Short-Lived
They stand erect and still,
a sea of uniformity,
some tower above.
Ranked in regiments and rows,
ruddy faced,
life like.
All those poppies.
All those people.
Poems
Not Working
There are few jobs left for the boys,
nobody can relax,
even if some do find work,
we make them pay more tax.
Face the fierceness of cuts ahead,
girls crash glassy ceilings,
bosses say ‘I must let you go’,
no room at all for feelings.
…
I.E.D.
You’re hiding down there in the dust and the dirt,
A parcel of Helmand, all primed to deliver,
In that split second you burst through the sand,
Searing and ripping your random selection,
Somebody’s future sucked up in your swirl,
So his family soon will be softly informed.
…
Credit Crunch Villanelle
The cause of all our troubles is the global credit crunch,
We played FTSE with our fortunes, and now we mourn the mess,
We blame it on the bankers for they are a rotten bunch.
No longer can we linger over that cosy client lunch,
We have no choice, we have to change and learn to live on less –
The cause of all our troubles is the global credit crunch. …