In time for Halloween our own Adam Zawadzki has written (and recited) a poem. This horror tale is designed to exorcise his disquiet and anger about the Panama, Paradise and now Pandora papers, and those who evade taxation.
Read on if you dare…. watch the subtitled version below, or just listen with your eyes closed..
The Grim Reaper
by Adam Zawadzki
Once upon a time, in a faraway land
the Grim Reaper was waxing his axe.
After washing blood from the dead of his cloak
he could finally stop and relax.
Just before that though, a kill order arrived
for his next unsuspecting victim.
Summoning his axe – he dissolved into smoke.
Lightning struck, thunder cracked. Classic Grim!
In the midday sun, in the bleak midwinter
was a church in the wild countryside.
Just beside the priest was the target: the Groom
at the altar across from the Bride.
The Groom was a joke in a black hat and tails
right in front of his soon-to-be wife.
Circus clown by day. Paparazzo by night.
It’s the happiest day of his life.
The Bride was a joke in a white satin dress
right in front of the man of her dreams.
Street artist by night. Influencer by day.
With the veil sparkling in sunlight streams.
What nobody knew was the Groom had been caught
in the act of avoiding his tax.
But this criminal could no longer escape
from the wrath of the Grim or the facts.
“Dearly beloved. We’re gathered here today,”
said the Priest to the Bride and the Groom.
But at the same time an old fireplace blew up.
From the flames came the spectre of doom.
Hovering in front of Jesus Christ on the cross,
from a dark hooded skeleton head,
came a deathly voice that filled all that were there
with the image of horror and dread.
“I hereby declare: you are sentenced to death
for your crimes against humanity.”
“Where will you go now? To the depths of despair!
From a world beyond all sanity.”
Pointing to the Groom was a skeleton hand
with the almighty finger of shame
and without delay from the hand swung the axe
heading straight for the target of blame.
Severed at the neck was the Groom by the blade
in its medieval guillotine stride
and such was the force that the head – it took off
and was caught by the hands of the Bride.
Falling to her knees with his head in her hands
was the Bride, full of anguish and pain.
Blood was bleeding in to her white satin dress.
“What a shame”, muttered Grim, “that’ll stain.”
“What’s the problem here? Were you not entertained?”
Grim enquired, of the stunned audience.
“How will you spread wealth from the rich to the poor
without ending the tax avoidance?”
But the audience were too stunned to inform
although children were filming the sight.
“Put your phones away! Don’t you know who I am?
I don’t do bloody selfies! Alright?”
Suddenly, once more a kill order arrived
for his next unsuspecting victim.
“He didn’t do that! He was protecting me!”
Cried the Bride of the reaping by Grim.
“What the hell?” Said Grim: “You’re co-conspirators!”
As the flight of the axe marked half way.
“Tell me everything or by heaven and hell
I will take more than one life today.”
“Father, I have sinned”, said the Bride to the Priest,
“I filed my tax returns in his name.”
The Priest led a prayer. Grim didn’t join the prayer:
“You’re as bad as each other. So lame.”
Like a boomerang came the axe, spitting blood
over all family, friends and pets.
“Enough is enough”, Grim declared, “as for you,
it’s time for me to settle your debts.”
Pointing to the axe then the head of the bride
made the Grim legislation concrete.
“By the grace of God you were dressed to impress
so I hope that you’ve kept the receipt.”
Severed at the neck was the bride by the blade
like a medieval guillotine beast
and such was the force that both heads – they took off
and were caught, one by one, by the Priest.
Red was the whole Church, family, friends and pets
by the blood of the Groom and the Bride.
Grim told the mourning: “Well elites, that’s karma.
Welcome all to the turn of the tide.”
“Public services need to thrive. Not survive
to support the many not the few.
If you don’t play fair like they all have to play
then the next time they may come for you.”
“Wealth equality will one day come to pass
as reality. But that’s a dream
as you’ll destroy yourselves for money, at all costs
until everyone plays for one team.”
“Imagine a world – piece in mind, body, soul –
from the money that won’t set you free.
For the love of life – you can’t take it with you
by the power invested in me.”
Grim as it may sound to the ears of the rich
who are poor with their eyes on the ‘prize’.
Grim burst into flames in the holy fireplace.
Power and privilege: the perfect disguise.
If you think tax avoidance is a good idea,
good luck on your wedding day.
In Scotland I attended Dunfermline High School from 2010 to 2016 and Edinburgh Napier University from 2016 to 2020, emerging with two Advanced Higher and five Higher qualifications from the former and graduating with an undergraduate bachelor of arts honours degree in journalism from the latter. After two years away from further education due to the coronavirus pandemic, I'm going to be studying the MFA Photography course at York St John University in England from 2022 to 2024. I've achieved The Duke of Edinburgh’s (Bronze) Award and received grade five level certification for electronic keyboard from Trinity College London. In my spare time, I enjoy reading, writing, watching television series, listening to music and going to the cinema as well as catching up with friends, travelling by railway and hostelling overnight and overindulging in food and drinks in a pub or restaurant then having to go to the gym to burn it all off again.
By studying journalism and photography, my aim of practicing photojournalism professionally will hopefully be once step closer. Both are partial artforms requiring the rest of the work to be undertaken by the audience, the specialism of photojournalism, however, providing each of its two parts with greater context. Exploring photographic techniques (aerial, timelapse, editing) through a variety of journalistic styles (features, poetry, songwriting) will allow me to develop my portfolio, hone my camera skillset and narrow my focus further in anticipation of working life. Without a global pandemic to deal with this time. Fingers crossed.
