Apologies to Alf

I

Half a brain, half a brain,

Half a brain forward,

All in the vale of Despair

Groped the six hundred.

“Somewhere the Fright Brigade!

Run for the hills!” he said.

Into the vale of Despair

Groped the six hundred.

II

“Fumble, the Fright Brigade!”

Was there a plan arrayed?

Not that the Members knew

Someone had blundered.

Theirs not ...

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“That fucking Tennyson.”
           I caught myself muttering
as I walked along. “Yes,
that fucking Tennyson,
           he can organise a sunset
and flake gold better than I can:
and Emily Dickinson,
           with her yellow children
           at the bars of a gate
closed by her sodding dominie in grey.
And Yeats!  That fucking Yeats
wags an ageing tongue at creation
and leaves me ...

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Splendid Is The Flower

if I make something beautiful

will you gently touch it

with your perspective

or will you taint it

with a vengeful critics tongue

am I qualified

to judge you

either way

if I make something beautiful

will you take the time

to kiss it with your praise

or will you rip it to shreds

with your own experience

are you qual...

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There was thunder over Europe,

At the wargames club,

as the cannons blazed and shed.

Mass lines of plastic/pewter fighting men

by those great leaders led,

marched on brave with discipline.

Hordes of galloping colours

sabres shining bright,

grateful to enamel paints and varnish,

a bugle charge and forward

brigades heavy and light.

Just make it up as we go.

We all...

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