In all our sanctuaries we sit at risk

Tag: “Speak Parrot” by John Skelton

  • Mr Toad Refers to the Tower

    Posted:

    Our chaos, outside and inside, whirls about so fast that I forget what day it was more stuff happened. Maybe it was two days ago that we heard that Prime Minister Johnson’s advice to the Queen, that parliament should be closed down for several weeks, has been deemed illegal by the Scottish High Court. They…

  • The Parrot and the Clowns

    Posted:

    The Parrot has joined the circus, remember. He’s still there and in the stanza above, he’s reporting back from a conference of clowns he heard today. All familiar shapes are now in question. In the UK, Brexit alone has been causing a great number of them to buckle. Democracy is one. What is democracy, after…

  • The Ravening Mr Toad

    Posted:

    This stanza was written on the morning of the day in September 2019 on which the UK parliament was shut down for several crucial weeks, at the behest of Mr Johnson and his streamlined cohorts. Johnson’s excuse for abusing the constitution in this fashion was yet another of his lazily blatant lies, into which –…

  • The Parrot Watches Another Circus Act

    Posted:

    Events are taking place at a speed even more bewildering than “usual.” The references in this latest stanza, uploaded Sunday 8th September, already feel bit old as I write this, even though the events they refer to took place only days ago. Johnson began this last week as if starting a general election campaign. Then,…

  • The Parrot Studies Mr Toad

    Posted:

    Last night, the UK’s new “Prime Minister” lost both his (tiny) majority and a significant vote in the House of Commons, in which a number of Tories rebelled against the hoodlum hit squad presently masquerading as the nation’s Tory government. The rebels should be honoured for that. But Mr Toad is gaming for power, with…

  • The Parrot Has Another Say

    Posted:

    This stanza was written during the week-end preceding what seemed to be Parliament’s last and only chance to block Mr Johnson’s stated option of a “No Deal” Brexit. The Executive vs the Legislature. Mr Johnson and “The People” (or enough of them, he hoped) vs parliamentary scrutiny, or – as he might put it –…

  • Mr Toad and Dr Doomboyd

    Posted:

    The phrase “Shock and Awe” came into our reckoning as a description of America’s opening attack against Iraq in their war (beginning March, 2003) to overthrow Saddam Hussein and his regime. Supported by the British, the Americans went in search of Saddam Hussein’s non-existent weaponry. A short while later, Mr Bush stood alone on one…

  • The Parrot Repetitive

    Posted:

    The parrot in his cage is sitting pretty, hanging on tight. Meanwhile, Mr Toad is enjoying himself in the chaos he’s been allowed to stir up. Chaos is Toad’s element. It tends to follow him, with cameras. Presumably those who’ve granted Toad this scope find chaos fun as well. The first few lines here contain…