Poetry - January 2019

Sick Of It All

Every single news bulletin
On every single day
Has every single headline
All about the same single thing
I'm sick of it all now
Politicians acting like children
With pointless point scoring
Just wanting to grab some power
Not caring what the people want
Or what task should be in hand
Instead it's just endless
And it all bores me to tears
All everyone wants is change
Whether that means something different
Or a different topic to talk about
But we're all sick of it all.

(I can't watch the news these days - just all the same bull about the same subject. Lies, lies, and more lies.)

Our Dianne

She presented the weather on North West Tonight
The outlook would always appear sunny
But underneath that professional side
Was a woman who was seriously funny
Her ascerbic quick wit and humour
But most of all her warmth inside
Melted any cold hearted person who met her
And you wanted her as a friend by your side
Watching the 8.15 from Manchester
With her interviewing the likes of Take That
Showed a real sense of knowing what do do
With radio shows following en masse before and after that
But being on North West Tonight
And being part of such a close presenting family
Was where we'd all feel at home in the evening
Knowing that she'd brighten up the forecast, you see
Only a few months back she was plodding for Pudsey
With Annabel and Roger both by her side
Being ever popular and a people person as ever
That same warmth felt by everyone inside
So when I heard the news of her passing
I'll freely admit to shedding some tears
It was part of me and my love's evening
That always was an essential watch over the years.

(Still can't believe the wonderful Dianne Oxberry is no longer with us. 51 years old is way too young for someone who clearly was loved by everyone in the North West and beyond.)

Home Is Where My Heart Is

My heart will always be Mancunian
No matter where I may live
Because it's the place that made me
And the place that has so much to give
I adored the music as I grew up listening
And took those bands very much to my heart
From the baggy beats of Fools Gold
To the imperious Love Will Tear Us Apart
I became a diehard Manchester City fan
Following the team wherever they would go
And who would have thought that in 2012
We'd then have a Premier League win to show?
My heart has a sense of belonging here
It's an essential part of my own DNA
Knowing my own sense of identity
And it's always there, no matter how far away.

(You can always live somewhere but have a home somewhere else, and it's very much the case for me. Manchester is always in my heart. Always.)

The Joy Of Nine

It's the League Cup semi final
Manchester City are at home
Taking on Burton Albion
Who have done well where they roam
Following from City scoring seven
Burton must have feared what may happen
Their fans were delayed on the M6
So just to get there was a mission
City were pretty relentless
From the first minute onwards
Looking to score at every opportunity
And sending many shots goalwards
Six minutes in, the first was scored
And yet Burton could have equalised
But instead of hitting the target
Their striker fired his shot well wide
From then on only one team was in it
As wave after wave of attacks ensued
It was four nil by half time
And mid second half it was just rude
With even Kyle Walker scoring a goal
As the home side cruised on to nine
It was a comprehensive win all round
And the best since 1987, so divine.
Yet we all need to remember how well Burton did
Because they beat four teams above them
And their efforts were to come and play us
Which was why we paid respect to them
We fielded a strong side capable
Of getting the job done properly
So whilst nine nil might be a large win
We did it because we played so free.

(Unbelieveable Man City win last Wednesday - yet it was all about not paying the opponents Burton Albion respect. Err.. that's why we played a strong side because they had beaten three Championship and one Premier League team on the way, and deserved their place here. Could have been different too had they equalised early on too to be fair. Well played Burton anyway, unlike a lot of teams they took the League Cup seriously and their run to the semis was well merited.)

Loneliness Haiku

I'm all on my own
Missing my love very much
Would love a cuddle.

(So true, so true...)