State of Hate

‘We are Us because we are not Them.’
imbued like a battle cry on your children
already tainted from their innocence
by the constant chatter of those twin evils
Religion and Nationality

Wall away the Them as if they
were rats in a Joseph Goebbels film
unclean – untouchable
divided by false culture and chance
does the irony of your actions escape you?

‘They are our enemy.’
you call out to a tired world
as the images of children throwing stones at
tanks flickers across the eye in a background
conflict justified by hate alone is just hate

What to do

I want to start a second novel now that I've completed the 1st draft of
Warworld part I, but I'm torn between 3 choices: write a
parallel-future political novel (which I concieved years ago), write a second War World book, or do what I actully want to and write a fantasy-fiction-comedy and be accused of copy my writing hero Doulas Adams...? What to do!

Short Story

Currently Writing a short story for competition titled 'The Beautiful People'
based on my reading on Plato's Republic, something similar has been done before
but I'm hoping to find a new twist to make it my own.

Drogheda Fringe 2010 Pics

Poetry Winner Dixie coming up for his award, SJ tunning up for his gig and myself giving it loads as guest poet

Mass Rock Loch Crew

The mark of suffering cut into your flesh
slowly healing
vanishing under the tearful rain
the swings and round-a-bouts of sectarianism
bigotry and undiluted hate
made you
carved you
a hidden place of worship for an Eastern prophet
among the tombs of older softly whispered gods
despite your Latin tongue
despite your violent birth
you are now part of this temple
this folly to Man’s hope of immortality
false idols and faith die here
side by side
become memories
wonders for an out-of-breath journeyman

Behind Fore Priory

Enveloped into the hillside
invisible from the roadside
almost as natural as the earth herself
the grave of a never-to-be-known soul
a pregnant bump in a green sea
in the shadow of Fore Priory tower


Tears were once shed for you
laments in lost tongue sung for you
time will dissolve you into dirt
my words will only delay the flow
all we think of as immortal will
join you in the great flood of death

Urbania E-mail for any questions etc.

urbania.paganpublications@gmail.com

Down and Out in My Own Mind

The camel’s back in concave
under the gold-straw mountain
the colour of a fool glistening
and reflecting in a drizzle pool

It’s a self-pity depression episode
that attempted to be a comic verse
but ended up as this
not for the first time in this life

I’m at the bottom
staring up the well walls at a
giant set of broken camel balls
smile kid – it’s only temporary in your mind

PRESS RELEASE POET GOES ELECTRONIC

Well-known Irish poet Steve Downes embraces the internet with his new collection of powerful raw urban poems Urbania which he has opted to publish online as an ebook rather than in print. Steve took the opportunity of his Guest Poet spot at the recent Great Drogheda Poetry Slam to launch it by giving a forceful reading of a selection to the assembled poetry enthusiasts. Ranging from a study of a designer-punk trendy to neon-tinted street scenes, from a dead druggie in an alley to cyberweb mindset, the poems cast a cynical but penetrating eye at our modern society and its recent technology-dominated changes and developments.

Steve has three previous collections to his credit, the last being Side-Angles with Roger Hudson. An award-winning playwright, he recently completed the novel WarWorld.

Urbania is available to read or for free download on www.stevdownesurbania.com The poems are complemented by graphic-designs by Jamie Stanton and photographs by Duirmuid Jones.

For further information or interview, contact Steve Downes@ stephendownesma@gmail.com or 0857127613

Poetry Slam Reviewed

http://edition.pagesuite-professional.co.uk/launch.aspx?referral=other&refresh=m09M8T1tX1i7&PBID=eb89a4df-82ca-4255-b3ba-e3bfbcabe3b0&skip=


Poetry Slam and Fringe Fest. Review and Pics on Drogheda Leader website

Comments on Urbania

http://www.stevedownesurbania.com/ ... Feel free to leave a comment on Urbania here, things you like/dislike, questions or anything that pops into your head.

Steve D.

URBANIA Poetry Collection

http://www.stevedownesurbania.com/ ... check out my new free-to-read poetry collection Urbania, will be reading tonight at the Fringe Poetry Slam and more readings and Q&A to be posted soon ... enjoy

New poetry Collection

Urbania will be available (free to read) on-line from tomorrow .. watch this space

Come along to the great Drogheda Poetry Slam
... 30th April,
McHuges,
Drogheda,
with guest poet .. yours truely .. reading from my new free-to-read online collection Urbania
... http://www.droghedafringe.com/

The Sound of Pub Violence

Goodbye beer my old friend
I’ve come to quit you once again
because my vision’s badly creeping
threw my guts up while I was sleeping
and the damage
that was planted in my brain
still remains
with the sound of pub violence

On empty streets I walk alone
narrow streets of cobblestone
beneath the smile of a street tramp
I lay down in the cold and damp
when my friends were stabbed
by the flash of the neon light
they spit blood in the night
and touched pub violence

And naked in the light I saw
ten thousand cops maybe more
people screaming without speaking
people roaring without listening
People passing needles to share
and they would dare
disturb the sound of pub violence

Fuckers, said I, do you not know
violence like a cancer grows
hear my words that I might teach you
take my arms that I might reach you
but the words like blood drops fell
and echoed in the cells of violence

And people swore and prayed
at nightclub neon sign they made
and the sign flashed out its warning
in the mouths their words are foaming
and the sign said the words of the prophets
are scribbled on the toilet walls
and hospital halls
and whispered in the sound of pub violence