Orate Fratres

Our raison d’être? to fulfil the Lord’s prophecy!

For we are the Tory Party at prayer;

Prayerfully, we arrange the country’s economy

So the wealth of our friends should never be impaired.

Jesus preached that: ‘the poor will always be with us’,

In fulfillment whereof, we his Kingdom prepare;

Let us implement with care, Austerity’s cuts,

With the deserving p...

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The following is my response to Red Button's recent post: https://sharkfishinginwales.blogspot.com/2022/10/bemoaning-state-of-high-street.html

Britain’s been given

An Anti-Social-ist Behaviour Dis-Order,

The Tories flaunt it,

Like a naughty teen.

Britain’s ill, but can’t get treament,

Because of the cuts,

So the cuts on her wrists,

Are growing in number,

I’ve grown acc...

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The pathway is a little bit chewed

A little bit covered

          In permafrost

The later that night

          The more you surely loss

Deepen the mind’s abyss

          Feel around for the light-switch

                   Avoid the claws

The voices in my head, they are an oligarch

          They know you more than your family

                   And th...

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Lost & Found (And Other Myths)

She couldn’t bloody find it

To fund the NHS

She swore that it was mythical

When the schools were in a mess

She claimed it was a commie myth

And we would all be broke

If we continued looking for it

And believed that beardy bloke.

She laughed at those economists

Who said we should fund community

If the country just believ...

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It seems timely, in more ways than one, to post this poem today. It was the local paper of my childhood, the Wirral Globe, which first introduced me to the concept of Fake News with its locally legendary series of April Fool spoof news articles. But it's chilling how close some of these have come to reality...

The Birkenhead April Fools (for Dot Humphrey)

We argue still, my Mum and I,
...

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With events across the pond, this seems an appropriate time to raise a little cry of defiance over the state of my own nation, and to remind myself that there's still some fight left in us...

Why I Will Not Keep Calm and Carry On

When I was young, the golden rule
of how to get along at school
was Keep your head down. Don’t make waves.
Don’t stand apart – you’re not that brave.
Sad...

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Austerity -

a policy whereby a political administration inflicts financial hardship on the electorate for

putting its trust in a political administration.

...........................................................................................................................................

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we gave you bread and circuses

now it’s bingo cards and beer

to distract you, so you’re unaware

your future’s disappeared.

© Steve Pottinger

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Anytown

this could be Anytown
so long as there’s a KFC
a Poundshop
and bookie
this could be Anytown
where kids stay inside
on Playstations
and hide
this could be Anytown
where all the pubs are closing
because folk stay in
boozing
this could be Anytown
where the only things that change
are the traffic lights
and pizza range
this could be Anytown
where strange fruit hangs from tr...

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The Union man gets up to say that rights he fought for day by day

Are quickly being snatched away. Hurrah the Union man!

He’s calling out to you and me to show some solidarity

And march beside the TUC. Defend the Union man!

The low paid worker makes a plea to call upon our sympathy.

The state affords him subsidy to make a living wage.

When public jobs are privatise...

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(to the tune of 'coming round the mountain')

The Greek people they have had it up to here,

With those ‘haves’ that say these times must be austere.

Forbes’ list shows the same old picture

The poor pay up - the rich get richer

Publishing financial crimes without a fear.

Has the Parisian Republic gone berserk?

I mean, growth through spending... ...

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