Who knows why

  the bullet missed, or

  the woman kissed?

Who knows why

  the volcano blew, or

  she loves you?

Do you know why

  a stream runs dry, or

  he makes you cry?

What’s the reason for

  the plight of the poor, or

  the knock on the door?

Can you explain

  the roll of the dice, or

  the emotional price?

Who knows why

  bee...

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It was the year we just practised,

no bullets flew.

Our young bodies stayed whole

while Yanks, Vietnamese and

God knows who

maimed and murdered each other.

We just practised our deadly crafts.

We’d be busy soon enough

and would keep busy.

Very busy.

But meanwhile….a game of cards,

a beer

and tomorrow on the Brecon Beacons

without fear.

Pra...

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What makes you think you can...

How do you think I feel...

That's total crap.

Who do you think you are...

This isn't getting us anywhere...

That'll never work.

Listen to yourself

You're missing the point...

This can't go on...

People are saying.

You're out of order...

We've got to get the story straight...

It just didn't happen that wa...

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Sword, rifle, arrow?

Knife, bomb, rocket? Canon? No.

It's the cigarette.

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Heard a lot of sermons

drunk at the Church's breast.

Avoided sand, built on rock.

The straight n narrow way to be blest

Tried hide and seek with angels

who laughed at men and mice.

Then played hunt the thimble

with the pearl of great price.

But the furniture moves about these days

Keep getting a different view.

I think there's more questions t...

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We just wrote our report

and then went home,

and left the field to others.

That was a mistake.

If we hadn't done that,

history might have been different.

Our report might have been different.

The field might have been different.

Others might have been different

History might have been different.

Going home was a mistake.

Home is where the hea...

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Five years of bleeding Latin

Not even five minutes

on avoiding bleeding gums.

Nothing on plaque or bacteria attack,

Just dominus, domine, dominum.

Or amo, amas, amat.

A language in which you can't chat.

Nothing about drilling or filling.

I am not a polyphyodont

I needed info dental.

Latin drove me mental.

Trying to be like public schools

meant...

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Someone must really love them

to use the kit.

To dig in the shit.

To get a bit

of 'it'.

To get that bit

of shit

on the right little square bit

of the kit.

Someone must really really love them

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There are days when you leave

the umbrella at home,

days with a blue sky

to set out and roam.

Days that are kindly,

days that are free,

wholesome and warm,

the way things should be.

Passers-by smile

at the sun through the trees.

Children point at nimble lambs,

Laughter carries on a benign breeze.

Britain’s tranquil vales were made

for da...

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Grey Ford Transits

slip through our streets

carrying carcase cargoes,

carrion consignments.

They scurry around our towns

unnoticed

taking away what was once egg and sperm.

Grey, the colour of doubt.

The right colour.

No doubt about it.

Ford for the crossing of the river.

The traffic on the Styx has never ceased.

Transit for trans...

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Wind carries far-off rapid rifle fire rippling roar,

assaulting ears, disturbing calm.

Dissonant intrusion in this happy haven,

this lovely, lonely garden.

I rest the spade against the fence

and wonder

whether to take offence.

Do they hate their targets?

What do the bullets mean?

Do they enjoy what they do?

Does it make them happy?

Does it make them v...

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Warm, dark room, dark womb

the stars are hope and life.

How can dark be so rich?

Black so fertile?

Children whisper and giggle.

PAY ATTENTION!

No, attend please

to the wonders above you.

Stars, stars, planets and stars.

Oh, Mister Gradgrind,

even you must wonder

at these vast facts.

How dare they call it the plough?

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Words going off as slow bombs,

smouldering explode growing over days,

words that seemed first so small and

harmless.

Little seeds but they fester and grow

in the womb of the head,

in the mind, in the brain, latch on to pain,

swell then birth

deeds foul or petty.

Havoc-words I call them.

Insidiously inserted inside contentment.

Eloquent, whispering wor...

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Giant brick-crunching machine chews building

rips hall

crushes stairs

folds up wall.

Bliss for a destructive man

busy and gleeful in his cabin

in his monster.

Sorrow and wonder

for a little boy

watching his school

vanish

before his wide eyes

his shocked and fascinated eyes.

Today his school has taught him a lesson.

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Run with the madman

up the fells.

Swing with the mad woman

on the bells.

Dance with the vicar

down the aisle.

Jump with the sheepdog

over the stile.

Sit with the old-timers

in the park.

Move with the good-timers

in the dark.

Stroll with the shoppers

along the street.

Stand with the marchers

solid feet.

Life ...

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The Poetry Spoke raffle

Two prizes remain.

The first is a G-string

Of chocolate. Insane!

The second's a diary

and calendar twee.

Heh, someone's got a choice.

Oh heavens, it's me.

My ticket has been pulled.

I start the long walk.

To cheers and crude comments

I feel a right dork.

I could take the G-string

and give it to Izz

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Twentieth

Century of labels

Twenty first

Century of removing them

from our clothes

from our minds

from our hearts.

A label?

No, a cap, a shirt, a coat.

A label?

No, a human, a person,

Unique, precious.

How live

without faith?

Atheists believe

How have faith

with no label

no wall

no army?

Lover...

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For finding a nail the shoe was fixed.
For gaining a shoe the horse was available.
For having a horse the rider was on stage.
For involvement of the rider the battle was won.
For winning the battle the kingdom was gained.
And all because of the horseshoe nail.

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The louvres let in some light

enough to see the dust

when eyes adjust.

This won't do, he thinks,

says it aloud,

“This really won't do”

but doesn't mean the dust

or last week's cups,

January's laundry

or last year's papers.

He means

litter-blitzed head

synapses in smithereens

the unhoovered brain

and cranial dust.

And then he smil...

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Not one of life's ambushes.

It's been coming for years

- decades actually,

inexorable, slow train,

fronted by oval smoke box door.

Oval.

The growing light saying...... it's over,

saying “zero”.

This birthday has a zero.

Used to say nought

- nought for your comfort -

but now “zero”

which I will not rhyme with hero because

I am not one.

N...

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outside

world is wide,

defiled, but nice 'n wild.

Deified big good guy died.

revived, lies defied.

others are on the ride

be on their side.

track the rising tide

inside

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