Poetry

Buy the book direct from the publisher here.

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A poetry book by Janine Booth.

"Amplify the voices that rarely get a hearing. Power up the megaphone and drown out the jeering. Amplify and magnify the voices that are hampered by calcifying attitudes and patronising platitudes..."

Who knew
that new need not actually mean new?
It might mean refurbished or extended,
repurposed or pretended?
Who knew?

Who'd have thought it,
that forty need not actually mean forty?
That's rather naughty
It ought to, surely?
I'd have thought

counterchec, rubbernec

strikebrea, pissta,

heartbrea, troublema

multitas, unmas

bluestoc, foreloc

motherfuc, bloodsuc

wisecrac, backtrac

benchmar, disembar

pawnbro, keystro

stockbro, anti-smo,

undercoo, overloo

hyperlin, freethin

hallmar, reembar

hitchhi, motorbi

bootlic, politic

rollic, nitpic

lovema, muckra

I pledge allegiance to my sons
to witty jokes and dreadful puns

I pledge allegiance to Aussie soaps
to chasing all my dreams and hopes

I pledge my allegiance to the Borough boys
to Lewes FC, to making noise

I pledge allegiance to classic scooters
I pledge to battle persecutors

to fight injustice till it's gone
I pledge to keep on keeping on

I'd rather do a highland fling
Or tie my nipples up with string
Impale my buttock on a spring
I'd rather do most anything
Than pledge allegiance to a king

I'd risk the wrath of Merciless Ming
Or face what fierce tornados bring
I'd rather drape myself in bling
Or swallow insects on the wing
Than pledge allegiance to a king

Football fans

from Northern towns

hit the capital city

Sharp-dressed, pretty

 

sure to take the opportunity

to take in a record shop

and rifle through vinyl

score a winner

reach the final

 

Make their way to Covent Garden

Soul City stocks lots

of what they're after

Not the latest but the dateless

Richard Sharp

Likes to whinge and to carp

That report was bad luck

Now off he can fuck