Pavement Improvements

was written on the sign with its back to the camera. It seemed an apt title. And so to the rant......

I admit to not being a fan of Christmas; if anything it amuses me that a festival hijacked by the church has been hijacked once again. And so we have a couple of weeks of goodwill, when it suits us, and a state of the economy lecture based upon spending most days.

"The core o' ocht is only for the few,
Scorned by the mony,
thrang wi'ts empty name."

(Hugh MacDiarmid)

I think that, for me, the conspicuous consumerism and the determined avoidance pale in this photo. Too busy buying the spirit of goodwill to all men to acknowledge the beggar in their midst; the lines of sight are wonderful. But what decided it for me was the look of distaste on the workman's face.

It's too easy to remove funding from supporting the homeless; something that the council and the government have proven only too often. Much better to redistribute the wealth amongst the rich; the poor have neither voice nor influence.


Jesus Christ

Jesus Christ was a man who traveled through the land
A hard-working man and brave
He said to the rich, "Give your money to the poor,"
But they laid Jesus Christ in His grave

He went to the preacher, He went to the sheriff
He told them all the same
"Sell all of your jewelry and give it to the poor,"
And they laid Jesus Christ in His grave.

When Jesus come to town, all the working folks around
Believed what he did say
But the bankers and the preachers, they nailed Him on the cross,
And they laid Jesus Christ in his grave.

And the people held their breath when they heard about his death
Everybody wondered why
It was the big landlord and the soldiers that they hired
To nail Jesus Christ in the sky

This song was written in New York City
Of rich man, preacher, and slave
If Jesus was to preach what He preached in Galilee,
They would lay poor Jesus in His grave.

Woody Guthrie


The last couple of lines nails it on the head...