1913 - Lucky or unlucky strike?

I'm on strike today along with Unite,
Unison, NUT, and my union
The PCS, and others, in a fight
To protect contracted work conditions
That includes the lure of decent pensions
Which was used to recruit us way back when
We began our jobs. The media often
Allow the public service workers none
Of the unstinting approval given
To those in private jobs, as though we might
Dispense with schools, hospitals, museums
Or institute mass privatisation
Cuts become easier, all done for profit
(With socio-economic destruction)

1912 - That sinking feeling

The Republic of China created
The age-old monarchy is gone for good
Lenin's Bolsheviks now separated
From Social Democrats - they felt more red
Scott's disastrous South Pole trip leaves all dead
The Titanic hits an iceberg and sinks
The total drowned reaches fifteen hundred
The Royal Flying Corps first spreads its wings
Sarah Bernhardt appears in early films
Emperor Meiji by Taisho succeeded
The Balkan states throw out their Turkish lords
W.C. Handy's blues widely sang
Woodrow Wilson is this year elected
The year is 1912. Knew that? You should!

1911 - Speed of life

Why did Gary Speed do the deed, and hang
Himself? This is what's perplexing us all
Not a household name, just a family man
Which makes it odd, ununderstandable
A player and manager of football
He played for Everton and later Leeds
Later on Bolton, and at Newcastle
Then after retirement, chosen to lead
Sheffield United as manager. Freed
After a few months to manage Wales, and
After a rocky start, resources small
In players and cash, started to succeed
Was it depression? Scandal? What had stung
Him into this, made him suicidal?

1910 - The ends of three eras

In 1910 Edward VII died
George V, Vicky's grandson, took his place
Two years before, in Lisbon, on a ride
King Carlos had been shot. The growing pace
Of Republicanism would replace
Young King Manuel II, two years on
In Mexico, old Porfirio Diaz
Thirty-year dictator, rigged elections
Which Madero had more than likely won
This sparked a revolution, the poor tried
To free themselves - Villa, Zapata raced
Around the sierras. First Huerta, then
Carranza stabilised then liberalised
But even then, Mexico knew no peace

1909 - Family round-up

Some family news, not said much for a while
My divorce from Tania was finalised
In late October, so now I'm single
Officially! In March, Pearl got her prize
Award of first-class degree from the spires
Of Oxford, and moved into a shared flat
In Islington, then got work she admires
In a TV company's office that
May lead upwards. Louis' been forced to wait
For a London job but he's won in style
Last night he heard he'd got one, though surprised
Researcher for horror films - how 'bout that?
Vera crashed her car but she's teaching still
Little Josie's writing won a school prize

1908 - The Balkan time-bomb winds up

The Treaty of Berlin carved up the east
Thirty years before, but the aftershock
Was still rumbling on. The Ottoman beast
Was staggering to its fall, hands of the clock
At ten to midnight. Time for the Young Turk
Revolt, marching from Thessaloniki
To Constantinople, where they then broke
The Sultan's power. Bulgaria, though free
In fact since '78, officially
Declared independence, its tsar increased
His ego and desire for land, but look -
Austria-Hungary's old Franz-Josef, he
Annexed Bosnia, which before he just policed
Serbia and Russia took this painful knock

1907 - Softened drinker

A lot of drinking in these last few nights
And meanwhile every night I am disturbed
Waking at three or maybe four and quite
Unable to drop off again. Being served
Pints or knocking back cans is what I've learned
To reduce lately, so I'm unused to
The side-effects, and in a strange reverse
Of the expected, though sleep starts on cue
It doesn't stay long - wakefulness breaks through
In mid-dream, and music, recent delight
Or disappointment circles, won't disperse
Despite cumulative weariness. True -
I've had a few nights out but socialite
Times are on hold - time to save, stay sober