Poem that mentions the departure of the Pope

While on the subject of Poetry, I see that Pope Ratzinger has resigned, and it therefore seems appropriate to roll out the lines I wrote when his predecessor poped his clogs. Especially in view of the last line.

Lines on the Death of John Paul II





"No Popery!" Ian Paisley cried,

and now that John Paul II has died,

there is no Pope,

so can we hope

for Orangemen with peace inside?



Nope.

They just can't cope

without a Pope.

The Papists want a Papacy

and Paisley needs an enemy.

Without a Pope

they'd all just . . . mope.



It really makes you think:

what if it pushed them off the brink ?

what if it made them turn to drink

or even . . . turn to dope?



Might be a blessing in disguise.

Imagine if the smokes that rise

above the Convocation

(as they all grope

for a new pope)

should symbolise a wider scope

for toleration?



What if the newly chosen Pope,

red-eyed, and reading Rattigan

loped lazily around the Vatican

flashing the peace sign,

Oh wow. Yeah. Wow. Yeah. Fine.



But that could be a slippery slope

No-one would want a hippy Pope.

We should not hope

for a doped pope;



But could we simply go for one

that has a decent sense of fun?

(Maybe when Ratzinger’s gone?)

(c) Richard Lawson 

M4 

7.4.05