Dear —
Greetings from a 'Tier 3' region in England and the ongoing reign of stupid with Covid restrictions. Or perhaps, more generously, the reign of heavy-handed, ill-informed, and counterproductive. Annoying too, as my lifetime practice of regular swim-training is interrupted yet again by pool closure in this third lockdown.
Since I last wrote a couple of weeks ago, I have continued updating my Verses Versus Empire series which, through three volumes, illuminates the atrocities of empire under Bush, Obama, and Trump, respectively.
Unusually, my updates to Book III — The Trump Era have been more prose than poetry of late, but there was one new poem this month, entitled Overkill. You can read it below and hear my narration at this link.
I'll be saying more about Book III in the closing days of Trump's term, preparing for relaunch and combining the series into a collection. As an esteemed member of my Poetry Readers List, you will get updates about discounted launch prices, with the keenest readers receiving free review copies.
Until the next time I unclasp a secret book (to quote Shakespeare, as I often do),
Abdiel
Overkill
(on Britain's second lockdown)
Another lockdown and another speech,
Prime minister at the lectern
Presuming thence to preach.
Man of the moment, this his boyhood dream,
A boon to self-importance,
He and his silver-spoon team
Presuming to imprison us within
This little seawalled garden,
None to exit its sin.
Covid enthroned, no other ailment heard,
Each hospital a fortress
By dictatorial word,
While artists starve in culture's slow decay.
What's more, democracy
Is going the same way.
Pandemic pretext, age-old ploy of fear,
Control the populace
As Tyranny draws near.
Give me a break. All this to save life? No!
It's death of a thousand cuts;
It's murder, killing slow!
Nov. 5, 2020
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