First publication of Soft Riots / TV News in Mok magazine issue 5 co-edited by Richard Tipping and Rob Tillett. Offset printed, 1000 copies, Adelaide 1969. Mok 5 was reprinted in 2009 for the 40th anniversay, edition of 100.
Soft Riots (University of Queensland Press, 1972). Cover photograph by Scott Hicks.
SOFT RIOTS / TV NEWS
6pm july 4
theyre marching on the american consulate
be/cause
theres nowhere else to go
its cold in the city wind off the water
trains on time
marching
marching for
marching for reasons
in adelaide a man takes off his coat
in melbourne a woman sits down and sighs
in sydney a man changes channels
in brisbane its windy southwest change maximum 25
THE CAMERAMEN ARE READY action
action
the spotlit streets action
spit back cats cars action
a spearhead of radicals bearing red flags urged
on and led by other radicals a drawing of the prime
minister was also burned a petition police wielding
batons kicked and punched 1000 independence day
ball with 99 arrested and constable green hit by
a stone & allowed to leave
i tell ya jude
you cant beat the sheriff
che che che che
che guevara
che che guevara
che che che guevara
che che guevara
che
angelic hip christ holding
bulletholes to his poems :
crucified dead & buried
after three days he didnt
rise / no rock rolled back
who live out your lives
who live out your lives
in darkness
in darkness
a match
three butts
ashes all
on a box
of pins
the police were unable to find a motive for the killing.
they suggested three alternatives :
READY
up against the wall
they pin the target
to your chest & share
your last cigarette
up against the wall
clawing at
AIM
spotlights arclight gutteral swing bark
blinding the wire ripping
through your outstretched
fingers tearing at your machinegun gut gut to
shredding clothes a shirt flagged above bones the
wire flashing with the sun
wire barbs gaa sssh
-ing
when i shut my eyes its dark in my brain
zzzooooooooooooomm shot
reversed to full screen
panoramic wall
strung by the hungry prisons of
FIRE
click
goodnight melbourne
lights out adelaide
brisbane shut your eyes
sydney
see you in the morning
Soft Riots Coffeetable Edition, 1973
Poetry book between perspex sheets, with four castor wheels. Edition of 12. Shown at Soft Riots exhibition with Aleks Danko at Watters Gallery, Sydney, in 1972
GO ARMY
the poster said FOR CAREER
the poster said AND ACTION
the poster said GO ARMY
the poster said
the poster said
the poster read
the poster bled GO ARMY
the poster said GO ARMY
the poster said GO ARMY
the poster said GO ARM YE
the poster said GO ARM MY
the poster said GOAR MY OR
the poster said MY ARM YE
the poster said ROAR THE GO
the poster said GOYA MR ARM
the poster said YE ARM MY ARM
the poster said MY ARM MY ARM
These poems and all others in Soft Riots are available to view at www.poetrylibrary.edu
Hear GO ARMY (1969) read by Richard Tipping, recorded in 2011
(c) Richard Tipping All text and images are copyright and protected by international legislation. See the Copyright page for more information. For permission to use any of these materials please see Contact page.