Michael Foot, Peacemonger

So, farewell, Michael Foot.
We know you were an orator,
That voters threw out your donkey jacket,
And you were CND.

You did not believe
That lasting peace could come
Out of a threat of universal death.

You did not believe
That anyone should have the power
To evaporate, blast, scorch, roast

Crush, maim, burn, choke, irradiate,
Sicken, sh*t blood, starve,
Freeze, immiserate a milllon souls.


And for your lack of faith
They mocked you, set you aside,
Crushed you, made you to be a fool

Until this day. Now you are dead,
They'll sing your praises to the tainted skies.
But they'll not mention your beliefs,

Not mention that to lead this land
One must be fit to do
That thing which is unspeakable.

They will not speak of Universal Death
While they recite your eulogies.

Within the suited ranks,

There will be one who might at any time
Be called to give the order to cremate our world.
A whispered word, a hurried nod to coffin and MC,

Then off the PM goes, to do the deed.
There is no other way. Get used to it.
The threat of omnicide cannot be wished away.

Logic can have no place. We cannot say
If a thing cause infinite destruction when it breaks
We use it if and only if it cannot break.


We cannot think like that. There is no place
For Logic in our world. Nor for Humanity
Nor Fellow Feeling. Nor Equality.

Only a stream of words, only the pretence
Of politics, only the propaganda and the lies,
Where gossip is god, and Michael Foot
Need suffer fools no more.

(c) Richard Lawson 

3rd March 2010