The Big Issue » Vendor Writings

The Things Money Can’t Buy…

Alan Attwood — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 04:37:11 +0000

“Good morning”, “g’day”, “hello”. These are my greetings to the ‘passbyers’ as I stand on my pitch at CERES, Piedemontes and the Abbotsford Convent, Melbourne.

While I stand at my pitch, I may have a quiet hour in terms of how many mags I sell, but I’m flat-out giving and receiving smiles and warmth. I’m making millions, no trillions. I’m filthy rich!

There really can be a beautiful spirit in humanity, and I’m one of the lucky ones to experience this caring nature of people. I feel special and I feel privileged to have the opportunity to see these qualities in our society, in our community and in people.

Thanks to the passbyers for all the smiles and acknowledgement. It really does make a difference to my soul.

De sells The Big Issue in Melbourne’s inner-north.

Beautiful View

Alan Attwood — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 04:36:11 +0000

At the top of Arthur’s Seat
With her long flowing hair
And colourful dress
She is complete.
I take a photo of her
So it isn’t all a blur.
She leans back
And the wind takes her hair anywhere.
For her to be with me,
It is nice to be.

This poem is about Owen’s late wife, Annie. They were married for 11 years.
Owen sells The Big Issue in Melbourne.

Wise Woman

Alan Attwood — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 04:35:16 +0000

I will never make it as a wise woman.
This is how you remind me of who I really am?
I’ve been to the bottom of every bottle, script, syringe,
Anything really as long as I don’t
Have to think of the words you put in my head,
It must have been really bad for you
Living with me must have been hell for you
So you beat me, and over a long period of time
You make me paranoid, antisocial, scared, intimidated,
No sense of feeling. YOU WIN. I feel that way today!
You say you love me and you make all the right promises to break.
I know all the time you’re not right
But when you tell someone the same thing over and over,
They will believe you.
You are the master manipulator, you like people to think you’re stupid
But I know you’re not, ‘cause a stupid person couldn’t know
How to strategically brainwash another.
I used to believe in me, but now sometimes
The nights can be so long and all your shit
Goes around and around in my head,
I used to have faith in you but now I just pity you.
Life’s like this…that’s the way it is…NUMB
I should take a walk around the world to ease my troubled mind
But then you do win, and this time I have just enough strength
To get my life back, and find me again
I know I can be a little stubborn sometimes,
I thought I had all the answers, but no one does really.
You have to find your way when you get lost,
How am I ever going to get rid of these blues?
I have the sick pleasure of knowing you’re lost without me.
I can make the pain go away.
I can be strong because I have so much of my Dad in me, and he said,
“When you wake up each morning, tell yourself this is the first day of the rest of your life.” Never a truer word spoken.
If our paths never cross again, I have accomplished a great deal in my life.

Kerry sells The Big Issue in Brisbane.

Dark Depression

Alan Attwood — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 04:34:23 +0000

By Michael

Dark depression never dies
You, you will never cry
Darkness, darkness everywhere
You will be in despair

Oh no what can I do
The demons, demons are after you
There, there is nowhere to run
Oh my God, there is no time for fun

Oh my God, I cry out for help
But help is not there
Bloody hell I have to take the easy way out
Because there is no one to help.

Michael sells The Big Issue in Canberra.

Lost in Stranger’s Eyes

Alan Attwood — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 04:32:36 +0000

My love I find in the strangest place
Peering into windowed, mirrored room
Glossy orbs fill with desire
And stare a long lonely gaze
Soft skin like satiny silk
Luscious lips like peaches’ nectar
Emotions flood like a tidal wave
Washing hate and pain away
A quick glance as I depart
No words were exchanged
Only a heart-filled gaze
I’ll never see this love again
So I’ll caress her gently in my dreams.

David L is unemployed and lives in Bunbury.

Shameful Discrimination

Alan Attwood — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 04:31:48 +0000

By Michael B

This country and society has discriminated against gays and lesbians for far too long. There are no federal laws recognising gay and lesbian couples. It is shameful to discriminate against someone just because of who they love.

Right now there are 60 different laws in this country that discriminate against gays and lesbians. For starters, they can’t get married and are not recognised as a couple legally. Centrelink doesn’t recognise them as a couple, they can’t receive pensions or super when their lover dies.

Why can’t gays and lesbians have kids just like the rest of us? Because society is too homophobic to see that gays/lesbians are normal human beings, and that if they both love the child he or she will grow up healthy like everyone else. Gays and lesbians should have every right to adopt or have kids of their own if they wish to.

For some bizarre reason the churches have a big problem with gays and lesbians. Church people have been preaching that “they will burn in hell”. It is shameful that the gays and lesbians who want to get married have to travel to countries like Canada and Spain. In 2004, the ACT passed a law to recognise same-sex couples through marriage, but this was later overturned. Shame on us all.

Michael B sells The Big Issue in Canberra

Fill Me Up Scotty

Anna O'Brien — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 04:29:42 +0000

In Adelaide and other towns in South OZ, we survive only by recycling the already polluted Murray water through an established filtering and cleaning system. This system cleans the water to a point where it is fit enough for us to drink and use for other things. When the proposed desalination unit (which will be a good thing?) is built, it will, unfortunately, only supply water to places that are already connected to the mains water infrastructure – not to our struggling farmers.

I believe we should redirect Adelaide’s waste water to a future Filtration Recycling Complex, which could be based at Paringa close to the SA–VIC boarder. That way the water can be cleaned and filtered to a point at which it can be safely pumped back into the Murray River system. Instead of pumping our wastewater into the sea, which is only polluting the Peninsula, we need to redirect this filtered water back into the Murray to replace the water we have foolishly taken for granted.

The water from the desalination complex will supply Adelaide and the towns connected to the existing mains water systems only, taking some pressure off the Murray. The extra water generated from the wastewater plant can be redirected back to our farmers along the Murray who totally depend on water to produce the things we need to survive. With this system of replacing water, instead of just taking water out, we will be helping to revive the Murray River System, bring it back to a healthier ecosystem and give it a chance to provide us with life sustaining food and water for now and for the future.

David N sells The Big Issue Norwood and other locations around Adelaide.