Amsterdam-January 17 2021

 

After the confinements of the Corona Year 2020 the New Year continues in Lockdown.

Crowds gather on Museumplein in protest of their loss of freedom at a time of

social-distancing and face-masks…

 

The Beast

 

The crowds were peacefully breaking the law

Police ordered to disband

then took a heavy hand

The Beast let out an almighty roar-

ready for war

It came in police vans-sirens blaring

It came with miserable straining dogs

It came in riot gear-

armoured with batons and shields

helmets of steel

It charged through the crowds on horseback

batons poised

It blasted watercannons

until the crowds finally dispersed

 

The Beast withdraws to sharpen it’s claws

 

Amsterdam in Lockdown-early November 2021

 

Autumn descends stealthily

Rain falls all day chilling the air

Sunday afternoon-my flat feels cold

I hear no sound-I live three floors above the ground

No children playing in the street below

No neighbour’s chatter

No cars droning or wind moaning

Only silence

 

An ominous silence

 

Disturbance comes the following mid-day

the first Monday of the month-

disaster sirens testing-time

An eerie,echoing high-pitched whine

I listen to their sinister wailing-

watch from my window

golden leaves glistening in the sun

swaying with the branches of the trees

against the blue white-wisped sky

A magpie pair swirl high in the air

daring to ride on the swerving shifts of wind

The sirens reach an echoing crescendo

wanes and fades away

 

And all is still

 

Mid-November 2021

 

One Friday evening fireworks explode – sparking the sky

That night Rotterdam is enflamed

as pent-up, locked down youth-too long encaged

explodes with violence and rage

They fight with fireworks and stones

Police fire shots

The mob is a wounded Beast roaring through the streets

lashing out, slashing shop windows

Taking delight in setting alight everything in sight

Cars motors and bikes are burning

traffic-signs and terraces overturning

A police car is torched  and erupts into flames

The Beast continues to play it’s games..

The chaos crescendos

Fire- engines ambulance and police sirens haunt the night

‘Til the Beast tires and licks it’s wounds

Is tamed and re-enchained

 

All is still

Order is regained

 

Cold creeping dawn displays the damage done

Black charred hollowed wrecks of cars

Entangled steel skeletons of bikes and motors

Ashes blood and broken glass

Bright orange-clad men drag the debris into trucks

Sweep the streets and wash them clean again

 

Order is regained

The Beast is chained

 

But the pain and scars remain

 

Many months on- when Lockdown days are gone

Our freedoms regained one by one

the Beast- too long encaged

splits it’s chains in fits of rage

Rears it’s dreadful head and stalks on…

towards Amsterdam and further on

Youths draw knives – left for dead

Play with explosives – just for fun

Buildings are burning

Tables are turning

The Beast rides on trains

If disturbed it plays a deadly game

Sits in the driver’s seat of cars

It is the ghost – driver that haunts the night

Out of sight

Crazed with speed it takes no heed

until the final killer collision

 

September 24 2023

 

The frenzied Beast roars in the Johan Cruijff Arena

Bearing it’s fangs at Ajax and Feyenoord fans

It prowls around the football pitch

Ignites it with orange-flared fireworks

The match is scrapped

A pitch-black day for Amsterdam

Outside raging fans sling stones

Stampede the main entrance

‘Til police on proud horses intervene

 

The Beast is slowly tamed

Order is regained

 

But the pain and shock remain