Welcome to Day 23 of the April Write 2013: a new era begins
Today’s challenge is a bit different as we are blessed with the voice and words of our Guest Host: Karen Stally AKA ZUWA
Zuwa, meaning ‘Sunshine’, is here to shed some light and warmth, with her musical style and unique blend of lyrical content. ZUWA has a passionate conviction that words are the seeds of life, and this is reflected in her lyrical content and expressions. She communicates through songs and poems, to inspire and challenge, provoke thought, stimulate, heal and edify. Although her artistic experience is vast, her development as a singer-songwriter has been a very personal process, making her songs intriguing and rich.
“The first song I ever wrote and completed is called ‘Nothing to Lose’. It was recorded in 2006 and weirdly began as a rap, but the lyrics were quite different..It’s a love song, yes. One that laments love broken, love lost… And then decides there is nothing left to lose in admitting the love is missed. It’s a liberating feeling when you reach that point where you take the fear away and allow the love to just be what it is. “
The topic for today is: ‘Nothing to Lose’
“Have you ever felt that way, about anything? Where you realise you have nothing to lose.. Maybe because you’ve already lost something so important.. Or because you realise that the only thing stopping you is fear.. And a life lived under fear is no life at all.. Hope you find some inspiration in my ramblings… & here’s some of the rap version.. Just for fun:”
“Stress free zone was the place that I rested
My breast on your chest we caressed manifested
Could it be love it was pure
From the start and for sure
Time went on and now we both be wanting more”
Sit back relax listen to the beautiful tones or our sister and friend Karen Stally (ZUWA)
~ Marina
https://soundcloud.com/karen-stally/nothing-to-lose-zuwa
The April Write 
Donna Parkinson (c) April 2013
He’s got nothing left to lose….
Morning,
Dawning,
Boy child yawning,
Only 10 years old,
But he had to be bold,
To make ends meet,
Mamma had always had happy feet,
Needed to let off steam,
A constant stream,
Of men through the yard,
Cos she had the trump card,
Wet pussy, liquor and drugs,
It drew the thugs,
Like flies on shit,
She thought she had a solid gold clit,
Tic a tic a toc the Golden hen,
Laying eggs for the gentlemen,
Sometime nine, sometimes ten,
But then,
The laying stopped; the golden hen got sick,
Infected dick,
Put paid to her living,
No more head would she be giving,
HIV held her in its clutches,
No more solid gold crutches,
This pussy was retired,
No longer required,
So her son had to pick up the slack,
He sold crack,
On the corner from dusk til dawn,
Cold hungry and withdrawn,
He held his spot,
Day in day out he would shot,
For his mama’s medical bills,
She needed money to get those pills,
And he was the only means,
A crack dealer before he even reached his teens,
Come rain or shine,
He was on the frontline,
Selling his toxic wares,
What a state of affairs,
For a boy so young,
Street was his mother tongue,
And he was on his grind,
Confined,
To a life of vice,
What a price,
To pay,
A day,
In the life of a lost youth,
This was his truth,
His actuality,
Dodging mortality,
Was just a formality,
For him, no big ting,
All that was important was shotting,
He had nothing to lose,
Its not like he could chose,
His path,
The only aftermath,
Was To help his mother,
There was no other,
Way,
Hey,
He was good at what he did; streetwise,
Better than those other guys,
Who got busted on da regs,
And then he would pick up their dregs,
And take over their zone,
He always worked alone,
So he had no one with which to share,
He lived on a prayer,
And I swear,
He was on a mission,
Only to treat his mother’s condition,
All the street bullshit meant zero,
He was his mother’s hero,
And that was all that counted,
All the rest amounted,
To pile of steaming shit,
Nothing mattered except for the addicts wanting their next hit,
He needed their addiction,
Their affliction,
Was his earning potential,
And so it was consequential,
That he was on road,
The pavement was his natural abode,
His habitat,
Imagine that,
A 10 year old the best crack dealer in town,
You can frown,
If you want, but this was a day in life of this juvenile,
This unsuspecting boy chile’,
Was living the penalties of his mama’s decisions,
Life in the projects meant divisions,
There were no choices,
Only unheard, hungry voices,
Hell half the time food was an indulgence,
Hunger was a sixth sense,
But he made sure his mama was fed,
And that she had her meds,
As that was all he could do,
He had to pull through,
He had nothing to lose,
It’s not like he could chose his path,
The only aftermath
Was another day in life of a boy pushed to the very brink,
It was always swim or sink,
And he was determined not to drown,
He wouldn’t let anything knock him down,
So he hustled,
He bustled,
To make ends meet,
Night after night on the cold dark street,
Until 1 morning at early dawning,
Whilst innocently yawning,
He arrived home with enough dough,
To supply mums meds for a month or so,
Happy as hell he called out,
But mama was sprawled out,
On the floor with the needle still in place,
He would never forget the look on her face,
And as he bent to hold her,
He repeated something he’d told her,
Long ago,
I love you mum I hope you know,
But she couldn’t hear; she was already too far gone,
And it wasn’t long,
Before she died right there in his arms,
And the ghetto alarms,
Were ringing,
As he left the house clinging,
To days gone by,
And with a sigh,
And a tear,
And memories of yesteryear,
He left his mother to her truth,
And this was just another day in the life of a lost youth,
He had nothing left to lose,
It’s not like he could chose,
His path,
Now he would live the aftermath….
