“Tell folk the Kingdom’s near,” He said. “Tell them it’s time tae turn round.” Then: “Nae bag. Nae breid.”

The kind o silence that arrives aw at once, like everybody’s agreed tae stop breathin.

It’s only then Andrew clocks it. Wan loaf. That’s aw they’ve goat wi them. But they’ve already shoved aff, so there’s no much tae be done aboot it noo.

Bohemian Rhapsody is not a confession of murder nor an exercise in nihilism. It is a ritual execution of identity — the moment Farrokh Bulsara dies and Freddie Mercury is born. This essay reads the song as a psychological, musical, and spiritual turning point, and Mercury’s lifelong silence as an act of mercy rather than mystery.

You’re going about your day, minding your own business, when the universe decides to slap you. Not metaphorically — a full, open-handed wallop that leaves you blinking at reality, wondering who changed the script. I was upstairs in Costa, the one tucked inside NEXT at Braehead, perched above the menswear section with a lukewarm latte and the illusion of peace. Then I saw him — mid-twenties, navy coat, scanning the shirts with nervous hands. When the light caught the small metal object in his pocket, my chest tightened. A ring. A pin. A curved lever. The exact top of a hand grenade. Within minutes, a whisper became a rumour, the rumour became a story, and the story became a full-blown emergency rolling through the mall like a gospel nobody meant to preach. And somehow, God help me, I was the one who started it.

Long before addiction and long after recovery, Madness have been a constant thread—joy, mischief, and a reminder of the life I nearly lost. As the Hydro gig approaches, I reflect on why this band’s genius runs far deeper than their nutty image suggests.

Delia, on the other hand, carries the trauma within her, unable to separate herself from the events.

silence no more

It’s how ah think

Rich children’s laughter still echoing down through the centuries. A shaft of sunlight through the trees catches my eye, glinting off the feeding trough that ensured the livestock never went without food.

“We would gather in my grans, with my aunts and uncles and the plates of sandwiches, then those heading to the game would go.”

I am guilty because of a post code

Selah, Just a moment, Time out, Reflection, Consideration, Marinate, Recalibrate, Set off again © Stuart Patterson 2020 This POST is part of a wider collection to show the journey that would eventually lead me to the cross of Jesus Christ, my personal redemption, and my journey of faith afterwards. If you would like to know… Read more: Pause

So much more I could sayabout everything from those days,the times at the shops hardly touchedwith hands out, but laughingfor cash for the drugs. Or snowball fights with the men in bluewho wore black, but anyhoo.The long weekends in Maryhill nickcos Baird Street was full (hmm that don’t stick). The bundles of tems hid behind… Read more: Next…

last time it was barbed
pulling my skin
ripping and tugging
blood from there

“let me entertain you” rang outthe words of the song.I was sitting at mykeyboard, watchingand waitingonthecur-sordo-ingitsmag-ic.Myeyesweredrawnto the box in thecorner that Robbie sang out from.My mind was locked on the screen,now caught up with his imaginationrather than my own. Out of thecorner of my eye thecursor furiously blinked,try-ingtore-capt-uremygaze,but it had lostthe battle. I was now… Read more: Prisoner

Jesus stopped for Bartimaeus‘ cry Turned for the woman with an issue of blood Looked up for Zacchaeus Crossed a storm-ravaged lake for the man in the graveyard (well the man’s mum never called him Legion) He travelled days for Lazarus Went to the pool for the cripple Touched the leper AND healed him Fed… Read more: He saw ME

As wee bites go, ye cannae wack The awesomeness of a Scots snack Whether deep fried Mars, or battered ice cream Us Scots know whit eating food really means But for the purpose aw this wee trip A want tae tell ye aboot ma piece n chips Ye know doon in Wales, when in TC… Read more: Piece n chips

    “Innocent as hell, Innocent as hell     and it’s not a lot of fun being here.     I can see a few faces I’d rather see,     be a few places I’d rather be than here.     The judge says, “down you go boy,     not to be seen for five years”,     he says,… Read more: ACYO

