Fly: Selected Poetry (Available To Order)


https://www.amazon.com/dp/1978105096


"Steve fly Pratt provokes the reader into a notorious intellectual ghetto, conspiracy theory. His methodology is susceptible to number of pitfalls. It is a daring genre. It is based on risks, like poetry or Bebop."--Christian Greer. The language of poetry requires a careful balance between spontaneous thought and various charging techniques, to pull down thought into alphabet and not stray too far from the laws. These words are shored from contaminated streams of consciousness, and deployed as snapshots. Brief excursions. Good poetry aims to charge language to a higher degree of meaning and i have no lesser aim to, power-up. Selected from writings started in America, Britain and for the most part, the Netherlands. These poems criss-cross between light hearted rhyming slang and exaggerated hyperbolic rap. Glossing everything from brexit to terrorism, facebook to John Coltrane, economics, psychedelics, anarchism, music and death. Sometimes hilarious, often cryptic and always rolling with rhyme, these scrawls bridge a decade or from the unique perspective of DJ, drummer and writer.


Love's in need of love today.

Love's in need of love today.

Over the last 24 days, great Britain has experienced a series of tragedies that have ripped through the heart of communities. The loss of life and the loss of trust are devastating, and i for one need to talk a little about my feelings on these events, and so move forwards with some clear answers to the lingering question of why?

The UK general 'snap' election, called by the PM also devastated and divided communities, families and friends. Although nobody died directly due to the election, it does not seem unreasonable to suggest that the two organized 'terror' attacks were somehow influenced by the timings of the atrocities, and, that it would seem to me to be the conservatives and right-wing who would benefit from such public insecurity following the attacks. Corbyn and Labour were openly attacked by opponents for being soft on security, and for wanting to negotiate rather than 'push the button'. Fortunately it seems that not all voters were tricked by fear into voting for the right. Corbyn and Labour made great gains in both votes, seats, and new membership, following the election.

The Grenfell tower fire will not be officially recognized as a 'terror' attack. However, based on the evidence building up, a combination of housing projects managers, landlords, MPs, and the PM herself, indirectly caused extreme terror and loss of life. The measure of how consciously they inflicted this terror remains to be quantified. In contrast with the certified 'terrorist attacks' only weeks before, we can begin to see how some people view government and state sponsored 'domestic' terrorism, by way of passing laws, removing free services and putting citizens at unnecessary risk (if they don't have enough money to pay for extra protection themselves).

For example, consider the drone strike, who is 'solely' responsible? those who designed built it, those who fly it, those who order the strike, those who do not speak out against it? They all played a role, but to try to figure out one individual, a scapegoat, for the larger layered complex of causation, becomes increasingly difficult in a world of technological automation. "it wasn't me, skynet did it!"

With the case of Grenfell Towers, i found a personal connection to the plight of the residents, and the local action groups calling for better safety measures, and getting consistently ignored by those who are supposed to listen and mediate the public will: MPs. I have experienced this with local government, and know many people who feel the same way. MPs have trouble listening or acting upon the will of the people, when it has regard to public infrastructure, and comes from the poorer classes.

We share the feeling that without a lobby group and a couple of million pounds it's very hard, nearly impossible to be heard, never mind actually change official policy or get what it is that you want e.g universal basic income, cap on tax loopholes for the super rich, a new swimming pool, clearer signage, legal medical and recreational cannabis)

Yes, the new digital 'clicktavism' works, and the internet can provide a way to bring up important questions, and ensure some points get a fair hearing in parliament. Plus, digital petitions can effect companies and individuals directly, when constructed well enough. Compared with trolling, however, digital petitions are but a drop in the ocean, out there in the big waves digital shit stirrers can now impact the minds of the people in ways both 'clicktavists' and politicians can only dream of.

Enter (the media) or better yet, the UK tabloid press, spearheaded by the wig three; The Sun, The Daily Mail and the Daily Express, and followed by a 'shatalogue' of publications and broadshits that get their kicks from churning up of the emotions, like a good poet, but in order to sell more shit, and/or influence your vote on behalf of the biggest donor, usually the 'Conservative and Unionist Party', based on all previous spending figures.

There is a hatred going around--and an undefinable counter-force made of love, understanding, knowledge and imagination--which disturbs me. A language of violence and retribution which i've only ever witnessed first hand in some movies and violent TV shows. A surge of people who once never even contemplated writing, now make pale threats and loud mouthed accusations, often racist, sexist, bigoted and always overly subjective, on social media platforms.

