Thank You Readers

Strawberry Fair

As I was going to Strawberry Fair
I met a man who hardly seemed there
He told me that he loved the Earth
And knew what human life was worth
He understood the rational rules
That would end the use of fossil fuels
He sighed and made almost tearful admissions
That life might end due to global emissions
He said that kindness would play a role
If caring people stopped digging coal
He said he was cool and not a fool and knew the dangers of heat
If no people knew about CO2 dear old folks could die on their feet
He said the world’s anguish would never heal
If we kept the same buildup of iron and steel
He told of his horror and constant pleas
To end the destruction of precious trees
He spoke of his struggle and constant pain
As he longed to end the flood of methane
Then we touched on the worth of technology
So I gave a thought to psychology
Those skeptics said I, put their faith in invention
But for sun and wind power it gets never a mention
On this we both agreed, and parted in a friendly way
We have met no more, not even once, up to the present day
This makes me sad as I liked his words and we were a happy pair
I long to meet him again some day; yes, he’s out there somewhere

Cages

Poor creatures
Caged like boat people in Australia
Definite detention
All you do is lay eggs
Nowhere to walk
No ground to scratch
No earthworms to catch and eat
Not even enough room to stretch your wings
No peaceful sleep at night
No dawn to greet
You are nothing but a machine
Sensorily deprived
All this for the sake of business
Your suffering keeps the price down
Free range is but a dream of the Elysian Fields
That never enters your minute awareness
And when all is done
What is the destiny of this myriad of tiny minds
Crammed together like ants with feathers?
Why, it’s cremation for the dinner table
And a happy Christmas is had by all

Friend

2021 Hear This: A leader
has been accused of betraying trust

A friend is always with you
Unmoved by the winds of time
When you struggle on a road leading over a mountain
That ally will help you climb
When you make mistakes or act the fool
That person will stay by your side
And gently support the virtue in you
Even though you have nowhere to hide
No bond, no money, no favour’s required
For that kind of caring to renew you
All you need is the power of trust
To bind that friendship to you
There is often a moment in human existence
When misfortune molests your life
When things that you or others have done
Might lead you to ruinous strife
That is when friendship thrives
The place where it passes the test
As you and that partner are blended as one
And the eagle flies home to its nest
So listen you leaders of every land beware lest trust should perish
Be linked to that friend with bonds of steel
And you’ll fashion a destiny to cherish

But We Bought A Submarine

Poor Jenny passed away with melanoma
She was only eighteen
Funds are needed to search for a cure
But we bought a submarine

Aaron died of an overdose
God knows where he had been
Funds were needed to find the source
But we bought a submarine

Old Jacob died of Alzheimer’s disease
The worst case we have seen
Funds are needed to research the illness
But we bought a submarine

Motor neurones cost Peter his life
He was no more than a teen
Funds are needed to end that suffering
But we bought a submarine

Cystic fibrosis gave Susan Hell
She endured a malfunctioning gene
Funds were needed to prolong her life
But we bought a submarine

Alice was a victim of glioblastoma
And died behind a dark screen
Funds are needed to prevent such deaths
But we bought a submarine

Matthew died while driving a car
It was a ghastly scene
Funds are needed to teach young drivers
But we bought a submarine

Global warming threatens the world
While green to some is mean
Now science needs funds to reveal the truth
But we bought a submarine

A political icon sought a war
By violently venting his spleen
Concord was needed to save the world
But we bought a submarine

The Gift Of Learning

O I can build castles now
That look down on the twisted world
With understanding
I am aware of solutions
To uncertainty that once destroyed my self respect
The gift of learning is suddenly mine
And I have the power to see things as they really are
The rulers of the past
Sought the safety of my ignorance
And tried like overlords to sanction my erudition
But they did not succeed and now they never will
Understanding at this moment walks beside me
Through a troubled wilderness of stupidity
Energised by the power of awareness
Lies of respected political figures
Now are confessions of guilt
Developers reveal their payola to me
Before they build their sanctioned effigies of greed
Defence industries now make weapons of mass destruction
Border security becomes a racist wall
And protecting our way of life
Turns into a triumph of vested interest
As well as this, I have learnt to experience
The wonder of the artist
The triumph of music over iniquity
From street song to symphony
The rapture of beauty untrammelled by personal gain
The power of satire by way of the written word
Which embarrasses the guilty
And the excitement of the theatre
Which echoes so truly the foibles of human existence
So heed this
All you null and void self-promoting misnomers of statesmen
Beware
I know who you are

royciebaby