two tone at home
Mento, Calypso and all that Jazz
blew in on a Jamaican breeze
rhythm and blues , and snares that crack
and hips that sway, chords like palm trees
the walking baseline stepped ashore
in Windrush Brogues so patent bright
black heels clicking, on two and four
one white socked foot lifted each night
the corkscrewed hips, the crawl and twist
the punch, the bass, the upbeat bliss,
the offbeat riddims, guitars that glisten
shimmer upstroke ,breathe and listen
then a later generation
moved by that rock steady beat
syncopated dislocation
the Midland maestro's from the street
the English Beat moved more than feet
and Coventry was Special too
Saxa bridging Orange Street
new wave revival, and Punk 'F*ck you'
made to heal tears, soul inflection
full stop ranking beat creation
staccato Stiff and Two Tone at home
British Ska that moved a nation
gangsters never trashed Hotel rooms
wha'happen dancing Jabsco did
three minutes heroes The Selector
too much pressure under the lid
the only invaders were North London
became the Camden Nutty Boys
brethren of the Prince were invited
racist toddlers threw out their toys
we harassed our mothers for Doc Martins
14 holers if we dared
black Harrington's with tartan lining
ad drainpipe jeans, trousers not flared
buzz-cut, ch ch, braces too, Skinhead style not BNP,
tabloid rubbish all the while
Bad Manners Margate by the sea
Jerry,Terry,Gaps and Pauline,
chequerboard that we adored
Yes and flares and Mud and Wombles
all the things that we abhorred
too young for Punk, but liked the naughty,
the Madness then was Absolute
rebels at playtime, ties as peanuts
beaten with canes and kicked with boots
the energy was so infectious,
the dancehall skanking had us hooked
other tribes could not deflect us
too cool for school was how we looked
and still Ska makes me feel alive,
a running man, two stepping madly
a child transported out of time
a Grandad dancing very badly
so thank you Rhoda, Roger, Doug
your body snatching, toasting tongue
Monsieur Barso, El Thommo, Suggs
by now I'm sure it must be love
©ThePoetBeanz.com 2025
