Eighteen cents a gallon

Prices are rising, driving us all mad,
we all agree that no one can relax;
this is the worst condition, things are bad,
and we can’t bear up under these attacks.
McCain says “Cheer up, every lass and lad,
don’t shiver in the face of these small cracks!
There is no reason for you to be sad.
We’ll just remit some eighteen cents of tax!”

No one could doubt that someone would be glad
to send old John an email or a fax,
explaining just exactly how to add
some more gravitas to his ancient tracks.
For while we suffer he still has to pad
around selling ideas taken from mouldy sacks
and smelling rather worse than day-old shad:
“We’ll just remit some eighteen cents of tax!”

Published in: on 17 April, 2008 at 11:04 am Leave a Comment
Tags:

by what command

by what command we do not know
the words are written and remain
answer has come but very slow
we do not hope to see again

just what the truth was in the press
or who began the count or why
the answer was it no or yes
the reason was it truth or lie

songs that were sung by hasty sorts
have been forgotten but regret
has worked its triumph through the courts
the road is marked the path is set

master and servant disagree
on how the wages shall be paid
one says the other shall not see
the outcome of the final raid

what’s eaten is not any food
that we would choose were we to pay
the price is what had once accrued
upon the ones who chose the way

so marching on the road of choice
we lacked the sense to sit and weep
others were fated to rejoice
we were the ones who had to sleep

Published in: on 29 January, 2008 at 11:33 am Leave a Comment
Tags: ,

approaching midnight

as we sit and face the future
there’s no one knows just what we’ll need
anger breeds on edge of suture
fire declares itself with speed
rhyme and reason fade in panic
fire and water meet in peace
not a one who waits is manic
yet not a one could blame caprice
grant the fire will burn the clover
and mighty flood will cleanse the vale
nothing’s left here to recover
none of the wise will hear this tale
shallow paint the world in colour
make the choices come out flat
things will seem to come out duller
the night belongs to angry bat
Published in: on 31 December, 2007 at 10:56 pm Leave a Comment
Tags: , ,