You pose and pout,
Seduction by superficial sauciness.
You tell me of your day
With that simpering voice,
Raising each last word
Long and loud.

You show me your flash cars,
Your sumptuous wardrobe
And who knows what else?

You and your kin call yourselves “Influencers” –
A great word,
But all you do is make people:
People who have grafted long and hard
For a little spare cash,
Go buy things they
Do not really need.

Right Said Fred was Right:
The global catwalk
Is a sham.

I too would love to be an “Influencer”,
Such a fine word,
But I would be one to encourage folk
To Love others,
Stop all this Conflict
Between polar opposites and extremes,
Fight only for the Common Good,
And make the world a better place
For All.

Paul Butters

© PB 15\1\2021.

Hopes and dreams are fairytales
In pictures from your head
The softness in your face’s veil
Is made of stone instead

Sleepy eyelids weigh the scene
Of faulty truths and lies
Crawling through a limousine
Makes up for sorry eyes

There’s sadness in the grinning teeth
And from the tone of mind
A squinted smile and happy cheeks
Are sometimes hard to find

Certain people believe Sean Connery was the best James Bond and they're right.
He also starred in "The Hunt For Red October", "The Presidio" and "First Knight".
When he died on Halloween, his family and fans were sure to grieve.
He gave a wonderful performance in "Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves".
In 1958, he starred in "Another Time, Another Place".
When he died, it was hard for his friends and family to face.
When we lost such a talented actor, it was a shame.
Talent should've been Sean Connery's middle name.

Tryna to be a star ain't always wise,
Tryna to be the center of attention is wise,
All that attention you want ain't always safe,
Sometimes you'll get more than you bargained for,
Friends ain't always your friends,
Jealousy gets the best of us,
There's always someone who wants what you got,
Stop being a show off,
Keep your business your business.

The loudest one in the room is always on notice,
The weak ones are the loudest,
The strong ones are the most silent,
Being a celebrity ain't safe as you think,
Cameras all in your face,
Flashing lights all over your neighborhood,
Bodies dropping left and right,
The hype ain't always worth the cost.

Staying to myself has kept me safe,
Staying to myself has given me peace,
Staying to myself has kept me living,
Staying to myself has kept me from dying,
The wrong crowd will have you caught,
The ones who are the most friendly die sooner,
The ones who are the most thirsty die sooner,
The ones who love attention die sooner,
Don't risk your life over fame, girls and money,
Glamour ain't shiny as it seems.

He was a great actor but now he's gone.
He starred in seven movies as James Bond.
Connery was awesome in every role that he played.
He gave a terrific performance in "Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade".

His first Bond movie was "Dr. No".
His death was a devastating blow.
He was born in Scotland and died in the Bahamas on Halloween.
Sean Connery was one of the greatest actors that we've ever seen.

“Where is the rest for the weary?”,
Cried out the sappy sun.

The burden of lighting up the
world left his own soul lusterless.

His blistered fingers handed down his glow
as he stood frozen up high in
his onerous profession, keeping
a bright smile in a baby blue prison.

In his own shame, the pitiful sun covered himself,
boosting his rays so no man could beam their eyes up
To see his dreary tears.

After work he would blaze back home
Dreading the next day to come while
countless stars flooded outside his home,
Night after night
Begging for his spot and
Dreaming of his celebrity.

While the stars pounded on his door, inside
He emptied endless tears out of the well of his heart
But he could never let go of his pride.
So, season after season he suffered in the spotlight
all to hold on to his futile fame.

Air guitar, mellow, loose breezy shadows on the rock
outside my window, where life,
barely modified by my
observation
preserves
the old learning in each living thing,
seen through my window?

Take a lonely stroll through the park of life
Why not kick a stone whilst you’re there to enjoy the mood?
Turn and face the oncoming sweep of hatred with pitchforks at your throat
All you did was kick a little stone.
The rope is tight, it cuts and you bleed
But try to smile as the hateful hands stroke at you with enviable despise.
They drag you through dirt that scathes your façade.
But still you show what’s left of your smile.
The ropes pull and off you fly behind hooves of hatred,
gored and disfigured you cheerfully drag yourself up from behind the horse.
The horse **** tearing at your wounds as you try to stand.
Such a crowd
You wave at your fans and they pelt you with vinegar,
acid bubbles into the bastardised crevices,
your legs buckle as you’re yanked from behind ,
your eyes falter as you watch your essence snake out into the rabble.
They lick at your heels as your mind begins to wander.
Back to the block. You come to, the crowd is cheering
They’re happy and so you thank your audience.
Your eyes adjusting to the love as the axe blade cracks your neck through to the jaw leaving your disfigured skull rolling down into the dispersing gathering.