When I was born
Two great wars were over
Europe was collapsed to start again
Now began the Cold War
We feared the Russian Bear
Collapse of British Empire
Freedom in the air
Suddenly swinging sixties
Beatles everywhere
Collapse of British industry
Profumo Lionel Blair
World Cup Win at Wembley
Ball never crossed the line
Entering the seventies
Britain in decline
Then came Maggie Thatcher
Close old England down
Little care for losers
Give them half a crown
Fighting for the Falklands
What was that about!
Made no sense to anyone
Something else to shout
Then the surge New Labour
Smiles on every face
Until that business in Iraq
Then we lost our place
Messing in the Middle East
In Afghanistan
Years of sheer attrition
Did we have a plan!
Over in America
Different world out there
Rumsfeld and Cheney
Vengeance everywhere
George Bush give me a break
Trump a worse disaster
Thank God for Barack Obama
Of politics a master
Now we have pandemic
And we suffer on
But at least we have a break now
From fighting wars head on
A chance to sit and think awhile
About our common ties
The best of our humanity
Or Lord of the Flies
Brian Fahy
5 January 2022
Erris Poetry 