As each November approaches I try to make my own little Remembrance-time tribute.  Seems more relevant as each year passes...

Following the huffing and puffing empire lunacy in the summer of 1914, the next four years would see 40 million casualties, half of them deaths and of those, half were civilian.  

40 million.

40 million tales of poignancy, pain, grief and human tragedy, through times that can often seem littered with coincidence, symmetries …. bookends and mirrors.

In the Military Cemetery of St Symphorien near Mons rests John Parr.  At only five foot three inches and several years under age he (amazingly) managed to enlist in 1912 - hoping to see the world, and get the advertised “two square meals” a day.  He was the first British Army casualty, killed in the battle of Mons aged just 17, his body left behind, fate unknown until much later in the conflict;  the army unable to answer his mother’s letters of enquiry about her “silent” son.

By pure coincidence, John lies just a few yards from the last British soldier to die in the great war.  George Ellison served for four long years including at the same first battle of Mons as John, and most of the famously grinding, attritional infantry battles of the conflict.  His working life bookended by military service, George had first enlisted in 1902, leaving the army in 1912, just as John joined, he became a coal miner, re-enlisting at the outbreak of war to dig mud not coal and fight from trenches he helped excavate.  George was killed just 90 minutes before the armistice took effect at 11:00 on the 11th day of the 11th month.  The futility of the conflict was cruelly illustrated by the fact that George’s war had started and ended at exactly the same place, Mons in Belgium.  They had literally gone nowhere.

As a postscript to progress since "the war to end all wars" the human race is currently reckoned to be engaged in 7 major wars, 15 significant ongoing conflicts and 21 “minor” conflicts (the latter defined as up to "only” 1000 deaths per year).  By way of another macabre bookend, the longest of these has been going on, unbelievably, since the year .... 1918.

As always, this simple ballad is offered as a live one mic one take effort - please excuse the fluffs and gaffes.
_______________________

Bookends and Mirrors

Sun turned cold ‘cross every sky in the summer of ‘14
The Good Lord shook his head, and he placed it in his hands
Braided declarations flying, whose like was never seen
Lunatics in feathers stockpiled lead, bagged their sand.
Slapstick Mephistopheles, unleashing of his flame
Spiral minds lobotomised in the waltz of the insane
Simple lives unknowing of the mud that would become
A mirror in the resting place of two Holy Mother’s sons.

Signed the line, five years young, fingers crossed behind his back
Chance to see the world, grab a future, two square meals.
At 17, John’s angels sung, first to fall in dawn’s attack
Abandoned and forgotten, deaf to all his ma’s appeals.
Never knew the miner, his bookend pal to be
Fighting down the line, many battles that he’d see
Full four years in trenches, George’s hell lived through them all
Cruelty was smiling wide at England’s last to fall.

In service time they travelled nowhere, nothing to achieve
Embracing 40 million weeping mothers left to grieve
The crime of puffing chest bravado beggared to believe
Hall of mirrors seeping others’ blood of the innocent naive.

Now John and George lie facing each to seek their mirrored peace
Raise my eyes and brim a tear for the lessons never learned
Pray God, don’t ever let them know man’s insanity but increased
The war to end all wars a mere sequel oft’ returned 
By comedies of leathered fools stuck on infinite repeat
Bemedalled and bejewelled, they prosecute their moral defeat
But here, on sallow turf twixt heroes, broken mirror in my broken hand
Met by my own broken eyes, I still fail to understand.
_________
Photo by Michael Yuan on Unsplash

Bookends and Mirrors

Can We Build a Refrigerator?

Don't hang up yet!


I wanted to create something I could listen to with pleasure. Keeping a good spirit for like, when I am put on hold by whatever company or doctor. Something soothing and dreamy, endless good vibes. 


On Hold

Video;
youtu.be/1-FGq6953PY

Made in #Ableton (February 2024)

Genres;
#Electronic
#EDM
#Experimental

Behind The Mirror

4 hour flip. 
Original Track - https://youtu.be/Hp5B64jXbu0?si=uKfbRXLC-26BWYl7
MOSNAR DET - Remixing, Drum & Bass Programming

Loop Diggers Sunday Roulette Challenge 147 - H A T E R Z

La linea gialla

Anam Hermit  -La linea gialla-

Heavenly thing

© 2024 Pantomime Riot

Hidden darker matter dropping from the start
And then with Anti gravitation you play your part 
Get singing with a choir of angels' wings 
Then strap up in your new suit as the thruster sings

Fly me right out through the Milky Way 
And the shiny Stellar nurseries where the new kids play 
Take me by the orbit where the comet melts 
Then Lead me through the giants and asteroid belts

Bending around the pulse using your giro-scope
Use acceleration like elastic rope 
Circulate the O2 as we push ahead 
Speeding through the vacuum as the tubes are fed 

Fly me right out through the Milky Way 
And the shiny Stellar nurseries where the new kids play 
Take me by the orbit where the comet melts 
Then Lead me through the giants and asteroid belts

Musky’s on the throttle of his shiny tube 
Jeffries got no lift off cannot clear the hoop 
Do you think we're ever gonna get a grip
That no one’s going starside in a rocket ship 

Fly me right out through the Milky Way 
And the shiny Stellar nurseries where the new kids play 
Take me by the orbit where the comet melts 
Then Lead me through the giants and asteroid belts

PALE LIGHT

MILKY WAY

Where Do We Go

OFFICIAL BUSINESS 87 BPM

Star Dealer: An original piece built on the SP-1200 and MPC 3000, captured through the tape paths of the Tascam 688.

Star Dealer

Co-Admin of https://soundcloud.com/loopdiggersrecords
95% of my followers never gave me a single like, repost or comment on my tracks. don't be that guy. 😂🙄 if you send me your track unsolicited, get blocked and reported for spam. does not apply to real supporters.
Loop Diggers Crew. highly caffeinated and looking for open collabs! i make music to (try to) keep from going crazy! 
(old) main - https://soundcloud.com/meezerpocalypse

Loop Diggers Sunday Roulette Challenge 147 - H A T E R Z

MZRPKLPS