There were times
There were times
Before lockdowns, old age
Dark depression, anxiety and grief
Or whatever other ill may befall the living
Before the time comes to move on,
Some people say ‘passing’
Believing it has a softer feel
A more subtle
Less harsh sound to it
Easier to whisper in dark corners
From barely opened mouths
So the children can’t hear
When the real truth is we all die,
When I worked all day
Drank all night
Lay awake too charged to sleep
I thought I heard the trumpets call
Drummers raising Cain
Heavy boots marching in the corridor
Every one a young man
Pledged to do his duty
For the common good
Happy to be home by Christmas
Sent apologies in a card
They never got to sign
What happened to innocence
When did cynicism steal the cream
Blaming it on the cat
Who was never in the bag
In the first place
Too many people play philosophy
With the blood and guts of life
Champagne socialists were a thing
Kitchen cabinets were not just
A place to stack plates
When the world was full
Of rattling old sabres
Too rusty to ride a horse
Sacrifice was leveraged
To ensure the gentlemen
Who played cribbage
In the afternoon sipping a good malt
Smoking a fine Havana
Slept safely in their beds
I heard cage doors clatter shut
Keeping dirty little secrets
Out of sight in the basement
Where the bodies were buried
Was it ever thus?
So much of what we have
Is never seen
Outside of a private collection
Perhaps they keep souls
In the manner of gatekeepers
Keeping the world safe
From the likes of you and me
It needs a special brand
Of person to give the order
To send the hoi polloi to die
Or is it in the passing
That we have surety of continuance
Maintaining the integrity
Of natural selection
As the trumpets play
Just like Miles Davis
We are all set up as ‘Jailbait’
Marching unto war
With all of the confidence
In our futures yet to be realised
The only sure thing being
The survivors will lie awake
Too charged to think
About much
Other than how soon
They can safely leave it
Before they take another drink