'SOMALIFIELDS' POETS IN TOXTETH

5 Somali poets from Liverpool 8 have published a booklet of their recent work.They worked with Def Jam poetry group and Somali poet Gaarriye.The poems sound like Somali,Arabic and local dialect.Here are 2 poems.

ZAK
'I express myself through poetry:it enables me to release tension and stress.All in all it's a form of escapism.'

Poetry for me is more than therapy
It's part of me
Internally I feel it flowing
Growing and growing
Inside it bides
Waiting patiently
Sitting dormant
I keep it cornered and caged
Deep within
Fearing it's impact
On innocent minds
They're not ready
Or maybe I am not?
Perhaps I fear...
Fear what?
Will they like it?
Don't think that way
But what they say
Really matters
Mind state in tatters
Then independently it pours
From my mouth
A mind of it's own
Now it's in control
Enslaved by my own rhymes
Anger enters me
Could it be?
I envy my own poetry?...


What is war?
To kill another brother
But what for
Because he represents another flag
That differs from mine
Where is the thin line
And when does one step over it
To cause war
Is it land that he wants more
Then I'll gladly share with him
But no more war
No more hurt
No more hate
What is more great?
Peace or totalitarian state
If we did go to war
Warlords would be my enemy
Their deaths would be my remedy
So take my hand brother
Together we can climb this mountain
Steadily

CONGRATULATIONS TO BARACK OBAMA AND LEWIS HAMILTON by Tracey Dunn

A great week for U.S.A. and Great Britain as 2 black people achieve groundbreaking firsts.

Barack Obama has swept to victory in a landslide vote to become the first black President of the United States. Meanwhile in England Lewis Hamilton wins the Formula One racing prize.

It's astounding that in the 21st century this is a 'big deal' but sadly we still live in an ignorant world.

I wish them both the best of luck for the future and hopefully they will inspire others to reach for the stars!

THE LONG NIGHT OF THE BIENNIAL BY TRACEY DUNN

Thursday 30th October was the night that many Biennial exhibitions stayed open until 11pm and many venues put on special events to celebrate this.

I visited TATE Liverpool to see a performance piece by Wolfgang Flur who was the 'drummer' for Kraftwerk when they were at their peak in the late 70's and 80's.The first album I received (from my father) was Kraftwerk's Autobahn so I was especially keen to go.Wolfgang designed a lot of Kraftwerk's electronic instruments and consoles.A real talented tech-head.

He talked from his book 'I was a teenage robot' for over an hour and then showed some film with his latest music on.There was a prize of a signed remixed version for anyone who could name a particular insrument Kraftwerk used somewhere.Answer was a mellotron ...no one knew so the question became 'what was the first instrument Wolfgang ever played?' I said the flute but it was the mouth organ.I had hoped that because I was the only person there who had read his book I would win the remix !! I didn't.

We then visited the Red Wire Gallery's basement in Castle Street for Daniel Johnson's songs performed by local musicians.Daniel Johnson is a very talented American artist and musician who suffers quite severely with mental health problems ( inc. bi-polar) but has been an inspiration to Spiritualized,Beck and the late Kurt Cobain from Nirvana.In fact Kurt wore a Daniel Johnson T shirt frequently which I think introduced Daniel to a wider audience.

I also visited Daniel Johnson's exhibition of cartoons a few days later on its last day.It seems Daniel has a real struggle with good and evil.He is constantly trying to defeat the' demons' that swamp him from time to time.The art is about how we are born innocent and can slowly become corrupted in life and lose that innocence.Some symbols used are toddler's building blocks and winged eyeballs.The more eye's a character has the more corrupt it is in Daniel Johnson's world.