(bless her heart)
One of my favourite poets Benjamin Zephaniah has turned down an OBE, full story here http://snurl.com/3643. Well done that man.

White Comedy
I waz whitemailed
By a white witch,
Wid white magic
An white lies,
Branded by a white sheep
I slaved as a whitesmith
Near a white spot
Where I suffered whitewater fever.
Whitelisted as a whiteleg
I waz in de white book
As a master of white art,
It waz like white death.

People called me white jack
Some hailed me as a white wog,
So I joined de white watch
Trained as a white guard
Lived off the white economy.
Caught and beaten by de whiteshirts
I waz condemned to a white mass,
Don't worry,
I shall be writing to de Black House.

©Benjamin Zephaniah

My favourite poem of his is I Have A Scheme, but I couldn't find a copy. Let me hear you say ROTI ROTI.

Yes - I must say that I cheered when I heard the news. Whilst Zephania isn't my most favourite poet, I totally admire his integrity (since long before this incident) and his refusal of such a specious "honour" raises him further in my admiration.

Ok:
1.) Who is Brenda, please? And,
2.) What is roti roti?

I had to go to the article to be reminded of what OBE stood for; thanks for the link, not only for that info., but for what it said. Had it not been such a serious reason, I'd have laughed when he said he had tried so hard to get an audience with Tony Blair... I agree with him that I don't like the word/concept of empire, although slavery is not the (first) thing I think of. What bothers me is that you just don't go taking something that belongs to somebody else, just because you can. You just don't do that. It's wrong.

Brenda is an affectionate/mocking name for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor

A roti is a type of unleavened bread, also called a chapatti, it's in that Zephaniah poem I Have A Scheme that I can't find a copy of.

Here's another nibble of Benjamin, from the window grilles of some Sheffield halls (student accomodation)

QUESTION

WHERE IS YOUR LOVE?
WHERE IS YOUR FAITH?
WHERE IS YOUR HOPE?
WHERE ARE YOUR DREAMS?
WHERE ARE YOUR FRIENDS?
WHERE IS YOUR SELF?
WHERE IS YOUR PATH?
WHERE'S YOUR ESTEEM?
WHERE IS YOUR PRIDE?
WHERE IS YOUR SHAME?
WHERE IS YOUR SOUL?
WHERE'S YOUR CONTROL?
WHERE ARE YOU PLEASE?
WHERE ARE YOUR KEYS?
BZ©

An interesting link, dodyskin ... had not heard of this poet - the article and following poem were an eye-opener.
But ... I wasted way too much time following some of the links at the end of the article!

Thanks dody! Enjoyed reading the link and the poems you posted.