Armistice Day 2014

What They died for
has not survived
their sacrifice.

The fabrics of communities that were theirs
are pulled apart by rough fingers
of their unappreciative heirs.

Their homes are bulldozed
to feed the appetites of developers.

Their schools are surrendered
to the Apostles of Materialism:
Educational Factory Farming,
where those who pay the pipers write the menus.

Their Churchmen dress themselves
as antique Ecclesiastical Patricians.
But they have incarnated
as back-door politicians.

Chosen to be Guardians of Morality,
They have shaped it to their tastes
and decided that sexual perversion is normality.

They lecture All and Sundry,
that is the Government,
on economic decisions,
but pay no heed
to giving unto Caesar
that which is Caesar’s
and unto God that which is God’s.

God,
the former Archbishop has declared,
is like an autistic child.
His successor, who made his living in Oil,
before becoming a Man of the Cloth,
was promoted by the Prime Minister,
another back-door politician,
to be Archbishop.

Since when
his most notable spiritual offering
to the Hungry
addressed by Jesus
in the Beatitudes,
has been,
"The other day I was praying
as I was running
and I ended up saying
to God:
'Look,
this is all very well,
but isn't it about time,
you did something
– if you're there'”

May they forgive us
the ceramic poppies,
the couple of minutes silence,
the smart uniforms,
which cannot disguise
our failure to protect
what they died to preserve.

These cannot hide the huge invading armies
that come, unarmed
to dilute the integrity of our Nation
and claim, as of right, the booty of our work placements
and the treasure of social benefits.

May they forgive us our ingratitude.
May they relinquish Suffering and Pride,
May they relinquish Honour and Shame,
to make room in their Hearts
for the Immensity of all embracing Peace!