Having returned to the UK last Saturday evening I have spent the week trying to reconcile what I saw in Kolkata with the words of youths interviewed on TV and radio following the riots in Britain. One comment in particular stood out for me:

“We hav nofing so we hav to do this “

The following came to me at 3am on Saturday morning

KOLKATA?

RIOTS! 

I have nothing so

I sleep on the streets with all that I own

                                        I smash up shops and steal what I want

 

I have no Hope so

I lap up the little teaching that’s offered

                                      I blame the Government and Society

I have No Future so

I beg on the streets for what little I get

                                       I throw stones at the Police and rile against authority

I Have little so

What little I’m offered I use to improve myself

                                      I do little and blame everyone but me

Where do you live

Kolkata

Or

London

Copyright S G Palmer August 2011