I am personally worried about this phenomena, and hope to draw attention to it, and open up a conversation. We need to talk about the far right. We need to talk about white privilege. We need to talk about race, identity, place and certitude. It's too easy to have fun together, a little chit chat, a shared picture here, and a nice tune there. Meanwhile underneath, hatred and venom brew. Perhaps Facebook is not the arena for this conversation. I envision something along the lines of a far-right rehabilitation zone. With the finest collection of comedians, neuroscientists, logicians, poets and public speakers that can roll with any punch thrown, and yet still never take oneself too seriously. To bring up the comic side, to balance with the trending tragic, and to sprinkle all with love light and laughter.

"It's up to you, cause, love's in need of love today, don't delay, send yours in right away, hate going around, breaking many hearts, stop me please, before it's gone to far."--Stevie Wonder, Love's In Need Of Love Today.


--Steve Fly

Amsterdam

16/06/2017

https://www.justgiving.com/campaigns/charity/londoncommunity/grenfell

https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/westandtogethermanchester















Stevie Wonder - Love's In Need Of Love Today from MjDaTruth on Vimeo.

Love and Hate and tolerance rants.




After studying the works of Robert Anton Wilson for over 20 years, i can't shake this general love for all humanity and the ongoing practice of tolerance and forgiveness, at the heart of his works. When his daughter was beaten to death, and they found the culprit, he and his wife did not call for the death penalty. Instead, they managed to find it within themselves to forgive, and even love the murderer. I wonder why forgiveness can make many people so angry? who continue to bang the drums of retribution? 

I get the impression from social media, especially Facebook, that this angry mob have studied torture techniques, writing without missing a beat, of what they would 'do' to their enemies. Anything like a fair trial, or non-violent punishment is simply out of the question for them. Angry people full of hate want to get even and inflict an equal amount of suffering upon their enemies. The cycle of violence and retaliation continues. The work of RAW has been a countermeasure to this kind of certitude, and hate fueled ignorance. I sincerely wish more people would read his work, and have the courage to act upon it.

I do not expect an immediate change in the minds of the people that most matter to me, after this UK election tomorrow. These people are those i know who choose to vote conservative, and in particular those who lean to the right (and are not rich) rich to mean, say, own property worth over half a million quid! Of course, dude, the concept of rich is relative. r e l a t i v e. I have a few rich friends who i respect and admire, and who are not nasty or ignorant, i want to add.  

Compared with most of the world, the poorest people in the UK are pretty well off. Yet, at the other end you have the billionaires, who it's easy for me to understand, may have an interest in voting for whoever is best for their business. Self interest is a natural human condition, i understand and i can respect you. Good luck. Yet, those few who seem to have a hatred for Corbyn and the left principles of social justice, human rights, national basic income etc, and who exhibit a hatred stronger than their love for the conservatives baffle me. A typical line i hear is 'they're all liars' and then...'I'll never vote for that...insert ad-hominem waffle...' about Corbyn. Like something straight off the front page of The Daily Mail, The Sun. You know what I'm talking about: tabloid news for the sad droid blues.

One common thread between both ends of this conservative voting, that i have noticed, is that both the rich and strategically smart, and the relatively poor and angry (my own binary division) become ignorant to what they don't 'like', or don't agree with. They tend to show a low tolerance for new information (neophobes) Don't get me wrong now, dear readers, cognitive bias, media bias, and the conceit of scholars are not limited to conservatives. This seems to me like one major truth for us all to face: we colour and make the world as we like it, editing out what we want (usually simply what we don't like) both consiously and subconsciously, way more than we often realize. 'we are all greater artists than we realize' as Nietzche said.

An explicit example of this bias or ignorance seems to me to occur in the conservative right-wing, the ugly argumentative methods (you couldn't really call it debate) act more in line with the concept of fillabusting, at the high-brow end, combined with some neuro-linguistic programming and a shit load of data-intelligence (a.k.a Cambridge Analytica) for good measure. A powerful mixture. Oh, and lets not forget the rude and violent trolling which many alt-right groups (high and low-brow) have perfected recently.

Yes, the left (and those perpendicular to the left/right axis) also do this, but, perhaps in the tradition of Paul Krassner, Lenny Bruce, Bill Hicks, Robert Anton Wilson, Steve Coogan and other social activists. Their taste and sense for wit, even at the worst of moments, remains funny as hell to me. I am biased of course.

