Football Poets

Walking away from the Game

¶ 1 Leave a comment on verse 1 0 I am going on the march on Saturday,
And not watching football because
“It’s the same the whole world over,
It’s the poor wot gets the blame,
It’s the rich wot gets the pleasure
Aint it all a crying shame”:
For example, the institutions that give countries a credit rating
Are not neutral observers and adjudicators, but partisan players,
Who make profit from the misfortunes of countries and their citizens;
I am going on the march on Saturday
And not watching football because
We can afford wars but not libraries,
Bombs not books, missiles not manuscripts,
Submarines not study.
I am going on the march on Saturday
And not watching football because
Gove wants a one dimensional curriculum where his History is taught,
A story of a benevolent and sagacious ruling class,
Who always know best.
I am going on the march on Saturday
And not watching football because
Etonians are not in all of this, with us, together,
They are not with us in this ridiculous Big Society,
Which is not even a fig leaf for cuts and privatisation,
They are in a secret society.
I am going on the march on Saturday
And not watching football because
The NHS was brought in with the Welfare State as a guarantee
That there would be no return to the Great Depression of the ‘30’s;
It was almost a thank-you to the British working class
For its stoical acceptance of sacrifice and privation in World War 2;
That seems to be conveniently forgotten now.
I am going on the march on Saturday
And not watching football because
Of the royal wedding,
I hate the way they they jettison our traditions in the name of modernisation,
But keep their own in the name of heritage.
I am going on the march on Saturday
And not watching football because
I hate the word “choice”, I don’t want choice,
I don’t want to travel for choice,
On a privatised railway or ailing, expensive, bus;
I want a properly organised and funded local service,
Is that too much to ask?
I am going on the march on Saturday
And not watching football because
Of cuts to Sure Start and the impact on young families,
I am going on the march on Saturday
And not watching football because
Of the abolition of EMA and the hike in student fees,
I am going on the march on Saturday
And not watching football because
Of the ways in which middle aged people will suffer,
That crunch time in life when we care for both young and old;
I am going on the march on Saturday
And not watching football because
Of the ways in which senior residents, citizens and pensioners will suffer,
Too often silently and unseen.
I am going on the march on Saturday
And not watching football because
Of the ways in which banks have been bailed out and bankers get bonuses,
The rest of us get the dole, pay cuts, pay freezes and despair;
I am going on the march on Saturday
And not watching football because
Of the Murdoch-Wade – Met – Cameron cabal,
That is not democracy, it is another secret society;
I am going on the march on Saturday
And not watching football because
In their heart of hearts they think trees should be private property;
I am going on the march on Saturday
And not watching football because
They don’t think that public sector workers deserve a pension,
But that tax avoidance is deserved and right.
I am going on the march on Saturday
And not watching football because
“It’s the same the whole world over,
It’s the poor wot gets the blame,
It’s the rich wot gets the pleasure
Aint it all a crying shame”;
There has to be another way.

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