Morning guys this is an adpated version of the first chapter of my fifth book but it fitted so aptly here that i couldn’t resist.. sorry its not a new piece xx
Marina Bayley (c) April 2013
She realised that she had nothing to lose
Only to choose
To drop the noose from her neck and fully stretch
Drop the shackle
She try to compromise
But was to strong to bend and bow
Would not break
Leaving it to late
Not to be tamed
Order and control
With a chaotic asshole
So with his arm at her throat and the threat
In her ears
This man frame was going to hear
What she wanted and how she felt
In the briefness of moments
The words seep out
I have nothing to lose
And I no longer choose you
I want you gone
In the briefness of moments
The pain in the eyes
Blood boiled
Anger raised
One hand on her chest holding her against the wall
One hand behind his back
Do you want me to shoot you is what she hear
Her heart step back
Time stood still
In the briefness of seconds and against her will
She said, she said
Go on then
From somewhere deep inside
The lioness began to arise
The mournful roar
Ready to rip, this shit
Then just as it began
A tiny voice was heard
Mummy, mummy you ok
Against her will
In full control
Go back to bed Hun, I’m alright
Just changing things around tonight
Backing off in full shame
She looked at him with totally distain
I have nothing to lose
Except you
Zita Holbourne (c) April 2013
I SEE A RAY OF HOPE by Zita Holbourne, Poet~Artist~Activist
Look at the world around me and ask myself why
Try to stay strong but can’t help but cry
I see people living homeless hanging on to life by a thread
Children abused or worse abandoned or dead
I see those at the top, void of compassion for humanity
Those at the bottom finding relief through insanity
Those in power feasting on corruption and greed
Disregarding the dying in their hour of need
I see hatred exemplified through violence on the street
Children taking the lives of children gone in a heart beat
I see poverty and deprivation caused by a government who don’t care
Playing on the confusion caused by ignorance and fear
I see once strong people fighting just to stay alive
Trying to hang on to the last traces of dignity and pride
Humiliated by a system that has taken the little they had
Then demonises them as lazy, hopeless and bad
I see babies born into poverty whilst mothers abandon hope
As they try to juggle 3 jobs and family knowing they can’t cope
Trying to make ends meet living day to day
Living hand to mouth, struggling on low pay
I see a Cabinet of billionaires laughing at our demise
And a media amplifying their myths and lies
Causing confusion and disarray
Whilst increasing numbers have lost their way
I see equality stripped away and discrimination increasing
Whilst more give up hope and stop believing
That justice is a possibility accepting this as fate
Instead of recognising they need to wake up before it’s too late
I also see the people that think there’s nothing left to lose
And overnight they become just another statistic on the news
Some turning to drugs, others to alcohol or crime
No longer caring that their living on borrowed time
I see so much anger and despair
Tearing at my heart it’s so unfair
Those responsible unrelenting
Ripping out the souls of the living
Until it’s so painful they forget who’s to blame
Turn on their own in anger with no shame
Destroying aged and established foundations
Built through blood, sweat and tears by previous generations
Whilst those who created this situation
Look on and laugh with elation
Waiting for us all to self-destruct
Killing each other from mistrust
Not of those responsible for their misery
But of those who used to be
Their allies, comrades, sisters and brothers
Shunning each other like scorned lovers
If there’s nothing left to lose now it’s all been taken away
There’s nothing to lose in trying to find a way
To put aside minor differences and focus on what’s at stake
Unite to resist the attacks we face, if not for your own sake
To rebuild a future to bequeath to the next generation
Our children are suffering from a life not of their own creation
We owe it to them to pass on a foundation that’s strong
Take responsibility for correcting all that’s wrong
Focusing our energies not on hatred towards each other
But working as a loving family hand in hand together
To defend what’s left and fight for what’s been taken
So the next generation is not forsaken
If I look hard enough through the chaos, fears and tears
I see a community that is loving, brave and cares
I see the ability for us to work together and cope
As we resolve and thus heal, I see a ray of hope
Copyright 25 April 2013