--Steve Fly
08/06/2017
Amsterdam

'If you push that button, your ass gotta' go'

...what necessary force

to protect and serve

by pushing the big

button


those insecure

calling for more security

naturally "protect me

save me, oh mighty one,

say you'll keep us safe by

pushing the button'


we demand the three

minutes extra life

before we get hit back

on the rebound


equal with the nihilist

terrorist philosophy

'let's wipe em' all out

every last stinking one of em'

plus family and friends

wipe em' all off the map


Can you feel the flinch

of the people's trigger finger

quick to revenge slow to forgive

insecure shaved chimps

kicked through Primark

ready to push the button to

save Top Gear

'It's fucking end times

quick act' i hear em; scream

kill kill kill


It's not often that

a relatively honest bloke

becomes a politician, even

less often with a chance to

lead the country


I find myself

agreeing with the chorus

most of the time

'they're all the same,

they're all liars


But no

stop!

Corbyn seems honest

to me

smart, and a man who's

keep his word,

and experienced with world culture

knows how to make peace

through communication


He's a poet too

i ask, who was the last

Tory to have a conscience

capable of poetry?


'push the button'

what a wuss' they cheer

how about you pull the trigger

of a loaded gun pointed at an

infants face, or you're own

mother gets her throat cut and

head removed in front of you

and the infant?


the 'will you push the button'

metaphor for mass murder

typified the Tory fetish

for drama.


Cant be easy for a human

being with a soul still intact

to murder, that most sacrilegious act


and furthermore the passive

complacency of your

tacit support of arms deals

and not free school meals

makes me sick to my stomach


drone strikes and suicide

bombings are equally acts of

cowardice


what ever happened to

gentleman's combat

fencing, martial arts, chess?


from a relatively fair

hand to hand contest depending

on physical strength, skill

strategy and a sporting fair

play to pushing buttons and

literally swiping people off

the map


whatever happened to common decency?

since the gun and the bomb and

the nuclear chemical biological warfare

coupled with white washed language

of surgical strikes and precision bombing
the sickness


combat has become a cowards game

pushing buttons, like a modern DJ

no strings or skins or horns in sight

not trying to reason with words

or martial arts but

big powerful buttons that can kill

millions in one go


imagine the most brutal violent

scenes from a movie

with 1000's of warriors fighting

from a birds-eye view

can you imagine how many

shots stabs and slices it would take

to kill 500'000 men?


'push the button'

the new slogan of the insecure

the cowards who live in

fear of anybody not them


they would willingly cut off

their own nose to spite their

face


--Steve Fly, Oosterpark

Amsterdam, 18.00 03/06/2017

Globividual

...follow my flip-flopping thoughts on

the left leaning individualist

and the right leaning globalist

stereotype

do they meet in the best poems

epic, and including history

doesn't the tragic comedy

wear sandals?

how to unite the individualist anarchist

and the globalist points of view

the ambiguity and the stew

sometimes i want to repeat

what Robert Anton Wilson sez,

but i can't play that tune again

same beat

left/right freedom ambiguity

individual freedom left

global capitalist freedom right

state freedom left/right left/right

anarchist freedom - perpendicular to left/right

you dig?


a binary (divisive) question:

do you consider yourself an individualist

or a globalist?

and how would you reconcile the other?

glocal lobal? what is that?

well, the frontal lobes and the planetary globe

as one.

one what?


how to unify the individual and the state

is the hard question for poets

and should be one for all humans

to think about


the tale of the tribe:

the globalist and the individualist balanced

yes, i am for globalism

in the sense of shared planetary

resources (Buckminster Fuller Models)

opposed to the global

unrestricted finance capitalism (Morgan Stanley models)


globalism without a top dog and

bottom dog scenario

without screwing the pooch

a better planet of fairness and so

shared resources and tools

oh, the ambiguity stirs, i can feel it


and the individual:

the unity of self-owning ones

each human being a sovereign entity

an individual whole be-ing

a mind brain body nervous system

this is the individual i mean

you and your shadow, the id'

as one consciousness

not really one, but the perception of

one, that is you, dear reader,

i think, your own bitter soul


the globalist and the individual

or the individual vs. the state

are co-dependent features of

the realities we endure together

i still wrestle with right/left

stereotypes, up/down

in/out around again all without

gain of agency,

the ambiguity in a rose


i am for both the empowerment of

the individual and the potential

functions of an open society

or state, on a global scale, yes

interplanetary cannabis seed plans

are underway


first get it into your head

we must learn to allow for distance between

people too, not just reinstate

everybody together in a multi-cultural

melting pot

sticking apart has benefits and uses

and to tolerate the

differences in your neighbour

even at a distance,

knowing they are having more fun

we must Honor the different

game rules


and remain ever

vigilant of foul play and those who make

the rules and regulate the regulators

and so on...


