Riots Poems | Examples

A riot born of flames and rage

A burned up system of control
A revolt spoken with flames 
Silence was no longer an option
Peace had been exhausted 
The only language they communicate 
Violence 
The police man specialises in brutality when it comes to the black man

'Stop and search'
An excuse they use
To abuse 
The 'blacks"
Used as a slur
By the oppressor
As if it's poison, as if it's something to beware
Of

The Brixton riots of 1981
An explosion ready to happen 
All that was needed was a lighter to spark the fuse 
13 bodies
13 humans 
13 black men,
Lost to hate
Tensions rose like the smoke in the buildings 
A quite smile left on the faces of those reeling
Their own kind of justice, it was oh so freeing

Retaliation they didn't expect 
In their own words they believed they had 'controlled the blackies'
But we have a weapon
One that whispered through generations 
Nothing loud 
Just something strategic 
Something quiet
A lingering secret 
Black rage
A communal experience 
Of built up fatigue 
Of the uk's involvement 
In the mistreatment Of black people

Nativist Riots, Kensington Philadelphia

Sit down, and let me tell you, son,
about the historic district, Kensington,
in the year eighteen-forty-four,
when the streets broke out in war. 

The Irish-Catholic were new arrivals,
impoverished, fighting for survival.
The existing population was disquieted,
and so, Philadelphia nativists rioted.

It was then that false rumors were passed.
In a bad light, the Irish were cast,
Propaganda and lies, the devil's tools,
"They want to remove the Bible from schools".

But son, these things wouldn't happen today.
We are enlightened, though let me just say,
if there is an unpleasant circumstance,
just blame it on the immigrants.

Riots From Rhymes

There are only so many pages and so many stages
Of life I can riddle and write on through 
Until the paper's a waste, and the words are bad taste
And I can't tell fiction from true
Until the pen is bleeding and loves are leaving
And my cursive has gone too far
Eventually the trees start screaming that I'm not worth redeeming
And I don't know who you are
The notebook is finding it detests it's binding
And the lines are just scribbles and scars
The pencils revolted, and the erasers remolded 
And the calligraphy has taken up arms
There are only so many minutes and moment, of clarity and atonement 
That the typewriter is willing to hold
A quill and a quiver, and how do they differ
When the reading light has become so cold
There are riots from rhymes in tempestuous times
And I am growing so weary now
When I sit down to write, of love and of spite 
And whatever my pen will allow
There are only so many nights and so many slights
I can sit and stand to record 
With words as my weapon, to make the pain lessen
It's time to trade in for the sword

Paris, July 2024

Again it’s time to set some cars on fire
To smash some windows shouting out obsceneties   
With Paris riots on TV you can’t get tired
Like trashy sequels of the Chaplin’s comedies
The action breaks down into episodes and gags
The crowd goes berserk with animation 
They look quite serious, young lions and old fags
Rugged protesters, conscience of the nation
But don’t be fooled, it’s just the way they live
Traditional amusement, if you like 
With little compensation they forgive 
Until its time to start another strike 
It was dramatic, till the fireworks began
Then water cannons jets endorse the celebration
Its Paris riots, open up your beer can
Sit back and watch the show of exaltation.

Strikes, Riots, Anarchy

Massive strikes in Germany
  Burning tires in France
    Drummers pound out a war dance
  
  But please do not worry
  Real change can't be hurried
    Except with a large cash advance

It's Not Like It's Their Job

The smell is overpowering 
My lungs, screaming for one
   for just one 
       breath of fresh air 

With prayers unanswered,
They are engulfed in
    yet another load 
     of these odorous toxins

The odorous toxins
   of humanity
Being burnt to the crisp

While communities start
blaming one another 
Turning on one another 

The powers encouraging the riots
Where are they? 
Those powers? 
Where are they when we need them most? 

Hiding away 
Protected by the security of money 
Our country's money 
My country's money
That they stole! 
How could they do that? 
And leave us to fight for ourselves? 
They are meant to be saving us 
But why are they not?
Why they are not;

Why would they fight for something 
That has no effect on them 
It's not like it's their job to protect us anyway

Speechless

Chaos and riots
Epidemics and wars
Confusion like tornado hurricane
Confinement, speechless, quiet, calm, rest and unspoken words 
However people are drowned in the sounds of nature
Rattle of the rain 
Whizzing of the wind
Rustling of the leaves
Wheedling of the birds 
Chirping of the crickets
Echoing in the caves, jungles and mountains 
Roaring of the sea
Murmuring of the stream
Buzzing of the bees
Hissing of the snake
Quacking of the ducks 
Mooing of the cows 
Woofing of the dogs 
Groaning of the sick
Wheezing of the lungs
Humming of a lullaby
Grumbling of the oldies 
Mourning of the dead
Sighing of the loser 
Applause of the winner
Any other voices may be drowned 
During this political, economic and epidemic crisis
Stay speechless ,calm and cool 
As the ushering in of the Chinese New Year
Looking forward to a better year
Only melodies but no blasting or booming 
Maybe some sounds buried in the wind
That's the voice of your heart
Stop violation, politicking, trafficking and hegemony
As the world
Is a part of everybody's legacy in a will
Although all along the world is speechless and unspoken

Who Do We Call Them

Walking
Running
Bringing impending doom.
Who are they?
They claim they're heroes.
But not a single hero was there that day.
Who are they? 
They say they are Patriots.
Peculiar for traitor to say.
They screamed and shouted
Creating such violence
They screamed and shouted
Spewing out venom.
The blue showed up
Not even stopping them.
Nobody seemed to stop them.
Why aren't they stopping them? 
Why? 
Why?
Why?
Because,
They are one and the same
One and the same.

