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Lived with it all
by McGinlay
Stoners, drinkers, ravers, junkies
Jokers, jesters, cheeky monkeys
The good the bad & the sexies
Lost the phone, no more selfies
Memories bad, but it's what I recall
God give me strength, I lived with it all!
Loved by the youth in foster care
If you knew their past, would you care?
They need a hug not a judging stare
How do I know?
Cos I was there, banging head against the wall
How on earth did I live with it all?
Om Shanti tribes, peace & love hippies
Cockney sparrows down the chippie
Fit Rude gals getting lippy
Electric's gone, it's bloody nippy
Can't get a flat at town hall
Make us a cuppa, I lived with it all!
Jesus Army Street preachers
Energy vampires, nose bleeders
Lame Egotist wannabe leaders
Tree huggers chatting to cedars
Urban creatures having a ball
Did I really live with it all?
Chavs getting fresh with posh librarians
Clothes donated by humanitarians
Meat eaters fighting with vegetarians
Big up to my fellow Sagittarians
Super model 6ft tall
She'll tell you; I lived with it all!
Big kids munching Maltesers
Arse kissing people pleasers
Weird dodgy twitchy sneezers
Dirty Flirty London geezers
I'm still standing & standing tall
Keep calm & you try to live with it all!
Squatters living harder & faster
Pig lover Cameron, can you hear their laughter
It's your Babylon they're coming after
Who? The punks, the trannies & Rastas
Forget ghost busters, who ya gonna call?
This is our London & we're taking it all!
Calling all poets
McGinlay joined the Pavement/Groundswell’s From The Ground Up journalism course in 2018 although this fab poem was written in 2015. If your homelessness situation has inspired you to write, we’d like to see it. Please email nicola@thepavement.org.uk. Thank you.
October – November 2024 : Change
CONTENTS
BACK ISSUES
- Issue 152 : October – November 2024 : Change
- Issue 151 : August – September 2024 : Being Heard
- Issue 150 : June – July 2024 : Reflections
- Issue 149 : April – May 2024 : Compassion
- Issue 148 : February – March 2024 : The little things
- Issue 147 : December 2023 – January 2024 : Next steps
- Issue 146 : October 2023 – November 2023 : Kind acts
- Issue 145 : August 2023 – September 2023 : Mental health
- Issue 144 : June 2023 – July 2023 : Community
- Issue 143 : April 2023 - May 2023 : Hope springs
- Issue 142 : February 2023 - March 2023 : New Beginnings
- Issue 141 : December 2022 - January 2023 : Winter Homeless
- Issue 140 : October - November 2022 : Resolve
- Issue 139 : August - September 2022 : Creativity
- Issue 138 : June - July 2022 : Practical advice
- Issue 137 : April - May 2022 : Connection
- Issue 136 : February - March 2022 : RESPECT
- Issue 135 : Dec 2021 - Jan 2022 : OPPORTUNITY
- Issue 134 : September-October 2021 : Losses and gains
- Issue 133 : July-August 2021 : Know Your Rights
- Issue 132 : May-June 2021 : Access to Healthcare
- Issue 131 : Mar-Apr 2021 : SOLUTIONS
- Issue 130 : Jan-Feb 2021 : CHANGE
- Issue 129 : Nov-Dec 2020 : UNBELIEVABLE
- Issue 128 : Sep-Oct 2020 : COPING
- Issue 127 : Jul-Aug 2020 : HOPE
- Issue 126 : Health & Wellbeing in a Crisis
- Issue 125 : Mar-Apr 2020 : MOVING ON
- Issue 124 : Jan-Feb 2020 : STREET FOOD
- Issue 123 : Nov-Dec 2019 : HOSTELS
- Issue 122 : Sep 2019 : DEATH ON THE STREETS
- Issue 121 : July-Aug 2019 : INVISIBLE YOUTH
- Issue 120 : May-June 2019 : RECOVERY
- Issue 119 : Mar-Apr 2019 : WELLBEING
- Issue 118 : Jan-Feb 2019 : WORKING HOMELESS
- Issue 117 : Nov-Dec 2018 : HER STORY
- Issue 116 : Sept-Oct 2018 : TOILET TALK
- Issue 115 : July-Aug 2018 : HIDDEN HOMELESS
- Issue 114 : May-Jun 2018 : REBUILD YOUR LIFE
- Issue 113 : Mar–Apr 2018 : REMEMBRANCE
- Issue 112 : Jan-Feb 2018
- Issue 111 : Nov-Dec 2017
- Issue 110 : Sept-Oct 2017
- Issue 109 : July-Aug 2017
- Issue 108 : Apr-May 2017
- Issue 107 : Feb-Mar 2017
- Issue 106 : Dec 2016 - Jan 2017
- Issue 105 : Oct-Nov 2016
- Issue 104 : Aug-Sept 2016
- Issue 103 : May-June 2016
- Issue 102 : Mar-Apr 2016
- Issue 101 : Jan-Feb 2016
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- Issue 97 : May-Jun 2015
- Issue 96 : April 2015 [Mini Issue]
- Issue 95 : March 2015
- Issue 94 : February 2015
- Issue 93 : December 2014
- Issue 92 : November 2014
- Issue 91 : October 2014
- Issue 90 : September 2014
- Issue 89 : July 2014
- Issue 88 : June 2014
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- Issue 86 : April 2014
- Issue 85 : March 2014
- Issue 84 : February 2014
- Issue 83 : December 2013
- Issue 82 : November 2013
- Issue 81 : October 2013
- Issue 80 : September 2013
- Issue 79 : June 2013
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- Issue 5 : 05
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- Issue 2 : 02
- Issue 1 : 01
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- Issue 24 : 24
- Issue 25 : 25
- Issue 8 : 08
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- Issue 26 : 26
- Issue 27 : 27
- Issue 28 : 28
- Issue 1 : 01