begging

The veteran of Afghanistan

Kuwait, and Iraq

his body is now healed

but memories come back




sitting outside the church

it being the Sabbath day

waiting for a few coppers

that might come his way




the parishioners file past

the pockets are sealed tight

there is not crumb of comfort

to sustain him through the night




the sermon is drab and grey

the parishioners are weary

the hymns chosen to lift the heart

are sung flat and dreary




the collection plate makes the rounds

a bountiful display

and for the beggar outside the church

they are all willing to pray




the beggar watches them as they leave

still hoping for a crust

as they look down at this fit man

so righteously in disgust

Mass

You can't use incompetent

considered very crass

if some thing is really dreadful

you now must use  MASS

mass test and tracing

where eejits earn more brass

mass vaccine roll out

the bottom of the class

mass school dinner funding

makes soup kitchens look world class

The cleaners tale

the alarm goes early morning

as the night still embraces

hurries to the underground

with no social spaces

up close and personal

to all the masked faces




has the low grade PPE

with a covering for her hair

busy staff push past her

as if she isn't there

they bump or step on her

and don't seem to care




she disinfects all surfaces

does it by the book

cleans floor and corners

every cranny and nook

they don't care what she's done

just how long it took




there is blood splatter on the walls

vomit on the floor

she wipes it up mops it down

as clean is was before

just another unscheduled task

just another chore




end of day she returns home

public transport willing

takes the time for some admin

a load of form filling

to earn the pennies from the millions

the company is billing




she is back in the ward

this time on a bed

ventilated and turned frequently

handled like she's lead

just a part time cleaner

the doctors note said




the ward is looking shabby

there is a cleaner short

if only they had a little time

or a little thought

cleaners are not essential

is what politicians are taught

The porters tale

he waits at the entrance

in the weakest PPE

not deemed that important

has no nursing degree

he's the first to meet the patient

in terror of a disease




he lifts them to the trolley

his muscles ache and burn

wheels them down the passage

that few will return

he doesn't know the patients name

there is so little time to learn




the patient lips are moving

to out of breath to speak

holds their hand out for comfort

the grasp so slight and weak

the porter rubs it gently

the future is looking bleak




there is no bed available

there is no treating space

there are no caring staff

for a patients trust to place

just a low grade porter

with a caring face




he has to move more patients

more bodies to remove

but returns to the dying patient

their anxiety to sooth

a caring touch of humanity

with no targets to improve




he was there at the dying

that no one was to blame

the system in total meltdown

that ministers shift the blame

on the toe a corpses label

too late they know the name




end of shift in the car park

of a hospital where patients die

in every car of care workers

burnt out they sob and cry

the porter coughs and is breathless

knows how he's going to die

planning

they plan for flooding
they make plans for draught
they make plans for national strikes
and when the food runs out
they plan for constant snowing
and the frost when snow glistens
local authorities plan for all
but no bugger seems to listen

the hand that rocks the cradle

The hand that rocks the cradle

the hand that rules the world

feeds anger into the boys

and enslaves the girls


controls the thought of future

rips up destroys the past

inserting snippets of false memory

hoping they will last 

longs for the returning

a home is always there

reliving all false memories

there is nothing else to share


the one that earns the wages

the one that pays the bill

they all hate with vengeance

and make plans to kill


they kill off all emotions

vindictive to the core

eradicate all hints of conscience

that's not needed any more