Looking At An Old School Photograph
This one raises repeated objections
To affordable housing.
This one has been enriched by investing
In the greed of strangers.
This one has two large hedge funds
And a small blonde wife.
This one, a talking head, claims to be
The voice of the people.
This one runs his own private practice
With accountancy and charm.
This one assuages the guilt of privilege
With superficial rebellion.
This one continues to foment discontent,
And browbeat and bully.
This one, now uniformed, still creates
Uncertainty and fear.
This one does good works, embracing
And comforting the rich.
This one, idle as ever, has grown fat
On corporate hospitality.
This one has the power to change the world
Through philanthropy or fraud.
This one, for tax reasons, will be abroad
For their next reunion.
And this one, steadfast and unspectacular,
They do not remember.
Because I was never in their class, so
I’m not in the picture.
Assassin’s Creed
(written the day after a role play of the Christian baptism with a class of 10 year olds)
The baby from the baptism
Lay lifeless on the floor,
Its eyes stared impassively askew
As the assassin closed the door:
A still, pink thing abandoned there,
A toy, a teaching aid, no more.
The infant mum had held her tight:
The bright eyes smiled, the hands caressed.
The children listened to your words:
The baby was baptised and blessed.
But now, abused and tossed aside,
She lay face down beneath a desk.
What terrors could this mannequin
Present a child who felt the need
To watch it bounce and strike the wall?
Perhaps a thrill, or dare agreed
With friends, or just some instinct cold
On which unspoken fears may feed?
The urge to injure, smash, destroy
Or kill is something we retain.
And Lesley is the perfect foil:
She does not cry, she feels no pain.
This private sin feeds guilty smiles
For childish pleasures know no shame.
To each new life we are become
Protectors armed with dreadful power.
We know that if we crush the bud,
We will not see the promised flower.
Yet timeless evil still corrupts
Our love and kindness hour by hour.
A child may conjure clever deaths
For what might move, has legs or tails.
Cruel curiosity takes us where
Hell’s fearful shadow still prevails:
Till wisdom dawns as we recall
A child, a man, a cross, some nails.
A Young Person’s Guide To The Highway Code
Gentlemen
Do not practise when tired
Do not operate late at night
Or when under the influence of drugs or alcohol
Do not get too close
Do not become rude or aggressive
Do check your brakes on a regular basis
Do comply with the law
Do behave in a responsible manner
Do not park in a designated or prohibited place
Do respond to signals correctly
Do not abuse other travellers
And never drive past a clear No Entry sign
These laws are there to protect you
Ladies
Do not walk alone
Do not look at strangers
Do not rejoice in your body as something beautiful
Do not open your heart to others
Do not trust your family
Do not delight in bright and comfortable clothes
Do not love the world
Do not seek comfort
Do not expect security where you feel secure
Do not smile or display intelligence
Do not show vigour
And never believe entirely in the promise of love
These laws are there to protect you
Remember
Safe driving saves lives
Flights, Issue Nine, June 2023
Flight of the dragonfly 