Many are the choices we deem to make, in the hope of a different path we might take. And most often the fruit, not what we need, with choices mostly steeped in selfish greed. But one day it comes, a crossroads is reached, confusion, bewilderment, what way is the breach? One choice, and life’s journey… Read more: Completing the tenner

Alcatraz San Francisco across the Bay. The sea, the prison bars. and, cellmate. Raining outside hostility inside. Angry and sad. To be free again. My book- it’s my escape whilst in here. He damaged it. Anger thickens the air already tight in this 5×9. Murder! Alcatraz My cellmate at window. Concrete and sweat Fill the… Read more: Murder

“Let’s be real, people, that other people might see people that help them be REAL people.”

Turning it out day after dayThe things going onThe games people playUnbiased and neutral,Balanced and fairWell, so they claimWhat can we sayAbout the journalism game Do a report, but take out YOUR heartIts not rocket scienceYeah, but it is an artTo tell the truth in a factual wayC’mon now guysGet doing it – todayWith balance… Read more: Journalism

Just a mark on my right sided cheekshowing up when I was about three,to be honest, I don’t think too much of itIt came out, showed up, and all day just sits So what, it’s like a dirty markkeeping my cheekSo what’s it like, this big brown stainHow does it feel, does it cause painWhen… Read more: mole

The innerexpress-ion of theheart, impreg-natingthemindgiving breaththrough vocabularyand orderingatoms on atoms into anan expression on paper thatother eyes may caress tenderly.Confused mess unravelling be-fore me, the pen takes overa mind of its own. Seem- ing to make sensewherethere is none, on-ly neur-ons bum-ping and baking. My eyes read what my brain con-ceived throughmy hand. Did I,… Read more: Birthing

“It’s time!” declared the sign on the door outside the room. It wasn’t a large room. Around 5m by 5m (that’s 15’ x 15’ in old money), with grey walls and that one door in the centre of the rear wall. Sitting about a metre away from one of those walls, at right angles to… Read more: It’s Time

“A tense excitement built amongst them all as they looked at the opening to the old building. Cameras already taking notes, video already recording and mics in action hoping to pick up some conversation.”

…My head it runs through / what I should do…

It was the scratches that did it. Screams writing in time, recording history’s horrible hatred as desperation grapples to escape man’s inhumanity to man, and woman, and child. It wasn’t the hair, or the shoes or the trinkets, or laces or the piled bunks in rooms crammed tight with pain and suffering, foreshadowing what was… Read more: Those walls

Just a clown walking through the pale grey concrete shrine to movement . Multicoloured cap and over- sized shoes framing the exaggerated tree contained between their colours. Every step met with derision and laughs as he gripped his black umbrella, finding strength in its handle. His eyes darted around looking for refuge and fell on… Read more: Black Umbrella

A moment in time with a prick in the arm and a rush of confusion and infusion. Opiate racing through my circulation. Its’ horrific bliss with heroin’s kiss My nose is itchy, and my tongue is dry. Stomach retching. Is this the high they spoke about when sharing the wonders of poison in brown, wrapped… Read more: Bliss with a kiss

“Go to Braehead, get a coconut latte in  the Next Costa and wait.”  

“The mat was just hanging around, as you do when you have beaten a champion.”

It’s just a thought

Disappointingly defeated Despisingly distraught Dumped in the dilemma Daily disasters have brought Escalating emotions Exhausting energy Emitting the elixir Emphatically to nought Feeling like failure Fearing my thoughts Fixed on the firestorm Fierce friction has wrought Chokingly charred Chimney all choked Chased by the challenge Cheers so remote Opportunity opposed Origins obsolete Observing my onslaught… Read more: DEFCON 1

“You cannot tell though
the consequence,
their choice will have on you”

Just a bit of fun. I opened up my WordPress as I wanted to write a poem as a bit of light relief over the full on couple of weeks I have been through. The beckoning, flashing title at the top made me smile and I thought I would see if I could do soemthing… Read more: Title

I started writing a blog about the day to day life in the Teen Challenge Programme. Out of that came this slant on Ecclesiastes 3. Hope you enjoy a time to rise, a time to shave, a time to read, a time to pray, a time to eat, a time to clean, a time to learn,… Read more: Day to day, the Teen Challenge Way

“YTS not a success It gave me less and less Magnified my inner stress Kept me hopeless”

Living my life in the darkness Lying awake, trembling, shaking, wondering why Ripping off, stealing, robbing, beating If it goes on like this I’ll surely die So on my knees, “God please help me, Forgive me, save me, show me what’s right Wondering, praying, asking – knowing God would let me see the light Thank-you… Read more: Light from Darkness

He liked this particular invention, and someday he intended to put it to really bad use by influencing people with it.

