Recorded at Resonance 104.4FM, London on March 24^th 2011

John reads two of his poems, the second is entitled:

Iniquity

The position as it stands is iniquitous
You punish those less able to cope
With your flat demands
Your juggernaut rules have an inbuilt imbalance
Your morality is left without a leg to stand on
As our upturned palms are faced with little chance of recovery
I trust your judgement implicitly
There are no excuses as far as I can see

The dreams are out there ready to be processed or propelled
To enable us to function satisfactorily
We need support from those who do not
You can only go so far with a project
That’s determined to blow up in your face
The last thing I want to do is to come to terms with failure
There are no excuses as far as I can see
I trust your judgement fairly implicitly

I’ve never experienced a fair distribution of wealth
My paltry income you tax right up to the hilt
Then you have the nerve and audacity
To exculpate yourself from any semblance of quantifiable guilt
I view your actions with wild and passionate distaste
There are no excuses as far as I can see
I trust your judgement absolutely implicitly
Sometimes life hits you as being such an almighty waste
The position as it stands is iniquitous to say the least

The palliatives of sex lies drugs and booze I flatly refuse
They only expose a propensity to falsely defuse
You say you can put things right in a jiffy
I say that you and those like you can go jump in the Liffey
There are simply no valid excuses as far as I can see
And you can go to Hell with your worthless
Judgements directed toward me.

*     *     *

Jazzman John Clarke is a beat-style bebop jazz poet, author, performer and recording artist. He is also a published poet with tall-lighthouse in the shape of his debut full collection Ghost on the Road. John collaborates with a variety of musicians & has performed throughout London, Oxford, Edinburgh Fringe Festival (2009), Amsterdam, South of France and in Italy with experimental & improvising musicians. Known for his dynamic and declamatory style John is a popular & sought-after performer on the London scene and has also run a series of alternative events in various parts of London, including Deptford, Greenwich, Lewisham, Camberwell & Shoreditch. His CDs include: Jazz Circus – What Jazz Can Do (For Your Life) and John Clarke – The Way I Like My Jazz.

Recording Notes

This was one of several wax cylinder recordings made by a group of poets in the studio of Resonance104.4 FM. With thanks to John Page. John Clarke wrote Iniquity especially for the occasion, the two poems were recorded on two cylinders and have been edited together.