the aim of the tale of the tribe

in a peanut shell is

unity of understanding,

shared meaning and the

preservation of

humanities greatest works

both globally and

locally, and here lie the beginnings

of epiphany and synchronicity

I'll leave that for another day


so we can learn new ways to

love and respect and Honor

cultural differences through

music painting and theatre

plus academic and scientific

discoveries are all multi-cultural

global effort

still, people have a right to live

apart and a further responsibility

to tolerate each others 


manias on our sphere


when shared these arts and tales

create a special unity

between people

unity understanding and with luck

a little compassion for the other


mono culture, on the other hand

enforced by censors and trolls

narrows the senses and

ignores the rest of collective

intelligence from around the entire

planet,

European, Indian, African, Asian


not just a love exclusively for

your own

genetic and blood relatives

and those around you

this is the great conceit of nations

the other great conceit is the conceit

of scholars


nationalism and patriotism

i agree, can have a positive force

when administered in equal

dose with globalism and

individualism,

as described write here


persistence of place:

you and your environment

merge

you and your friends

merge


i am you and you are me

and we are one together

one lobal glocal yokal gang

experiencing itself


what do you tune in when you turn on?

we are all in this together

entangled for eternity

tune into the others, dive in


--Steve Fly, Wijttenbachstraat, Amsterdam
18/05/2017

Dead souls and living memory

Dead souls and living memory


The child of refugees
fleeing from Libya
and the chaos of Col.
Gaddafi's insanity.

Missed-educated and lost to
some strong social psychological
forces, a dying mind and dead soul
consumed by who knows what
sordid influences,
ideological dogmatic selfish

known to some authorities but
forgotten, lost, escaped into
the void of violence to make
a final statement on the death
of the soul

Reason, humanity, love,
forgiveness, strength did not reach
him in time
this young boy turned himself
into an ancient nightmare
a dead soul screaming death
a coward’s way out
the way of the unfeeling
unthinking idiot

to strike the innocent and
the young, and the vulnerable
in such a cowardly way
does not incite me to violence
i pity the death of a soul
and meditate on the victims
who's healthy souls were
snatched away from the body

sorrow, sadness and heartache
are a part of the process
let peace rain down and
may we educate and nurture
all the children, all the mothers
fathers, sons, daughters,

hatred is good for nothing


all i see are bombs
everywhere going off
shells and mortar
nails and bolts and hatred
packed inside ready to
explode all over some poor
bastard

you might think bombs would
be outlawed by now
but no, business is booming
in 2017
both foreign and domestically
bombs are big business

and the fear they bring is
music to the ears of the click
bait corporations,
also without soul,
without empathy and the ability
to think from another
point of view POV

and so multiple points of view
becomes a weapon in the fight
if you want to really fight,
write true

MPOV panorama flash
bang in the middle of the drama
full HD terror relentless
half truth, broken up by adverts
for soap, insurance, watches and
the latest Hollywood terror flick

change the channel,
no turn it off, get with yourself
your family and friends,
or gather your multiple thoughts.

turn it back on
don't let me or anybody else
tell you what to do
think for yourself
check the mail, the sun, the
ugly disinformation, terrible
mistakes, and weird
dull conspiracy, nothing new
everything old, recycled
same old age old war
over the ineffable

some might say
intelligence failure
this is always true

known to intelligence
are you
will you be
did you used to be
really
blown from coincidence
known to intelligence

what is
what will be
what isn't what should be
really, again, but surely
known to intelligence

but wait what of
the company the bureau
the agency who claim
such high general knowledge
are they too
known to intelligence?

are there too many suspects
too much noise
too many corporate profinterest
too many old boys?
known to intelligence

or willfully ignored
no trace just bodies
terror and little information
to keep the enemy unintelligent
a tactic
known to intelligence

little did he know
less did he show
nothing ditto

all election campaigning off
but we know who shouts
loudest and who the media like to
amplify and increase the range to
terrify, sly dogs of war
confrontation
narcissism and eternal lyric
of 'it is'

the isness' of idiots
unable to consider more
than a second
without a third or fourth way
blind to the others
drowning in certainty
no air to breathe
cause and effect
punish and reward
so fucking predictable,

what to blame outside
turn it off again,
and now back on
show me the terror
i need to see it,
now off, it's bedtime

the nightmares better
than the waking forces of
political media overkill
on repeat on repeat
death dying destruction
low information,
obscured, lies.

terror now a currency
a valuable force to get more
re-tweets and likes,
more views and more followers
the architect of misery, revenge
the reactionary uncontrolled
violent idiot
full of hatred and madness,
full of sadness

heal time heel

--steve fly, 23/05/17.