Then----and Now
Remember the war years; the Battle of Britain?
The vigils on Romney on dead winter’s nights?
The threatened invasion, the barbed-wire defences,
Rust-spiking the beaches from Margate to Rye?
The blackout, the Dorniers, Vls and V2s?
I dug trenches in orchards and guarded old houses;
Played war games in Woolwich, made mock raids on Bexley.
Fired rifles at Hythe and got married in Sidcup;
Went off to the war and returned to such drabness;
The rations were meagre and Maidstone so dingy
But Heavens, what changes the years have accomplished
M2 and M20; Southern Tele’s now here.
We’re losing the orchards; the hop fields are dying;
The gipsies are missing; East Enders have gone.
And I haven’t seen glow-worms for many a year.
From Dover to Calais we’ll soon have an alley-
Instead of a garden we’ll be a back yard.
Our children will ‘parler’ and ‘sprechen’ like natives;
‘Colorado’ and rabies will add to our fears
If they nip through the tunnel before we’re aware.
Condemned by our nearness to Brie and baguettes,
Part English, part Gallic, we’ll flavour our tables
With croutons and garlic and fizzy French beer.
A county of transits and Euro-transporters,
We’ll sink in the Channel with all this new gear.
Page(s) 12
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