The River

The river slapped against the dock,
unpleasantly,
incessantly.

We stood under the bridge
where Walworth once
had Tyler’s head displayed.
A revolt betrayed
by a misplaced faith in kings.

It’s not enough, she said,
to pull men from the river.
We must also go upstream
to see who pushed them in.

Upstream, the palace,
its sunlit terraces,
its privileged view.
We knew.
As Tyler before us knew too.

Tories Get Tests

Tories get tests
While the rest of us guess

The science suggests
That’s it’s for the best
The more that you test

And so, we protest
Our distress
And express
That NHS workers
Should all get the test

I must confess
It leaves me quite vexed
That Tories get tests
While the rest of us guess