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| an Aegean ringed in flames |
no hols
barred
all you folks
who think you know
me &
hate my evil ways
do your
worst to bring me down
these are the
days
let’s do
battle round the square
open
warfare draw no draws
here’s your
chance for once & all
these are
the days
ammunition
stocks are high
all my
troops are fully trained
plus this
piece of paper says
these are
the days
launch when
ready use surprise
any dirty
move you like
this time no
calling foul I cry
these are
the days
meanwhile
now the summer’s here
have I slogged
all bloody year
to avoid Marine
Parade
these are
the days
empire games
battle zone
shivers bones
like
ancient stones
gods don’t die
hold the sky
bound
homeys fly
underground
upside down
keep
marching sound
try to creep
in or sleep
out
on the heath
steering off
had enough
speak
tough get stuffed
extinguish the blue touchpaper & retire
an Aegean ringed in flames
schools of whales & porpoises
turning tail translate here goes
calling us names
who would set this fuse but men
careless know-alls on the take
never-never merchants poised
stealing at this
opportunity to blow
downwrite lines of doggerel
raised in guilty voices when
everything shows
just how high the odds are staked
one of them to all of us
every breath they take a bite
snatched from the truth
still the seas will rise again
wash away these lies till then
on your bikes & take the heat
with when you’re done
Letsbe Avenue
teenage sox appeal
soap for boys & girls
Jimmy Saville types
Maxwell House
make yourself at home
innocence reframed
modern cons retrained
fool a queen
talking Lady Jane
Grey the fallgirl be
on the bus by first
light no sweat
cooking filthy socks
pocket money fixed
fantasies in tact
high men lords
princes finance king
pins the bloody lot
where’s the harm it’s just
social-lite
Britannia rules
when in Little Venice don’t
play the gondolier barge
poles at twenty paces knives
out on the weir
life may be an opera
comic tragic take your pick
long as no one dies before
that lady sings
Ruritanians beware
England's music calls for chairs
comfy inquisitions like
Spaniards expect
but the overture pipes on
some appear to sit & read
others chewing legs of safe
seats in the red
while the musical drags on
with its tortuous refrain
grinding monkeys understand
plain as the rain
hands on gov
tolerant
asses would
sit this one
out
live & let
be they'd shout
mooching's not
on
but with gay
room for doubt
pinch yourself
school
have a drink
Dude relax
trouble is
when
number ten
rears its glass
prejudice
rules
hold your fire
so the sold-out pantomime is wound
up its stars gone off to other roles
some to act in tragedies or sit
coms on TV
wotcha think I'll be a trouser snake
half of Cumberland The Severed Hand
Jimmy Saville in a foreign land
even myself
don’t I got it in me Jesus' blood
never failed & all that copy-book
puppetry's me sock in trade you can’t
shuffle your spots
got no turn of heel who says I need
help I'm only half the man I should
be my better stuff is yet to come
yep could be right
open to new partnerships I am
always was a player on the team
give & take philosophy's me game
stick to the plan
forgiven nearly all
at the siege of Downing Street
for the Guttersberg address
rank reporters flashing phones
officers' mess
Hovis Bunsen took the stand
sweating like Henry the horse
winning their attention but
quite at a loss
struck by the occasion not
moved to swear a churlish curse
through the thunder storm he was
counting his purse
when they reads me book he thought
they’ll remember I St George
pulled more dragons by the hair
mastered the forge
plus I'll live to fight again
England's first postmodern lord
since the Union's doomed why not
give them my word
cloak of truth
are you deaf
can’t it wait
must I speak
out
don’t you know
what went down
plain as day
stank
who'd believe
half of it
truth be told
no
on my life
swear to god
honesty
lies
far beyond
proof of fake
broken news
lines
who the Dickens is Kelvin Bilal Fawaz
kidnapped just like Mo
Farrah but would smoke
dope & steal from shops
Oliver Twist
trafficked from abroad
did unspeakable
things at nine years old
Oliver Twist
barely rescued was
put in care then farmed
out & taught to read
Oliver Twist
keeping true to poor
character he boxed
under pseudonyms
Oliver Twist
never had a pass
port to call his own
in his way the real
 |
| right on yer Nellie! |