Words On a page Sounding sage Lived an age Coming through From me to you Expressing heart, It’s a start Maybe a switch To make you tick Or maybe just be fun From this Glasgow one ©Stuart Patterson 2018 This POST is part of a wider collection to show the journey that would eventually lead… Read more: Words

For me, poetry can be a way of giving a snapshot of a thought process going on in my mind. There are many aspects to the issue and many subtle nuances to it all. Ultimately though, the finished edited version will not be a full and transparent insight, more a filtered Instagram type word image.… Read more: Pixels

Wanting to be liked In the words that I write. From pain etched in the heart, my like is a start of a journey I hope you will take Needy deep in prose The con is the thorn Needling the rose Pretending to place Your prose with my praise Hiding the stats response I like… Read more: Like me

What a day, in every wayThe marvellous madness of MathsWith formulae sounding like the liturgy of MassIts models and mannersand shapes throwing spanners.til the college buds springinto steps helping methese problems’ solutions see Onto break now laughter comesliterary devices multiplying fun.library quiet -not a chance, not a hopethe units combine, it helps us to cope… Read more: Marvellous Madness

History versus the future how do they combine What lessons to be learned when the two intertwine Past mistakes and victory signposts on the way The shoulders of long gone giants marks my destiny I am getting old now But only in the flesh The body maybe wasting Longing for eternal rest as my clock… Read more: Ramblin’

Taking a puff on a cancer stick Not really thinking of being sick The momentary relief of the tar and the ‘tine Peace in my life through poison unseen Years pass through with no noticeable news Of the dreaded demand of its dirty dues Not knowing of the constricted tightness of breath That would hurry… Read more: Ring of Smoke

Just setting the scene for how it went down Looking back on my past and the life that I found Standing on a playing field, looking up at the sky Knowing it was imminent, I was gonna die As the plane flew over, the tremor was real But not from the engines this shaking I… Read more: Airplane Gaze

Thanks for being you Maybe not the best version But original through and through You didn’t try and copy the social media fake friends and acquaintances or trail in their wake of pretence and imagery A pseudonym trying to make Thanks for being you you played no small part In helping God to mould me… Read more: Thanks for being you

Decisions and choices In the midst of the voices Making me choose Which way to go If it’s this then make it so But what if it’s that How will I know The paths laid out clearly before me But the well-worn grass Is just too long to see Through to the outcome So HOW… Read more: Decisions

Darkness hung on the phantom light Through the mystery of the impenetrable cloud Every movement that cannot be seen Exaggerated into ghosts graves and ghouls Groaning into phantom memories Of yesterday and of what might have been Twisting our guilt in remembered scenes Our today locked with an unknown key That leaves liberty languishing longingly… Read more: The Fog

Seems like he’s picking them off one by one How long will it be before they are all gone? My dear dear friends, who were always around Now it seems so few are left to be found Who is to blame for my generations loss? Who is responsible? Who will pay the cost? Is it… Read more: Role

When all the hurt inside is trying to come out And all the pin you have makes you doubt When sorrows from before come back to haunt And your past catches up to try and taunt Just come to the One you know you can trust Give Him it all before you bust He is… Read more: Tears

“When out of the darkness comes a car screaming by
They had it all planned, caught me on the fly”

What is my life being spent on today? Am I getting a good return for all the energy I am using up? Is it a good use of the earth’s resources that went into supplying this energy? What is my life being spent on today? Is it bringing hope to the hopeless, help to the… Read more: Life today