3219 - Through the media darkly

Very tired, often am in midsummer
When those light mornings get inside my mind
Spent what seemed like hours listening to the
Night-time radio, hearing horror of blind
Hate and sexism in Middle East land
I think that made it hard for me to drop
Off for a while, so hard to understand
But how much do we really know from top
To bottom, is it all bad or to stop
Believing what you hear and see, media
Bias towards the west we understand
Can prevent the whole truth being served up
Life is chaos, it's very rarely fair
All we can do is work hard til the end

3024 - To beer or not to beer

Long day at work, then unexpectedly
Got an invite out, Dermot has returned
From China and Taiwan. Allegedly
He had a great time, and respect is earned
If he really did do all that, he burned
The candle at both ends. Instead of beer
He drank tea in Taiwan, said that he learned
To enjoy that scene more, and folk appeared
And were happy to talk. The Castle's weird
Totally sober, but it's now easy
To not drink beer in pubs. Again I'll turn
Away from the pumps tomorrow, be a
Bystander to the consumption when we
Meet at the Waterhouse when work is done

About Wed 26 November

2915 - It's a Sunni day

And now on to today, what happened next?
How about a quick news round-up, you say?
The main story - the US bombs Iraq's
Invading Islamic State force as they
Drive out ethnic minorities, the way
Almost clear for mass ethnic cleansing and
Unopposed Sunni Islam holding sway
As if there's that much difference from that and
Shia Islam, or Christian groups. The sand
Does not distinguish their feet. Gaza's fixed
Grimly for more Israeli rockets. Stay
Cool, Manchester's protesters. Make your stand
Peacefully about this far-off conflict
Finally, UK football's back today...

2890 - A Messi of the blues

Last night's World Cup was won by Germany
And I'm glad, because they played fair and well
The system tried to fix it so that the
South Americans won, preferably Brazil
But Germany thrashed them, semi-final
Score 7-1, then faced Argentina
In yesterday's closer, tenser final
Deserved defeat to the team that's meaner
Messi messed up, Goetze gets the winner
That was then, this is now, watching TV
About building the Shanghai Tower so tall
We don't see enough programmes on China
Pulled out of poetry night tonight. Poor me
Is tired and has sore throat. Sorry, Eagle!

2480 - Ad pub

Tonight it's back to the King's Arms pub for
A Christmas comedy party, no less
Not really in the mood for a haw haw
Or a jaw jaw for that matter. Impress
Folk who don't care, it seems almost pointless
But put that aside, it's a chance to try
Some ad lib with Dermot, and catch up, was
In Asia, but he's back. Aim? Make words fly
And loop the loop, mad ideas tumbling by
Quicker than can be quite followed by bore
Or boor. Then beer may follow, hollow quest
Or noble, to swallow your doubts, less dry
Is the world, they'll all be the same, the floor
Will swallow them too. It already has.

2463 - Feast of Middle Eastern feet

Tonight went to a magical dance show
At Salford Uni's Robert Powell Theatre
Debbie was one of the dancers, I know
Her, and I was happy to see her there
In the finale we saw each other
As I joined in a line dance on the stage!
But the whole show was awesome. I love their
Music, nearly all fast, mid-east tuneage
Took me back to Turkey, Morocco, page
Turned back in time, secretly hoped she'd go
Up to me, exotic belly dancer
And so she did. It was a privilege
To be there, so glad I went, even though
Jo didn't. Go, Funoon Alhouriya!

https://www.facebook.com/events/376309329138532/permalink/404783409624457/

2445 - News of the whirlwind

The massive typhoon hit the Philippines
The island of Leyte lies to the east
Taking the full force of Pacific winds
Leaving little of houses on the coast
Roofs ripped off, removed by the roaring blast
Families torn apart between live and dead
Sadly the aid can't get through very fast
But at least today the death toll has had
A reduction from around ten thousand
To two thousand five hundred, which has been
A relief. Other news being discussed
The Egyptian night-time curfew lifted
High energy prices, one of the themes
I also see there's discontent in France

