1624 - Untying the tongue

I've seen The King's Speech, and boy I felt tense
By film's end. All those close-ups of inner
Struggle for outward expression, to cleanse
The mind of fear, to cleanse... the mind... of fear
To forget learned bad habits, to feel freer
We all felt we were Bertie at some point
Of personal crisis, though commoners
With crises that are far less important
Than stuttering when the nation anoints
You monarch. The poor rich man had few friends
Fearsome nannies, a hot-tempered father
And an older brother who'd disappoint
Them all and quit the throne as the Germans
Mobilised, but he fought off his stammer

1623 - Waiting to dye

I need a shower, need to wash my hair
Need to change my clothes, cos I'm going out
While I'm doin that, I'll also dye my hair
Dark brown again, the grey will soon be out
Like a teapot, I'll tip up and pour out
The dark brown liquid elixir of youth
It's no drink, it would have to be pumped out
I rub it on my head and look uncouth
For five or ten minutes, a treacly froth
Then I step in the shower, wash my hair
Some of the dye stays and some washes out
I don't care or not if you know the truth
Women do it, so why not men whose hair
Is half turning grey and half falling out?

1622 - Something in the air

Ex-wives can be a real pain in the arse
As can all partners ex and current, true
They put their petty concerns above ours
Turn love to hate and love to say fuck you
In so many words, punitive and screwed
Up in the head, scores they try to settle
When the game's over they just continue
Even long after the final whistle
Say you're selfish while they're not being thoughtful
This behaviour's what's brought these things to pass
The split unnecessary but for who
Knows what goes on in their heads, a mental
Immaturity, sheer non-compromise
One's freedom's better than prison with two

1621 - The inverted pyramid part 4

The pyramid has now been inverted
The pharaoh Mubarak has been deposed
By the downtrodden who have asserted
Their rights for now against what is imposed
Meanwhile Washington gathers behind closed
Doors in the White House, as ever, minded
To influence the outcome, with the most
Important objective they've decided
Israel's safety, perhaps isolated
By populist risings that have started
In Tunisia, spread east to Egypt, those
Other old regimes, Libya, Syria... Could
The contagion of freedom quickly spread
Around the Middle East, all unopposed?

1620 - The inverted pyramid part 3

Hosni Mubarak refuses to quit
Thirty long years in supreme power and
Aged eighty-two, like Mugabe, a git
Who can't stop being in sole charge, won't hand
Over the reins. His head is in the sand
A pharaoh never says farewell, but no
Pyramid for him, only protest planned
By his slaves, as he sees them, down below
In Tahrir Square. He thought that he could blow
Out their flame by sacking his cabinet
But in their place, more men as old and grand
And out of touch, except with him. Who knows
The next move? Will the striking workers spit
Defiance till September comes around?

1619 - Fabio Doolittle

There are many and various wastes of time
In life, such as being nice or trying to save
But no wastes of time are quite as sublime
As watching the England football team have
Another go at making balls behave
Perhaps we should widen the criteria
Of eligibility from the chavs
We pick now, not just to girls, but creatures
If they reside in English zoos, they're fair
Game for the beautiful game. They can climb
Higher to head a ball - pick a giraffe
Or a cow - call it Mooney - for unfair
Milking of tackles, diving when in prime
Penalty box spots. England expects. Craves...

1618 - Jesus saves and so should we

We're saving money in so many ways
We're so pleased that dear prudence has returned
For instance, closing down the libraries
And public toilets will save piles of pounds
Swimming pool, healthy place to hang around
Maybe, but instead why not have a bath
Or cheaper still, a shower - the thinking's sound
Street cleaning reductions will close the gap
That flow of credit like a leaky tap
We used to drink from has hit the big freeze
And is an icicle so cold it burns
The welfare state is old and has collapsed
Left lying for hours at the NHS
Staring at the ceiling with its square forms