‘The poems in this collection are an illustration of the hidden tattoos that have been etched along my skin and into my soul. Although invisible to others, they are a mesh of mental and emotional moments and memories. They are a testament of my survival, and more importantly a reflection of my growth. They are my silent voice…’
Invisible Tattoos is a collection of twelve distinctive poems that depict the beauty and darkness of the human experience through words…
Described as 'Poetic Stories,' each poem uses clever wordplay, thought provoking lyrics and a story-telling style, to explore a range of subject matters such as social inequality, the challenges of contemporary culture, and the timeless topics of love, heartbreak and inner conflict. The art of poetry is used to discuss history, politics, economy, culture and how this is intertwined with our identity. The poems are all accompanied by an individual analysis which explains the inspiration behind each bitter sweet story of human connection, struggle and spirit.
Invisible Tattoos is a book that will take you on an emotive roller coaster of highs and lows. Delving into the darker side of life and examining the complex world of emotions and encounters, this book provides a social commentary of the unheard voices of multi-cultural society, while touching on the subjects that make us all human and unlike anything else on this planet. This unique collection of poems will undoubtedly leave an imprint on your mind...
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lyrics
I’ve gotta get outta the ghetto...
A congested urban space for people surviving below the poverty line...
A place of high crime, unemployment and failing schools
A cycle of deprivation that can be so cruel...
Surrounded by screw faces, bubbling anger and minimal positive thoughts...
Confined to live here cause of custom or lack of choice
Cause down the road where the big houses are, we have no voice!
The corroding tower blocks that loom over our hazardous streets!
Forcing us to constantly be on our feet!
No role models to follow
I’ve gotta get outta the ghetto...
They stare at me with revulsion as I penetrate through their shattered doors
I come from the same struggle as them, only to be lessened by their internal flaws!
I can see their minds working, they think I’m capable of so little!
They’ve already signed my underclass committal!
I never knew how powerless I could be or feel
My own people cause my heart to fluctuate and to the system kneel!
I feel to scream ‘You’re all like me but yet you’re stepping on me!’
‘I’m a human being, not just another fiend!’
But a little bit of power makes insecure people feel like kings!
Lions of the slum; the ghetto that we are all trapped in!
Poisonous minds now they’re sitting on a false thrown!
Another reason why I’ve gotta get outta the ghetto and find a real home...
I’m tryna to move to the other side of the borough to add five years to my life expectancy
To give my children the chance to thrive and have a spectacular destiny
I want them to really live, not just survive...
I don’t want my daughter to become some waste man’s baby mum!
And I don’t wanna go to jail to visit my son!
But the ghetto is polluted and I’m forced to inhale the fumes!
The streets breed a different type of need, a different kind of greed!
Pessimistic and unrealistic dreams!
Promised by the aspirations of a society where the divide between rich and poor is much greater than it seems...
He can’t feed his kids...
But he’s got fresh crep, a draw and a brand new trim!
Chasing down his next victim to breed, so he can become the king of his ghetto dream!
Cause this materialism gives him meaning to his otherwise empty existence!
The streets are as fragile as Lego...
I just know that I’ve gotta get outta the ghetto...
I’m working and paying taxes and trying not to abuse the system
But the system is abusing me...
It’s suppressing me, breaking me, belittling me!
See no one told me that the system only works against people like me!
I don’t talk right, my skin ain’t right, and into their world I have no real insight!
I’m from the ghetto and that’s where they put people like me!
I feel like giving up and becoming another statistic!
Stereotypical single mum living in a council flat and surviving on welfare benefits!
I know I’m capable of so much more, but I’m constantly at war...
Cause the ghetto won’t let me go and mainstream society won’t let me in
So I lay here in my ghetto, divulging in my ghetto sins...
There’s always been a system in place to create suppression
Segregating society so dictators can have a herd of whores that don’t ask any questions!
Knowledge is power and I’ve got way too much!
I educated myself about my history, colony and the ills of our society
And now the demons of my knowledge are constantly haunting me!
My ideology has been created from exposure to the extremes
I lived in the ghetto and had to watch misery and broken dreams...
Crack heads walking street next to school children
A cycle of children having children and not knowing how to raise them!
Drugs, poverty, misery, stress...
The ills of the ghetto; a community in a mess...
But I try to rise no matter how low the destruction around me makes me go...
I’ve gotta keep fighting, cause I’ve gotta get outta the ghetto…
credits
from Invisible Tattoos,
released October 23, 2016
Written by: Farida Momtaz
Performed by: Farida Momtaz
Music by: Farida Momtaz
Audio Engineer: PGM Express
Produced by: Farida Momtaz
Poet Douglas Kearney and composer/producer/drummer Val Jeanty link up for a a compelling LP that feels like the written word come to life. Bandcamp New & Notable Mar 30, 2021
