When will we solve a real problem?
You will find that I have limited myself to a maximum of one "proper" swearword per poem. This is because I am conscious to at least consider the sensibilities of The Civilised of Western Park. It does occur to me that if a popular TV show, Game of Thrones, features the sending of a dismembered penis by messenger, incest, pushing small boys off parapets and dwarfs fornicating with prostitutes then there cannot be much I can do to offend the majority. Yes I concede it is a good show but let's not kid ourselves and admit that at least part of its appeal feeds the same dark corner of our minds that rubbernecks at a motorway crash or takes pleasure in watching Mayweather beat the shit out of McGregor. To those who believe we once had standards, we never did. It's a retrospective illusion to disguise the fact that we are indeed a gruesome little ape. Anyway, I've conformed, well sort of, so fuck off and leave me alone please.To move away from self censorship for the good of the righteous why Freed From Greed? It's a well established philosophy that we can never be truly free whilst we are slaves to material wealth and pleasures. It is our greed that prevents us being content and it is the act of endeavour rather than acquisition that brings us happiness. So in "Mobility Scooter" our battery powered hero is seduced by not having to make the effort to walk with discomfort though any athlete will tell you the joy is in the achieving. I will never forget the look on my sister's face when she completed a marathon. It hurt so much - it felt so good.
"Lard Heart" is about how marketing, the spokesperson of consumerism, employs the forces of both desire and fear to first sell us takeaways we do not need and then over-engineered solutions to help us lose weight. We could spend that effort solving real problems rather than developing an endless string of solutions required only because of an earlier stupidity. How about clean water or free education for everyone as a priority?