This stanza was written just one day after the event it describes – the Labour Conference vote on campaigning for Remain. That event seemed significant for at least a few hours.
But the following day’s judgement by the Supreme Court was so much more significant and – still finishing this stanza – I felt that it was already out of… continue reading
Tag John Skelton
The Parrot in the Ring of Chaos
The Parrot Joins the Circus
Prime Minister Johnson and his gang had lost a succession of important votes the day before this stanza was written. Several prominent and moderate Tories who had voted against the government and against the possibility of a “No Deal” Brexit, had simply been sacked. Ken Clarke was one of those and had much to say to Johnson in the Commons… continue reading
Jez, the Phantom Striker
Jeremy Corbyn is apparently an Arsenal supporter. Yesterday’s “Independent” editorial came up with the image of the open goal and Corbyn’s failure to shoot. Thanks for that. The piece ended by taking the image a stage further : if the Arsenal manager had a striker who repeatedly failed to shoot in times of need as well as opportunity, the manager… continue reading
The Parrot Speaks of Fre-dom
In the fourteenth century, Geoffrey Chaucer introduced Rhyme Royal to English poetry and all these stanzas of mine about Brexit share that long established rhyme scheme. And Chaucer wrote The Canterbury Tales and one of those is “The Franklin’s Tale” which I love. And that’s where this medieval word “fre” keeps appearing, later to become “freedom.” But in The Franklin’s… continue reading
Cage Alight
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 changed ? Has anything really… continue reading
The Gods at War, Following a Murder
May’s “deal” was voted down last night after the heaviest governmental defeat in history. Released from the ghastly, grinding and disgraceful progress of her inadequate deal, are we freer now to resolve things a reparative way, or will the hopeless nonsense of this poisonous issue merely change its shape, and muliply its warring elements ?… continue reading
Westminster is empty
It is thought that the poet John Skelton wrote his satirical poem “Speak, Parrot” while living in the sanctuary of Westminster. For the medieval laws of sanctuary still operated in England at that time, leaving certain delegated areas under church jurisdiction. It meant that a significant number of people were able to live beyond the reach of state powers, and… continue reading