Britain lost a great man today : the poet Benjamin Zephaniah. He was funny, he was upright, he was compassionate, he could spot a phoney from half a mile away. When he was offered an Order of the British Empire (OBE), his response (unlike,oh, who, oh yes, you in the corner, blushing – Fergal Keane) was succinct and flattening:
“Me? I thought, OBE me? Up yours, I thought. I get angry when I hear that word “empire”; it reminds me of slavery, it reminds of thousands of years of brutality, it reminds me of how my foremothers were raped and my forefathers brutalised. It is because of this concept of empire that my British education led me to believe that the history of black people started with slavery and that we were born slaves, and should therefore be grateful that we were given freedom by our caring white masters. It is because of this idea of empire that black people like myself don’t even know our true names or our true historical culture. I am not one of those who are obsessed with their roots, and I’m certainly not suffering from a crisis of identity; my obsession is about the future and the political rights of all people. Benjamin Zephaniah OBE – no way Mr Blair, no way Mrs Queen. I am profoundly anti-empire.”
He has written many poems, but I like this one best. You should read it, Fergal…
Dis Policeman Keeps on Kicking Me to Death
Ina de distance of de night
You see dem flashing lights
We runnin' with no hope in sight
From de police and their satellite
Dis policeman keep on kicking me to death
I wonder if he'll murder me
I ask him what's his motive
He say he's watching too much telly
Dis policeman keep on kicking me to death
I wonder if he'll murder me
I ask him what's his motive
He say he's watching too much telly
I got me up and took me to de place fe human rights
A notice on de door said 'Sorry, we are closed tonight'
So I turn round and took myself to see dis preacher guy
Who told me 'bout some heaven dat was in de bloody sky
Now I don't wa'to kid myself but I don't think I'm free
If I'm free den why does he keep fucking kicking me
I tell you I'm not joking you should see dem over der
Dey have no respect for either living or welfare
Dis policeman is a creep I tell you he is mad
I am trying to do good while he exhibits bad
He was a man of great principles, May he rest in peace.