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              Home Human interest

              The Culling of the Forests (an extract)

              Shirley Martin writes a poem on the culling of the forests.

              Shirley MartinbyShirley Martin
              29-10-2020 11:33
              in Human interest, Poetry, UK
              orcas island

              Author's own image

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              This is an extract from a longer epic pom, which we hope to see in a full length publication soon. It covers events over the past four and some ye

              Britons! – an hour is coming
              an hour you’ve never seen before
              to the solid ground of institution
              an axe is now laid at your door
              wielding mighty
              wielding sore
              the blow struck is aiming high
                            the felling of the nation’s forests
                            timber ancient
                            timber dry ….
               
              “For in the cycle of civilisation
              comes many a point in every nation
              where flood
              famine
              disease
              or war
              bring relief”
              - saith he -
              “we’ve grown far too populous
              opinionated
              some even opulous
              change is due like it or not –
              I will lead you
              I will feed you
              I will be the leech on your skin
              then such things flabby
              such things scabby
              will be supplanted by
              my smooth and trim”
               
              Down all the routes is seen a craft
              a crafty brain that thinks it through
               
              “We can use a crisis
              to unleash all our vices
              and crank them up a notch or two –
              damaged matter?
              flotsam?
              Scatter!
                            - their ashes to the wind!
              too many bed blockers
              too many fat rockers
              too much dross who don’t give a toss
              seize our chance and let them take theirs
                            all the way
                            either
                            down or up
              when it comes to shaving the nations stubble
              who really gives a fuck
              act now and be damned
              I’ll take it on the nose
              just let me keep on firing fast
              with deftly pointed toes”
               
              Only take not away moods of night and day
              woods and wet ferns
              rustling leaves, snapping twigs
              movement of fleet feather and hoof lightly sprung
              let boughs grow lichen grey green
              rocks offer refuge well sat
              steep side of slope walked askew
              to balance grasp an ungainly root arched by
               
              IV
               
              And so to homes that house the vulnerable and old
               
                            - the vulnerable and old –
               
              we pause
              for silence
               
              Wait a minute and remember
              those who were tipped –
                                           remotely
                                           remourse-less-ly
                                           resourse-less-ly
                                           early into eternity
                                           from their only bed
              a coffin is a coffin
              no matter what excuses rose
              from those who chose
              to let the dominoes fall
              as fall they would –
              Not know – really?
              Wasn’t it that same toe
              that nudged the stack
              a toe on an accelerator pact
              to burst the bottle neck
              and let it flow
              down Styx Row
              come what may?
               
              “Ah Britain –
              you were a kitten
              -a-trembling-on-our-knee
              no lion will roar
                                           now from your shore
              once we’re done with you -
              for as long as we can swing it
              your bells will ring in blue”
               
              To watch the storm unleash
              is disquieting at best
              add worse to worse
              the common purse
              become a bribing tool
              the highest office of the land
              engulfed in cabal rule
              urgent questions
                            - swatted away –
              and yet to come
                            - winter’s fray –
              and oh, good grief, to cap it all
              - a messy exit looming tall –
               
              Ah Britain!
              the kitten
              mewing near the door -
              trampled underfoot
              by strident suit
              thrown a scrap and beggars cap
              promised this and promised that
              but seeing little come of ‘aught
              then realising you’ve been
              caught -
              off guard by rapid coup
               
              And what of spin?
               
              “it’s not a sin to spin the spin
              fling caution to the wind
              the ends justify the means
              and who cares …
              once we’re …
                            ‘have-beens’
              it’s not as if we’ll go to jail
              for negligence or duty failed
              in fact we trust an honour is in store –
              elected of the realm are we
              slight of hand and transparency
              the fruit of our democracy
              yea – rampant huge majority!
              there’s little you can do but see it through
              so we’ll keep it clear as mud
              bunked down in
              coercive bull-doze club –
              the real
              the right
              the mighty shite
              the disingenuous, disinforming
              fastidiously fondly
              oligarch home-ing
              the betwixt and between
              of zero esteem
              the nation’s blight with scything swipe
              smugly pulling hard line tight
              the now and ever
              hideous sight
              of blatant bullies armed to fight
              the daily defy hiding the scrutiny shy
              whilst turning the screw on all that is true
              the cunningly working ‘round the clock
              to hole us squarely on the rock
              the rock of unashamedly murky hue
              of
              deathly
              deadly
              new – true – blue”
               
              We’ll add to that a merry tune to sing while we go down
              we all know how it goes, so after three … hold your nose
               
                            Rule Britannia!
                            Britannia’s in the drink
                            raise the spad insignia
                            while we sink
               
                            Rule Britannia!
                            Britannia’s sinking fast
                            salute the skull and crossbones
                            on the mast
               
                            Rule Britannia!
                            Britannia’s going down
                            regale the sodden mop
                            of schoolboy crown
               
                            Rule Britannia!
                            Britannia’s ‘neath the waves
                            three rowdy hip-hoorays
                            for the scuttling knaves
               
               
              This all said and done – beware
              (despite the toilet flush fanfare)
              Societal engineers be warned –
               
                            - hell hath no fury
                              like a nation scorned –
               
              So, who can we trust to be
                            ‘The Just’
              and navigate us through?
               
              Look deep within your hearts O Britons
              our lookouts might be you
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