I came from a BROKEN HOME by Gil Scott-Heleon

I came from a broken home.

Not me

I am quoting Gil Scott-Heron

poet, recording artiste, campaigner.

Read the lyrics on the right

(click to enlarge them if needed)

Soak them in.

(the FULL lyrics are in the post below this.)

I worked with a group of

wounded young humans recently.

Everyone of them had

come from a broken home.

All had either been forced to leave

or chosen to leave because they were

~being physically battered

~made to feel they were not wanted

~abused

Another young man I know

was pushed away to live with grandmother

no place for him 'at home'.

In his twenties he still feels rejected

and has little confidence.

To feel unwanted

must be absolutely terrible.

Another tells me,

and it still rings in my ears,

that he was moved out

to nothing because

he was caught up in endless fights

between his parents.

He was cared for by the state

He mental health was cared for

He talks about feeling like a stray cat.

The stray cat lived on the street

no food for days

hardly sleeping

no clean clothes

filthy hair

all alone

feeling not good enough

feeling not enough.

He talks of walking into school

nobody knew him

feeling all alone

without a family

without a base

without belonging

without without.

He heard screaming in the night

He was full of such nightmares

He felt lost emotionally

relationally and

totally unstable.

At home he never been acknowledged

even doing well at school -

it was ignored.

He did good things, NO PRAISE

He joined a gang did bad things and

he was PRAISED BY HIS PEERS.

So many I know and work with,

and such a privilege to know them,

either explode - violence

or

Implode - self harm.

I felt so sad to hear

that Gill Scott Heron had died.

Only 62

I had seen him perform live in 2010

Mrs Beautiful had bought me tickets for a birthday.

We also booked him for

The Greenbelt Festival too.

I met and chatted with his band

and he failed to appear himself.

Never crossed the atlantic missed the gig.

He came from a broken home

he lived with it all his life

yet he was such a talented generous

all giving human

who had a crack dependency - I understand.

I feel with him and so many others.

I feel for him in his wounds

and so many others.

Rest in Peace and Shalom Gil

see you there and

say hello to Marvin

PS the Greenbelt Festival 2010 theme was DREAMS OF HOME.