Alan Morrison

Wood Panel Parliament

Catch the frantic scratch of pens in chequebooks:
The sound of Parliament dismantling –
Democracy’s swine impaled on meat-hooks.

An electorate, betrayed to tenterhooks:
Each Fascist warming up on his dark husting.
Catch the frantic scratch of pens in chequebooks:

Woodlice crawl out from the smouldering nooks.
Pugilist grubs rub hands to dish a pasting
For democracy to spit and pop on meat-hooks.

MPs named and shamed for flipping the books.
The Speaker, transparent as wood panelling
Catches the scratch of pens in chequebooks.

A hunting of the nark by booted spooks
So no more moles expose blank cheque accounting:
Democracy’s swine impaled on meat-hooks.

The match has been struck by scandal’s Guy Fawkes!
Kliesthenes, Keir Hardie and all are grave-turning
At this frantic scratch of pens in chequebooks:
Democracy’s swine fattened for meat-hooks.

[Note: Kliesthenes was the original founder of democracy in ancient Athens; Keir Hardie, the first leader of the Parliamentary Labour Party].

Alan Morrison © 2009