Turmoil Soup

Turmoil Soup: 
by M. Griswold  09112020

Stirring the pot until fully hot.
Bringing the turmoil to it's boil.
Then to see what is and is not.
Add to the broth a li'l bit of oil.

Add a li'l more fuel to the fire.

Tasting now with ladle in hand.
Sipping again for flavored desire.
Is the soup well made as planned?
Is it ready, it is truly fully dire?

Add a li'l more fuel to the fire.

Other ingredients are in the need.
A tad more hate and  pinch of fear.
With a little lust for power to feed.
One more death that makes it clear.

Add a li'l more fuel to the fire.

It's all in how you get them stewing.
Until their ready to dish up a friend.
A peoples riot is within it's brewing.
Creating turmoil soup without an end.

Pandemic Friends Afraid

Pandemic Friends Afraid
By George W. Clever-----27 August 2020

My pandemic friends are afraid
Perhaps like me, they are old
So vulnerable to die on news are told			COVID patients placed in retirement homes
							Governor Emperors abusing their power. 
							Steal freedoms without control every hour
Their retirement plans to travel
A cruise, grandchildren visit, escaping the cold
By government order all are on hold
							They huddle in their homes 
							TV media freaking them out
							Reporting ‘hot’ states no one should go
City riots by ‘No Lives Matter’ 
Bring fear to their hearts
Too old to fight too slow to run
							Wear their mask more for a show 
							Unproven protection a social must
							Confusing misinformation without trust
No hugs from their children
Hear phone voices of fear
No future of promise this retirement year
							Have they forgotten God’s promise?
							What is now never lasts
							Be not fearful for this too shall pass

Plagues, Riots and Quills

as soon as this latest plague is over
and the riots dampen a bit,
the gentle muse can be coaxed from  
the leper's mask and rubble,
to pick up the quill and start scribing
about frogs-flowers and fawns
or maybe It'll be inspired by a goose
that offered it's feather for the cause-

Rise From Your Knee

Old friend Democracy
There you are again
Finally
We thought you might have left us
Forever

Breathe
God Almighty
Breathe from your knee

And rise for every one
Like a black statue of liberty
Over the old ways of Confederacy

Put away
The power that rules
The gangland world.

Inhale the air and take our fear
Exhale a new century of equity

Release a revolution of new riches
Made of healing and advancing

All

A cosmic rainbow of color
Arcing
Over the wheat fields to the steel cities

A baby’s coo from her mother’s cradle
Born from where the sun begins

Wrists slipped from shackles
Voices loosed from nooses
Boots lifted from the backs of necks
Soot cleaned from Mother Earth

Democracy
Rise from your knee again

Breathe

Breathe
A familiar kind of destiny.

To be free. To be free. To be free.

Riots

People are angry
And feeling unheard
rioting in the streets
Homes being burned
Lives are being ruined 
"in the name of justice," they say.
But I pray that they 
can find a better way

How does ruining an
Innocent life seem right?
Violence and looting
Fires burning through  the  night
Wrong is wrong and 
Two wrongs dont make it right
I get the anger,
It comes from years in the fight

But in order to make a difference
You need to come from a place of love
Listen to the guidance  given
from God and His angels up above
Using violence and anger
Will never be the way
A world full of acceptance
And love is for what I pray.

5/31/2020

The Statesmen

Listen to the music of centuries
Remembering looking toward peace
"We must disentral ourselves"
The congressmen
Big black tires
Big black men,black suits
Siphoning your GRIT
The corporate war profiteers
Who are they as bats at night
Chameleons in all natures
Camouflaged at appropriate times
Demagogues!the cause of poverty
Be angry at the sun
The public men,publish falsehood
You are no Catullus you know;
To lampoon these crude sketches of ceasar
Struggle for power;and women for fame
I stand alone dazed words giving way
Blood gurgling down into the mud and sand
This nation,A village of thorns and brambles
The old earth is withered and undone
While decades pass
Pleasured in the dead's heritage
Riots and robs,
some busking in the glory of others
Others salvation
Others the lords of charity,
Splashing dirty millions in altars and Holly stages
You are begot and spawned in shame
Little resources huge demands
Oh wanjiku!How long shall the donkey tire for your load to be delivered?

Lost

For 
eternal spring

Is this
War
Blood smeared 
Streets
Souls
Insanity

Proclaimed the 
Messiah
Prophet 
Of peace

The crowd 
Cheers
And 
I
Am lost
Alone?

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