Poetry In Motion.
Hello, my friends, I hope you are all keeping well during this continued lockdown. Regrettably, I take another step into the world of mental illness. I say regrettably not because I don’t want to help, but because I find it extremely frustrating that due to government cutbacks, there is inadequate treatment readily available and effective to combat this debilitating and all-consuming nightmare. The suffering is relentless, the side effects and downward spiral is out of control and there is no safety net. People are thrown into jail cells to ‘cool off’ as there is limited psychiatric help. These people are desperately sick, they are not criminals.
It takes another band to step up and take the reins to attract and garner support for charities, this time it is for MIND, who help people with mental health issues. Our friends Like Giants, a fledgling band themselves, have released ‘The Poet’ a song taken from ‘Sovereign’, their debut EP to raise funds and encourage awareness.
A pretty little ditty, contemporary pop punk, refreshing and energetic, it has a spirit and an outlook that counters the dim and depressing reality for sufferers of mental illness. This is a crowd pleaser, straight out of the blocks with that punchy, crunchy riff, sliding effortlessly into a throw your hands in the air chorus, there is huge potential here and definitely a one to watch.
The message is serious; mental health is important; we all need to get behind this issue and offer our full support. For me, it is the lyric ‘if you be the writer, I’ll be the poet, we’ll write a story to be told’ that is engaging and attentive. It shows insight, that everyone has a story, good or bad, we all came from somewhere and are headed somewhere. It’s how we cope with what life throws at us that matters.
My friends, let’s shake our floppy fringes in ecstasy and take giant steps to help lift those afflicted. Take a bow, boys!
Azra Pathan
Like Giants – The Poet out now via self- release.