You bay hab sub trouble understanding be today; I’m fud ob a code. I hate habbing a code. By face leaks, by eye is swoden shut, I can’t sleed and I cough so buch I need reinforced bloobers. If I eber see dat man again, I may hab to kid him.
I followed Viv’s excellent advice (see comments) and kicked the Hub out of bed in the middle of the night to make me a hot toddy. He is a master at the art of mixing alcohol and hot water, and it’s one of the reasons I won’t let him escape. I am seriously sleep deprived this week, in spite of the revivifying properties of rum and lemon, and I am a little disappointed that the mucus wouldn’t let a poem in for the penultimate day of napowrimo. The prompt was to write about something in the news, but yesterday was a slow news day, if I remember correctly: nothing going on but a little political fallout from the most inept politician of a generation; and in the evening, just three blokes chatting about what they’re going to be doing next Friday. However, writing poems about events in the news is one of my favourite things to do, so I have a few that I have written over the years to share with you.
The first one was originally a series of senryu that I wrote as events occurred; once Mr Blair resigned, I thought they would work better as an overview of his time in office. Apologies to my non-UK resident readers, who may not understand the references or the reason for the invective. Also, apologies to those who may have seen some of them before because they have already been posted on my blog (I’m not too worried, though, as I only had three readers when I started).
Ha! Talk about a Freudian slip – I accidentally left out the ‘s’ when I typed ‘Mr Blair resigned’; look what’s left: ‘Mr Blair reigned.’
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Lies, Damned Lies and New Labour
The Blair Which? Project,
One: EC or not EC?
Was it a question?
The Blair Which? Project,
Two: To bomb or not to bomb?
Iraq’s the question.
The Blair Which? Project,
Three: To loot or not to loot?
Why, without question.
The Blair Which? Project,
On Going: To freely duck
each awkward question.
Blair’s Bonus Project,
Ongoing: To harass the
usurping PM.
Coda
Prime Minister Brown’s
Day: so many decisions,
so little spine.
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This one refers to the huge row over MP expenses.
Parliament Fiddles as Britain Burns
Marx is writhing in his grave:
Government is the
odium of the masses.
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*
Michael Jackson Died
Troubled man. Childhood
fame is not worth the gravestone
it is written on.
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An Explanation For The 1000 Students Taking The 2009 Politics Exam Who Complained That It Was Unfair Because They Didn’t Know The Meaning Of The Word ‘Despotic’
Despot
Pol Pot
Bad lot
P.S.
Future of Britain:
Worrying
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Good News
Idi Amin’s dead.
Enough said.
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Today is the last day of nablopomo (National Blog Posting Month). I succeeded in writing a post a day but failed miserably in the task of commenting on at least ten other nablopomo posts; but I did squeeze in a few posts on the theme, ‘BIG’. I failed because I was overtaken by my enthusiasm for napowrimo.
Sadly, today is also the last day of napowrimo. I won’t be posting a daily poem anymore, though I will revert to my habit of posting an occasional one as the mood takes me. I have thoroughly enjoyed the challenge of having to write a poem a day. I’m not sure I succeeded, but it was fun trying. I would like to thank everyone who commented on my poems and the rest of my regular audience who don’t care much for poetry but tolerated it anyway. I would also like to thank my husband my children my dead mum my dead dad my deceased nans my dog my dead cats (3) my time in South Africa awful as I sometimes found it cheese & onion crisps chocolate (love you forever, darling) BGT this country’s ridiculous government toilets bees You Tube snoring Shakespeare Mango Groove my determined to help me get a job Launch Pad tutor and the town of Stockport. Sorry if I missed anyone out.
Determined to stick to the principle of writing and posting the poem on the same day at least one more time, I cobbled together this from the final prompt, ‘free day,’ as in, write whatever you like; you’re on your own now, dear.
Just when I think my South African collection is finally complete, up pops another prompt to remind me that I really ought to see a therapist to get my time in South Africa out of my system once and for all: for me, the word ‘free’ always conjures the image of the first free and fair South African election, in which the Hub and I queued for twelve hours to vote – bizarrely, one of my happiest memories. Tory Boy was also there but Spud Bud was two years and one drunken night away (just kidding, sweetie pie, honest).
It is actually called ‘1994’ but the underline cuts it in half. I typed the number out for the blog and I’m thinking of keeping it because I like it’s Orwellian overtone.
*
Nineteen-Ninety-Four
Free at last!
Free at last:
random deaths;
the odd bomb blast.
Carjack, rape,
home invasion –
all in the name
of emancipation.
Burglar bars,
security gates,
armed response…
…packing crates.
Free at last.
Free at last.
South Africa –
I’m free at last.
*
*
Sympathy for malady
Admiration for poetry
ViV sends to Tilly
Hope to see you in Writers Island
and elsewhere.
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Sympathy for malady
Admiration for poetry
ViV sends to Tilly
I love it when you do this, Viv. Can I buy you a cup of coffee one day?
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No. I’ll make one for you when you turn up on my doorstep for the Normandy experience.
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See you in heaven, then. Unless I finally get a job.
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Coming from SA, as you do, it’s easy to understand how quickly you got a handle on UK politics. I’m voting for Blair… Lionel!
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No, I’m English. I was dragged out to SA when I was 18 and fell in love with my husband two days after stepping off the plane. I have always been interested in politics, however; even more so now that our eldest boy is involved in it.
I won’t dance around the subject – I have always loved LB. What’s not to love? Tap dancing and curly hair…Shirley Temple by any other name.
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Haven’t really been following your blog but enjoyed what I read today…if enjoyed is the right word. Hard to get too much enjoyment over some of the topics you wrote about, but definitely admired these poems.
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Thank you; I always appreciate comments, good or bad, but especially good :).
I mostly write scurrilously about my family but the forthcoming election has got me all excited. If you care to click on links in my tag cloud, you will find me in less strident mood.
Thanks for stopping by.
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Great post, Tillybud. Try to have a relaxing day. Put your feet up and have lots of bowls of chicken soup.
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Thanks Kay. I’ve missed you while you’ve been on your travels.
Watch out for falling trees!
TBx
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Silly, fun, Tilly!
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My work here is done.
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Sorry your code idn’t improobing. I got up at 4am today and made myself a drink – and stayed up! I imagine you were cheered a little by your man’s apparent improvement in last night’s chat? Interesting selection of news poems. I particularly like the Jackson one. South Africa seems to cause deep emotions in people which can shift with circumstances. When I lived there briefly in 1989 I was shocked by the high security, especially after the middle east where there was none, but all the things you mention were happening then. I still thought it a wonderful place. Things seem to have worsened, which is a shame. The World Cup will shine a light.
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Whereabouts in SA did you live?
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Hi Linda,
Jo’burg, inevitably! An area called Morningside near Sandton. Hardly recognised the place when visiting a few years ago. So much development had taken place!
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I know it! Bought my bridesmaid’s dress in Sandton City and saw an overpriced gyneacologist in Morningside.
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Get well soon! Meanwhile, thanks for sharing this little jewel box of poetic petit fours… it’s such a cool little arrangement of topical snippets in verse. Particularly liked the Marx one.
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Thanks Joseph.
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Thanks for this Linda…Freedom is where its at….why I paint and write poetry….see you on the other side
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