Poetry - September 2019

In Search of Network SouthEast

During the 1980s era of British Rail
All the South East part of the country
All had a distinct Network SouthEast brand
That made it stand out from the crowd
With its typeface, white, red and blue logo
You knew where you were at a station
As the railways became all privatised
Most of this disappeared into oblivion
However if you look hard enough
There's still plenty of evidence that remains
You just need to look at the digital clocks at Victoria
To see those red, white and blue stains
If you head out to Barking all the signs
Are clear to see with that logo plastered on
If you wander through in City Thameslink
All the typography shows that font is not gone
So it remains a holy grail for some rail fans
To try and track down any evidence left
Which reminds us all of a bygone era
When the railways were run down and bereft.

(It's definitely a thing amongst some rail enthusiasts to spot the old remains of Network SouthEast, that's so true. You can spot the above examples for yourself easily, but a stray container at Norwood Junction? A bit more niche...)

Proroguing Into Pathetic

We won't suspend Parliament lied the Prime Minister
As he proclaimed that to the news reporters
And yet all behind the scenes a plan was hatched
Amongst him, advisers and supporters
That actually we'll state that this process is normal
And we can break up the debate for weeks
Hoping that all the fuss will all go away
And then we'll end up smug with rosy cheeks
What they didn't bank on was the fury of others
Who saw this as clearly illegal and wrong
Especially when you read the judgement on this
Where it showed that the message was wrong
The fact was it was a deliberate stymie mechanism
To block democracy from taking effect
So it shows once again how pathetic our leadership is
And how much we need to do to make it correct.

(I think we all await the next ruling with intensity, and hope really. Demonstrating that in fact there were lies and proven lies at that is a sign that for some at least, we know that there's actual justice being served, hopefully. Not a moment too soon.)

In Good Kompany

He signed for Manchester City eleven years ago
Just before all the money came in
What we didn't know all the way back then
Was just how much he would become such a kingpin
He soon showed his talent was in defence
Being the barrier that stopped so much attack
Becoming the captain of the sky blues
And giving the side that vital bone at the back
He led with his heart and with Manchester in his blood
And would marry a beautiful Mancunian lass
It was somehow just typical of the man
That showed he had adopted our city: absolute class
When the time came and we needed someone
He stood up so many times and was the one
Such as the derby in April 2012 at the Etihad
When he headed from a corner with pride and passion
His goal meant we took the lead in the title race
Leading up to that Agüeroooooooo moment
It was a day that I will never ever forget
And he was captain with a proudness for that event
Two years later Edin Džeko's goals
Had got us in front by the final day
And Kompany scored a vital second against West Ham
Meaning we were champions again that day
Fast forward to 2019 and an incredible title race
With neither us or Liverpool giving one single inch
It was Kompany who ignored the "Don't shoot!" shouts
And smashed a beauty in the top right - incredible finish
Everyone knew in our hearts it could be close to the end
But if you go, you go out in glory
And lifting the title, winning the FA Cup 6-0
Was a perfect end to this man's City story
But as he returns for a testimonial so well deserved
There is one song that we will all know
Here's to you, Vincent Kompany
City loves you more than you will know.

(Put simply, Vincent Kompany is the man - and always will be. A true Manchester City legend.)

The Halcyon Days of the Haçienda

Is it really all those years ago, in 1982
When the world famous club opened up
Funded by the meagre profits of New aOrder
And who would have thought that in a good few years
It would have been the place to be for the young
It broke ground with it's individual dress code
Not fancy trousers or shirts necessary
And Hooky was the prime advocate of this I believe
Many of the bands that would make 'Madchester'
Played here at some stage in their careers
Even The Smiths in their youth took the stage here
And Madonna went there before she really made it big
As time went on and the reputation grew
So the drugs and the violence arrived with it
It had to be shut for a while which was sad
For those who had attended unaware of the trouble
But thankfully it was all solved eventually
It re-opened and everything was back to normal
Bands still played there for a while
But gradually the drugs and the time came to an end
The place closed down and a part of Mancunian history went.

(Having been to the Haçienda back in the day mainly for gigs, it was a place like no other, let me tell you.)

Happy Cat Haiku

Brian is so happy
When he gets lots of Dreamies
He scoffs them all down!

(Honestly, a shake of the bag is enough for Brian the cat to come running....)