2377 - Guns n poses

I'm pleased we're not rushing off to Syria
Or maybe we're already there - who knows?
Whoever we are - that would not be our
Collective will, that would probably be those
Friends of the army or navy, those foes
Of peace, friends of warfare technology
We didn't put Assad there, I suppose
But did we support his dad, covertly?
We claim to represent democracy
Yet in those cold war days a dictator
Was often an ally. It seems we chose
Not democrats but any military
Regime that wasn't anti-west and a
Source of 'stability' at least for us

2535 - Where there's hope, there's war

A news feature, not done many lately
Egypt is kicking off, it's split in two
Muslim Brotherhood against the army
It's Iran once more, religion fights who-
Ever wants western values. Once, it's true
The States and GB abused these countries
So the religious painted themselves true
Nationalists, local heroes, freedom-fighters
The West still exploits when it can, the cause
Of democracy a phantom, money
And lifestyles being the real lure of the new
Young generation, while conservatives
Defend old values, places like Turkey
Iran, Egypt. Time favours the young, though...

2276 - Hard times

A long hard day at work, that's a cliche
But that is what it was, not just for me
But maybe for you, too, I have to say
Hard work can be enjoyable, can be
A way of getting through the day quickly
And so it was for me. After it, met
John for a few pints, time passed again, we
Talked of our travels, he'd been to Viet-
Nam and I'd been to Denmark and then got
The train to Sweden. Talked about work - hey
That's what people do - and on the TV
In the pub, watched Manchester United
Beat West Ham. Not often on a Wednesday
A full Premier League programme there to see

Wed 28 Nov

2266 - Rocket to Zion

This latest violence down in Palestine
Is repetitive as history can be
It's not the first and won't be the last time
Israel and Palestinians disagree
And that would be true with two states, surely
Because 80 per cent of Muslim land
Was stolen by the Jews, but it was we
In the West who supported what they planned
Backing the Zionists at world war's end
Displaced to refugee camps, a lifetime
Of humiliation, well how would we
Feel if we were those poor Palestinians
Does Israel have a future, is it kind
Or is their land a penitentiary?

2125 - Existential crisis

Forgot to take my mobile phone - oh no!!!!
The modern existentialist crisis
These days of course we do not even know
The numbers of our nearest and dearest!
I knew Katy would be in some distress
But hoped she'd realise what I had done
Or rather not done - it was meaningless
Certainly no snub, darling! You're my hun!
Apart from that a good day, rain and sun
Me and Josie went to a Syrian show
Raising cash for the poor and the oppressed
Back home. Talks in Geneva haven't gone
As far as calling for Assad to go
We're lucky our lives are safe! Thanks for this!

2115 - Salaam, so long!

The last Arabic class ended today
These lunchtime sessions were hard work, it's true
But now it's over I'll look back fondly
Fifty quid rarely proved such good value
Although Hannah the teacher's not on cue
Most weeks, and rushes through the coursework then
Leaving us dizzy, questions in a queue
That's not always dealt with. Pick up your pen
And quickly write your homework, for again
You'll not be told. She's not harsh, she's OK
She's from Greece, she's had seven kids, and knew
Arabic because of twenty years spent
In Saudi, met a man from Sudan, they
Now live in Prestwich. So, salaam to you!

2011 - Arab spring, Swiss autumn

The Arab Spring starts in Tunisia
Bouazizi self-immolates, this turns
Into a nationwide issue and the
Longtime President flees. Egypt soon learns
And ousts Mubarak. Libya also yearns
To end Gaddafi's forty-year crackdown
(He's killed in October), rebellions
In Yemen, Bahrain, Syria. Slowdown
In economy drags on, loans abound
Japanese tsunami, Fukuoka
William and Kate's wedding, and Norwegians
Shot and blown up by madman. He is found!
Osama drama in Pakistan! Car
Used for trips, then junked. Swiss trip - lakes, mountains

