New Roman times
Look around you; say what you see;
What’s it to you – what’s it to me –
How we get through from A to B?
From ante- to burial-, basically.
From sea to shining, shit-stained, sea;
From nomadic impunity
To international unity;
To luxurious lunacy.
But for Darwin, we’d be mermen;
But for Stalin, we’d speak German;
But for Jesus, we’d be sinners;
Blood for breakfasts, dust for dinners.
Mass-extinction; mass-production;
But for Hitler, we’d speak Russian,
Afghan poppy, Magyar tokay;
But for Allah, we’d be okay;
Hey!
We didn’t start the fire
So we’re buggered if we’re putting it out.
We didn’t art desire
So we’ll cling on to cultural clout:
Defiled rites;
Despoiled fights;
Mesmeric mimes;
Rhymes for all times;
Lines to new songs;
Rights for new wrongs;
New punishments
For ill intents;
New legal lows;
New deathly throes;
New regal roles;
New greasy poles;
New legal highs;
New summer skies;
New winter tales;
New hills;
New dales;
New maps of hells;
New liberty bells’
Celebratory chimes;
New Roman times.
Echoing enzymes;
New Roman times.
Victimless crimes;
New Roman times.
Appears in:
Rhymes for all times [2015]
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