follows his lead 

And suppresses her fear

.
She submits to his advances

Acts like it’s all fine

But wishes she could play with dolls

One final time 

Theresa May

Strong
Stable

Silent and scared

Strangers stare as schools despair

Students starve, shares shift offshore

Society smashed, tuition fees soar

.

Selling healthcare without shame

Snap election, Secluded campaigns.

Saudi Arabia sales become a formality

Supports fox slaughter, shuns homosexuality

.

Strong

Stable

But silent no more

.

We will.

Strive for equality

Sing the same tune

Stand for our future

Shout loud in June

.

Strong

Stable

She got one thing right

Strength shines within us.

United we fight

.
Strong

Stable

We will have our say

Let’s make June the end of May

From the kitchen to the bedroom.

Hey guys,  

I haven’t moaned for a while so thought it was time to have a rant :p.   

So today I found out that my university pays women lectures a lot less than their male counterparts. Call me naive but I had the audacity to assume that in modern Britain equality was an accepted part of society. Don’t get me wrong, I knew about the pay gap, the causal sexism and many issues women face in everyday life however I honestly believed that a modern institute which promotes education and equality would be fair in their practices and employment. 

Believing this matter was only an issue at my university, I decided to do some googling. What I found was shocking! All universities in England have discrepancies within their wages. Leicester university pays women an average of £9000 less than their male staff. 
In my opinion, these statistics are horrific, showing that regardless of how educated, how good at your job or how much experience you have gained, women will always be treated unfairly simply because they are born without a penis. 
So I decided to write this post to raise awareness of the hidden inequality that we still face in our lives, with the hope that if enough people complain, these practices will be changed. 
Let me know what you think in the comments. 

Ban the Burka bullshit!

We are a nation of freedom,

With alternative facts. 

We eliminate poverty, 

And promote bedroom tax. 

.
We discourage inequality, 

Whilst tuition fees soar, 

We hashtag for peace

As we start the next war. 

.
So when our clothing is determined, 

By fuckwits in suits, 

We do not falter.

We do not dispute 

.

We were warned by George Orwell, 

We are going to lose. 

We were warned by our history, 

The persecution of Jews. 

.

We were warned by the experts, 

Whom we no longer need. 

Our morals soon clouded, 

With anger and greed.

.

Because Islam is evil, 

Or so we are told. 

It is for our protection, 

We are being controlled. 

.

So now when a man asks you to undress, 

It is no longer oppression, 

The burka is the one true

cause of aggression. 

.

Priest, Rabbi’s and nuns, 

Can dress for their passion.

Hoods helmets and ponchos 

Are items of fashion. 

.

But the burka will be banned 

Although it has no connection, 

to violence or hatred, 

It will win the election. 

.

And whilst the rest of us sit,

With our hands over our eyes

They limit our lifestyles 

Ignore all our cries. 

.

So what will it take?

Before we make a stand. 

Overthrow those in charge,

regain control of our land.