Don’t worry, you’ll be desperate enough soon
once your newborn’s been processed
and they’ve brainwashed your wife
and your home’s been taken back by the bank
and your phone’s been turned off
and there’s no more food left
because you’d lived on borrowed time.
You really should have thought about it
shouldn’t you
how you were happy to watch it all unfold
so long as it didn’t affect you
so long as it happened elsewhere
and you could donate a little something
to a steaming bunch of charity shysters
just so you can say you tried.
But look at you now
planning your midnight sorties
with your prized kitchenware
to steal scraps from other houses
from shivering old ladies you sold insurance to
for the new car
the holiday
the private health plan.
They’ll be waiting with their dead husband’s putter
tired beady eyes to the windows
remembering holocausts and wars
as if it was yesterday
watching out for you to take what’s left.
Nothing new there then.
Don’t worry, you’ll be desperate enough soon,
once they’ve switched off the mains
and turned off the water
and stolen away to a quiet place
to wait for you to tear your hair out
to rip your neighbour’s face off
which you’ve been dying to do anyway
and you really should have thought it all through before
shouldn’t you
you should have dug a hole to put your tins and bottles in
to keep your family alive longer than the rest
so you could be part of the brave new world.
But when silence rings before the sirens howl
you’ll see the men in camouflage arrive
only to shoot you down on your doorstep
after all those weeks
all those weeks without light and heat
only to be shot down in front of your brainwashed wife
and your processed baby
just when you thought you’d won
you stupid ignorant cunt.
Comments
David Maidment | November 1, 2011 - 08:54
Very powerful - but it's a poem isn't it? A poem that tells a bitter story...
And I'm interested in the title - I have a theory, but would be interested to see if I've guessed correctly.
SundaysChild | November 2, 2011 - 16:28
Amazing. I love this Blighters. This is one of your best in my opinion. Really really good. And, damn, I just applaud that ending!
rjnewlyn | November 2, 2011 - 23:59
Very good indeed. 'Excoriating' might be the right word. It's hard to keep up that level of emotion over so many lines but you managed it. I'd vote for you in Brussels ...
Rob
Cavalcaderl | November 3, 2011 - 09:01
new BlightersRock
Very well deserved cherry!
Big words for me? But this
says loads of truth and ways
of things and world you have
excellently mentioned.People.
Thoughts,things and images.
Definitely vote for you!
julie x
oldpesky | November 3, 2011 - 09:26
Well done Richard. This is my kind of poem. Get them up against the wall.
oldron | November 4, 2011 - 01:55
You have certainly caught the tempo of the times. Is this the way it ends or is there hope for the future? I particularly like your comment: how detached from reality its leaders are.
MistakenMagic | November 4, 2011 - 16:04
Stunning piece, Blighters - really packs a punch! Love the title too - very well done :)
Magic xxx
Silver Spun Sand | November 5, 2011 - 16:08
I don't know how I missed this one, Richard. I agree with Magic, wholeheartedly. It sure do pack a punch...and some;-)
Tina
lavadis | November 8, 2011 - 19:04
As you know blighters we are of the same mind on this! Great powerful work
Luly Whisper | November 8, 2011 - 21:28
A powerful poem, indeed.
Love Europe, hate the EU!
I agree with most of what you say, but you have a bit more faith in humanity than I have. People don't always want to do the right thing. Even when they do, as St Paul said, "I want to do what is good, but I don't. I don't want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway." A sweeping statement, of course, but I think we know what he meant.
sid | March 5, 2012 - 12:36
A vitriolic diatribe, scathing and uncompromising and very pertinent to our times. Pulls no punches, much enjoyed.
Raventongue | March 29, 2012 - 16:09
This scares the living heck out of me but it's an excellent poem- thank you for pointing me to it. I love that you've left what exactly is meant by "processed" to the imagination, which is more terrifying than if you'd plainly explained it. In fact, the way that precise places have been left out so this could happen anywhere in the developed world is a major contributor to its effectiveness.
I do wonder whether this is advocating mostly dissent to those who don't wish to be the insurance salesman, or something more.
blighters rock | March 29, 2012 - 17:10
Thought you'd like it. It's a sort of call to halt self-centredness and ignorance in society, I think, and I've always hated insurance companies because they seem to be stopping all the fun in the world.
Raventongue | March 29, 2012 - 18:46
They do seem to be!