More Poetry from ‘Mad’ (i.e. a True Individual) Milan, otherwise affectionately known as ”trouble”;

Please Come to Leeds Survivors Poetry, if you fancy writing poetry

You never know, you might even enjoy it, but you won’t know if you don’t try!

If you are fed up or not or bored, give yourself a chance of more happiness,
by Being Unpredictable in a creative sense, and try somat new.
Why not suck it and see?

Introduction:

M. Ghosh was asked by Shahid Sardar of Diverse MINDS to write a poem for their magazine,

also called diverse minds

On the governments Women’s Mental Health Strategy 2005

Promoting choice, empowerment and self-determination

There is a cruel world and there is much suffering

Part of this is the disgrace, the sorry side of the human race.

Part of this is gender oppression, in other words a full recession of both female and male in society, and more depression.

In particular, in vernacular or common parlance the ordinary woman doesn’t stand a chance.

Of equality, solidarity, choice, the excruciating pain of not having a voice.

Yet in our heart of hearts we all know, women foremost, but some men too sexism is so unnecessary.

Gender oppression what does it mean? What is the best way to say, to reflect the pain of women’s dejected, collective soul.

Well here’s my guess: many things like a young girl’s or woman’s mind and voice constantly devalued. Her intelligence too. There’s rape, sexual abuse, domestic violence: my mother and I were beaten for 15 years. There’s so much words can’t say experience is the greatest teacher as Khalil Gibran a Sufi, Muslim prophet said.

I was an advocate on the wards for 6 years. Women told me of rape, physical and mental abuse, forced dependency into despair, depression and ECT. Yes women get the most ECT. Then there were rapes on the wards by other patients, and staff too, well they’re mad they made it up didn’t they!?

All these horrific things are real, true and repeated; that’s how patriarchy and racism become routine accepted, invincible, the oppressor makes you feel there is no possibility at all to repeal what seems like a law of the universe but yet which is literally ‘man -made.’

And so I repeat we can defeat we can and will defeat gender inequality.

With struggle, collectivity, unity, solidarity, empathy, empowerment choice.

With allies too there’s no need to be blue.

With this and half the battle has been won, the struggle for the positive begins, the struggle for positives: self esteem: personal and political, for the personal is political, for women, feminists, mental health service users and survivors who I prefer to call 9 – livers.

To reiterate, from the negative battle of getting rid of the power of men comes the positive alternative: self-determination of a community, a whole nation in fact.

With positivity in image, in mind we can be free, not victims living like animals cowing in terror, living a dog’s life. With positive social support: nurseries, work crèches and more specific mental health services and refuges, with respite, most carers are guess what… women. With the respect that comes from confident self-help in mental health or mutual support groups of whatever kind, with the respect, grudging or not, that comes with education with anti- domestic, anti -rape pro -women and pro- humanity laws!

The weeping sores can heal, the archetypal woman shall rise into the skies

She will feel alive as never before. Believe me anything, ‘owt as they say in Yorkshire is possible

Value women’s strength ability and potential

Value women’s strength ability and potential!

Value your allies. Value not only white Western women and feminism, but Black, Asian and ethnic women and womanism.

Choose, choose (!) to learn to repeal the past never, never allow your womanhood to be put last again.

For I really do believe freedom once tasted does establish, though 2 steps back and 1 fore…… does adhere. Can you see – but can you hear?

Value women’s strength ability and potential

Value women’s strength ability and potential!!

P.S. If you would like to write poetry beginner learner, starter you can always start something new.
you are FREE EE EE to write poetry at  Leeds Survivors Poetry

1st and 3rd Fridays of each month at
Leeds Civic Hall      Leeds LS1 1UR

The LSP Workshops for March 2015 are:
DATES FOR YOUR DIARY:
Fridays 6th and 20th
at 545pm – 745pm
LSP  Workshops for April:
Fridays 3rd and 17th

LSP Workshops for May
Fridays 1st and 15th

Please contact Tez via his blogs and this website. He’s happy to answer any questions you have.

It’s therapeutic, it’s good; it can uplift your mood, even save your life; art and poetry with mediation, good diet and therapy saved my life along with all the other good friends and wholesome practices in life

Is there anyone out there who could you, would you, help Terry Simpson advertise LSP  Workshops, suggest any workshops to publicise  LSP for free?