Category: The use of Language
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The Parrot and the Lie
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This stanza was written late on the night of January 30th, when the Commons debated a series of amendments, at least one of which might have resulted in Parliament wresting control of the Brexit process from May’s Tory government. That result failed to materialise. Instead, the Tories enjoyed some rare moments of apparent unity. They…
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Plain Words from the Cage
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The balloons are a Bristol image, since hot-air balloons often appear above the city. I ought to say, though, that whatever fills the Bristol balloons does not appear to be foul.… continue reading
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Jez Labours
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Did the young see Jez aright ? Or, in their disillusion with the status quo, were they projecting all their hope onto a blank screen, seeing Jez wrongly as somehow an answer, seeing colour on the screen, which is actually not there ? For Jez is not very colourful. And perhaps he needs that status…
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Cage Alight
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We in Britain are groping about in a strange country, which just happens to be our own. What next ? Where next ? And what has just occured ? Two days ago, May’s deal was voted down by an enormous margin. Yesterday, she survived (not by that much) a vote of no confidence. Has anything…
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Maybot’s Standing
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This stanza was written on a Monday morning, after “The Guardian” quoted a speech Theresa May is due to make today. It includes this sentence : “I ask MPs to consider the consequences of their actions on the faith of the British people in our democracy.” Tomorrow her “deal” is expected to be voted down in…
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Parrot at the Breach
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The first line is a direct quote from Skelton’s poem “Speak, Parrot”… continue reading
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The Parrot, the Maybot and No Deal
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Will our troops be allowed to fraternise with the “enemy” over Christmas ? The content management of my blog has been “updated” by remote. I still haven’t got the hang of most of the changes. One of them is that every time I make a small editorial alteration, those people who are notified of a…