Paramedics tale

speeding down deserted streets

blue light but no siren wail

to a rundown care home

for the elderly and frail




the man is incoherent

eyes once bright are dim

he has difficulty in breathing

prognosis is looking grim




holding the oxygen mask on the patient

the patient far too weak

the hands beckoning to towards him

indicating he wants to speak




“never do anything that you're told

unless you know the reason why.

the more joy you bring to your fellow man

more at your grave will cry”



she held and squeezed his hand gently

she could see he was slipping away

and talked and talked until she ran out

of optimistic things to say




still alive at the hospital door

though chances look very slim

they saw his name was really Charles

that the folks call sunny Jim




the day was long and arduous

with little time to think

at home was quiet and sombre

seeking solace in a drink

The doctors tale

the eyes above the mask look up

watching what he will do

the newly qualified junior doctor

and leader of the crew




the patient scared but trusting

breathing is a fight

so he's pumping in more oxygen

not knowing if wrong or right




he wished there was some evidence

that would give a lead

maybe some breakthrough article in the lancet

he's too exhausted to read




no cure insight or a vaccine that works

His instinct are a guide

speaking assertively with confidence

that self doubt and panic hide




shift end, alone without his family

the comfort of his heart

for their health, safety, and security

he must remain apart

the nurses tale

the bed moves down the corridor
to pathology and the mortician
hands tap her shoulder gently
like the lies of a politician


the next patient takes up the space
eyes wide in fear and fright
the false smile behind a surgical mask
as she says it will be alright

a cheer goes up and clapping starts
success some one else survived
meant to lift the falling spirits
of nurses whose patients died

the heat intense and sapping
dehydration and need for rest
in the short comfort break
the doubt that she did her best

nurses with cured patients smile
think their pay is adequate
those that tended patients that died
no money can compensate

back to the cold empty council flat
the milk in the fridge is off
she has run of tea and coffee
and scared of the sudden cough

Boris off the bench

Boris is off the bench to lead team GB in the great endeavour.


The Race so far, Covid – 19 against the world

the rules. The world can do whatever to win

Covid-19 can only infect and leapfrog over people

The race so far

The starting pistol was fired in China, but most of the world didn't bother to get in the starting blocks.

Team GB gave inspirational talks to its sponsors and ensured the Chums would be protected. It is after all. a Government of chums. When Covid-19 passed them, Team GB set off in pursuit, at a mild jog. After a few steps Team GB realised they were not in running gear and still wearing the warm comforting tracksuits.

When they took off the tracksuit, they found they had forgotten to don their running gear, and were completely naked. Grabbing whatever they could find, to save embarrassment, not make the race easier, they set off in pursuit.

Team GB suffered an expected setback when Covid-19 entered the medical and support units, thus gaining a precious lead.

The sponsors realised they were backing a looser so threatened to take all their money out of the stocks and shares, forcing team GB to throw squillions of pounds at the banks. The banks now able to profit by being in charge of loans, became rich and content enough to close more branches.


Covid took a punt at team GB knocking out the team leader, Matt Hancock, the health Minister and the chief scientific officer. Team GB struggled on , leaderless but with the same incompetence, only this time the spokespeople could string sentences together.

Against the odds Team GB was making a difference, admittedly it had lost 90 NHS staff and running hospitals like war zones, but it was making progress.

So Boris is back in charge, what has changed?

Very little we are still loosing the poor, NHS staff, care staff and elderly in care homes, and running hospitals like war zones, but now the spokesperson is enthusiastically incompetent and incoherent.

when you have nothing

when you have nothing

you've nothing left to loose

so you riot and revolt

do things we disapprove

but when you have nothing


you've nothing left to loose



when the banks are greedy

and take more every day

and the success is measured

by the excesses of the CEO pay

then the banks are greedy

and take more and more each day



when the soil is spent

as dry and blowing dust

we hope the farmers will look after it

their expertise we trust

and then the soil gets spent

and blows away like dust



the food that you relied on

from countries so poor

you demand more food

or you'll go to war

there'll be no food to rely on

from war torn countries that are poor



then you will have nothing

and have nothing left to loose

getting old

when the grey hair is more than dark

and the eyes are growing dim

the joints feel pain more than relief

and you are not quite so slim


the long life with much to complain

and a body weary and cold

you seem to queue for everything

now your getting old


the medical help once freely offered

the doctors now decline

the offspring and the relatives

lay claim to what was mine


the complaints are more insistent

contentment seems so rare

and now you think of happy times

of friends no longer there


all those children in cancer wards

and abroad that die of thirst

the many droughts and famine

humanity at its worst


you don't believe in any god

after life is nothing there

but if your wrong and he exists

he'd best beware


there are answers that you seek

why oh why oh why

with all that heavenly power

so many innocent must die


those infants that have done no wrong

in agony expire

so god vacate this heavenly place

and join the sinners in the fire