2010 - Turkey trot

The tallest building now stands in Dubai
The Haiti earthquake destroys Port-au-Prince
Polish president's plane falls from the sky
Iceland eruption removes pilots' wings
BP oil well blows, causing huge Gulf slicks
EU bailout for Greece, Spain wins World Cup
In South Africa. Many Wikileaks
Pakistan monsoon floods, miners brought up
In Chile. What is North Korea up
To? EU loan for Ireland - that's where I
Drive to with two mates - Sheep's Head, West Cork - it's
Pretty in summer. An Amsterdam trip
Then Athens, Delphi, Thessaloniki
And Istanbul by bus, carpets, mad flings

2007 - The news and the muse

Bulgaria and Romania join EU
Celeb Big Brother starts racism row
Madeleine McCann snatched in Portugal - who
Did it? Greek heatwave, woodlands so hot now
Last Harry Potter published. Jericho
Summit between Olmert / Mahmoud Abbas
Marion Jones took drugs all those Games ago
UK boycott if Mugabe attends
The EU-Africa summit. Alas
Benazir Bhutto's assassin got through
I leave Blogit at year's end, start to go
To a poetry group, and have a bash
At live poetry reading with a view
To entertaining them, and this I do...

Written Sat 3 March

2006 - 06 of the best

Ariel Sharon suffers a stroke, pilgrim
Deaths in Saudi, Egyptian ferry sinks
Ahmadinejad brews nukes in Iran
Montenegro strikes out, and Italy's
World cup champs, Zinedane Zidane can't think
Straight, Israel in Gaza and Lebanon
I'm now back in my Salford flat, driving
In Ireland with Louis, and I've moved on
To the Oils Team at work, and soon begin
My Daily Sonnet blog, each day writing
These 14 lines. The Thai PM is sunk
In corruption, but later he buys Man
City. Baghdad's Sadr City is grim
Fiji coup, bombs in Madrid...That's '06

Written 2 March

2005 - Boyne Baby Boyne

Dubya Bush's back (why?), Iraq at polls
Kyrgyz trouble, China says Taiwan's ours
Pope JP2 dies, Benedict enrols
I'm in my new flat in Salford some days
Then back to Wilmslow, domestic affrays
Blair wins third election, bombs in London
Hurricane Katrina, south USA's
Day of dread. Baghdad bridge is falling down
Muhammad cartoons, Kashmir earthquake, and
Saddam on trial. French face transplant unfolds
My job is excise policy, the laws
That govern aggregates levy. We've gone
To Dublin and the Boyne Valley, car rolls
Along Irish roads with Pearl and Louis

2003 - Now we are 03

Space shuttle breaks apart on re-entry
Darfur War begins, then war in Iraq
(Despite mass protests), and it seems to be
Over in less than a month. Statues crack
And TV journalists seem to ejac-
ulate, but prematurely. The laughing
Genome greets us. In Chechnya the sky's black
Saudi, Morocco, Turkey exploding
Indonesians Aceh-pacifying
David Kelly death, Hutton Inquiry
Arnie's the Governor. England's team brings back
Rugby's World Cup from Oz. Saddam's hiding
In a rat hole. Iran earthquake. Josie
Born, I'm wed, then to Naples we make tracks

2002 - Blonde bombshells

The euro's in use. No Child Left Behind
Says Bush, but Daniel Pearl, he truly is
Princess Margaret and the Queen Mum are found
Dead in their beds. The Afghan war raises
More dust. Bombs in Israel, which then enters
The West Bank once again. It's Jacques Chirac
Better than Le Pen, perhaps. The Far East
Hosts the World Cup. Golden Jubilee - Buck
House echoes to live rock. The Germans tick
A Schroder-Greens coalition. The sound
Of bombs in Bali. A Moscow theatre's
Held by Chechens. Brazil's Lula's in luck
Will Saddam heed UN, or is he blind?
Me and my blonde lady - she enlarges