Scavengers and Nothing's Changed. Two very different poems, written by two very different poets, both of whom write with regards to their own cultures, backgrounds and places of origin

        There’s another thing that connects the two poems. It’s the idea that many people in these unfortunate positions often hinder any sort of positive change through their acts of rebellion. For example, the boy feels mistreated by the people in the resturant. He knows that they think of him as a lesser being, as a less civilised, less intelligent, less worthy human. He does not want them to feel this way. How does he deal with this? He tosses a stone at the window. Now, one must remember that he is fighting a state-of-mind, here, and by breaking that window he has more or less proved true that erroneous state-of-mind. He shows he is civilised by throwing a rock at a window? By doing this he has beome the very thing he is rebelling against. States-of-mind are changed via clear, calculted and inspired arguments and debates. To stay on the subject on race, think of all the great black leaders, the ones that really made a difference, the ones whom without them millions of black people might still be oppressed. Infact, the best comparisions to make are between this young man, Martin Luther King and Malcom X. All three are black, passionate young men. All three fighting the same cause. But the reason King and Malcom X are famous and celebrated leaders is that they put that passion into inspiring speeches and intense argument. King’s seminal speech, in which he ends with “I have a dream that my four children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.” These words changed a way we see ourselves and everyone around us today. Now, if Dr King had simply hurled a brick through someone’s window I sincerly doub it would have had the same effect.        The same can be said of Scavengers. The bin men appear to be quite awed by the flash car, the pretty girl, all the riches. They seem to pander to the idea that the richer you are, the better you are. They seem to believe that yes, these beautiful rich people are better than us because they have a Mercedes. It the suppressed are infact only supressed because they buy into the supression, if the rebels are hindering change, how can change ever be bought about?

        And there you have it. The most superficial of analysations has already given us those three points to ponder, and most importantly it only took 20 minutes. So, if it’s a total bloody shambles, I’d be happy to rewrite it. I just didn’t want to come into your lesson this morning with nothing for you at all, so surely it’s the thought that counts...well, okay maybe not. And yes, as you may have realised, I’m just writing this conversational little conclusion thing so that i can reach one thousand words, a goal I will have accomplished as of the next word. Zooaphile.