Punk Site Poetry With Cherry B “They Them”

Cherry B is our punked up pumped up performance poet, who has been described as the The Punk Pam Ayers and The Cockney Cooper Clarke, she has returned with They Them, her latest exclusive poem for The Punk Site. Cherry B had this to say about the poem: “I wrote this poem a few months ago after seeing the vileness deposited on Sam Smith for changing pronouns. Why can’t we call ourselves what we want? Being a punk is about rebellion against the norm and changing opinions. Every generation forms their own version of how they want to live their life.”

They / Them

Wake up, open your eyes,

Be the one that they despise.

Tow the line, fit in and be quiet,

Embrace bigotry, read the sun and buy it.

Pin a proverbial target to your back,

Racial hatred is not just being black.

Don’t question your sexuality and gender,

They will attack, the hate will render.

Forget your opinions they are not needed,

they never conceded, ignorance breeded.

Not quite sure what the fear is,

Rebranded titles like mx and ms.

This generation are taking the stand,

Making sure bigotry is banned.

Thank you they / them for being brave,

But it’s the trigger for hate that they crave.

Author, writer, poet, psychotherapist, professional swearer, dyspraxic and opinionated, words that define and illuminate qualities that feature within the personality of Cherry B. Straddling the Shakespearean themes of comedy and tragedy, teasing with laughter, then taunting those undesirables in society. One half of the unique Cherry & Peesh, who have embellished the punk ‘n folk scene with melodical tales and catchy tunes for the past five years. The duo released their latest album, Bigot’s Banquet, earlier this year and Cherry B is also collating a new volume of poetry and a novel for publishing in the new year.

“Coming up for me, 3 more gigs for the end of this year, a solo in London and with Peesh in Stockton and Newcastle in December. I’m still writing my novel based in an infamous music club in Harlow, to be published in the summer. Our Reggae EP is due to be released in February with support from a wonderful music label. We have some fab gigs for 2024 already booked in too.”

Cherry B‘s debut collection of poetry and lyrics, Job Lot Of Rhymes, is available via Flapjack Press. Job Lot Of Rhymes spans three decades of Cherry B’s performance work. Political, societal and inclusive, it is uncompromising and passionate punk ’n roll poetics firing from the belly of social conscience. Cherry B also appears on her monthly radio show on Louder Than War Radio, Poetry Is The New Rock ’N Roll, that offers an hour of lyric led, spoken versed, genre smashing, musical adventure into the exploration of hidden poetry, that is often camouflaged behind powerful rhythms and riffs.