On the brink with narrow men

Posted on by celfypridd

On the brink with narrow men.

 

the Cold War overshadowed much of my childhood

fear was latched and hooked onto everyday things

it was the Reds they said would do us harm

 

it went on through my teenage years too

that continuous threat the nuclear arsenals posed

the bombers of all sides armed, ready to go

 

submarines lurked in the oceans depths

then Cruise missiles came a late addition.

something changed something called détente

 

but the wars continued they just found a way

around that inconvenience it was simple

they stopped calling them wars

 

but now they’ve all caught amnesia

and fear is spreading everywhere

politicians can’t seem to help themselves

 

ladling fear whenever they can

it’s an all too obvious strategy

while the dismantling goes on

 

of Education, the National Health Service,

Social Care and so much more

it’s easy to spot the distraction of fear

 

while the narrow men shout watch for the reds

but meanwhile get into the Chinese bed

there is a collective amnesia at large

 

and we have real reason to be afraid of that

soon we’ll hear the justification for war

soon we’ll hear the need for boots on the ground

in whatever land is decided by the narrow men

 

and the ramping up of the war of words

to justify, bamboozle and hoodwink

that the actual threat is their stupidity

and we’ll be living in that fear time again.

 

meanwhile the rich get richer

and nothing has been learned

nothing has changed the narrow men

not even their history degrees.

 

©robcullen2018

Veteran

Posted on by celfypridd

Veterans

 

I still see your eyes

they call it

that thousand mile stare

 

How many times have I seen

listened

to the quietness begin?

 

That hesitation

and I know your back there

back there again.

 

Again

 

I see your eyes

the silence begins

a moment or two.

 

Maybe longer

an age of years

renewed.

 

Time

 

And  what does that mean?

 

©robcullen2018