This poem tells of my shock in hearing ‘God Save the King’ for the first time when for my whole life I have heard ‘Queen’.
In shock we tuned in to the rolling news,
And tears were shed across the nation,
Leaders stepped up to share loving views,
With tributes and stories of her dedication. …
Why, they ask, was the gathering wrong,
Just a few people for not very long?
Happy Birthday with a slice of cake –
It seems their rules are theirs to break.
…
It all began with the Brexit bus,
Promising aid to our NHS,
Bold phrases fuelled by repetition,
Key details lost by subtle omission. …
I watch it on TV:
Another hurricane hits,
Floods sweep away lives,
Fires wipe out forests.
My cat sits by the window,
Excited to see the rain fall.
…
How much time did we spend online,
Creating our Covid message mine!
Just a few words, so easy to send,
The way to stay in touch with friends. …
As the world watches each thing that you do,
Never forget, it’s all about you.
Only you matter, you are the best,
Your wishes come first, ignore the rest.
Make instant decisions, proclaim at top speed –
Those boring briefs are for others to read.
Do what you like, you have the might,
Whatever the outcome, say you were right.
…
Yes, I’m the one: the bat that bit,
An act that landed quite a hit,
If I had known what would unfold,
Perhaps I’d not have been so bold.
Since all of you love global travel,
It didn’t take long for life to unravel,
At first the spread felt fairly slow,
But by mid-March was in full flow.
…
You fed me with a spoon that day,
For the first time. A tear in your eye,
Delight at that memorable milestone,
And all those yet to come –
Such as learning to talk and handle a fork.
Then, I’d make that walk to school and see
My world open up in the blink of an eye.
All guided by you, my loving mum.
…
Politicians know how to duck and weave,
Which is how we got to Remain or Leave.
Brexit – our time to ‘take back control’,
Solve all our problems with one simple poll.
…
It all looks so different today,
that smoking charcoal block,
now pale, swathed in creamy
covers rippling in the breeze.
At the top, the banner of green:
Grenfell Forever in Our Hearts.
The words descend in silence,
stirring memories of that night.
…
