Poetry Magazines - The best collection of poetry magazines online - Simon Armitage

In the run-up to the Iraq war, TV journalist Jeremy Paxman asked Tony Blair whether he prayed with President George W. Bush.


It was a fair question as Paxman put it –
did you kneel with Bush on the White House floor
and seek God’s blessing on your private war,
President and Premier the pious pair
set on a willing coalition of prayer?

With disdain you denied it: “prayer is private”
your lip-curling stare seemed to say.
But Paxman’s question will not go away.
You were the self-confessed saint of Downing Street
with your “Trust me! I believe! I know I’m right!”

A leader of vision, charisma incarnate,
your Christian conscience conceived without sin
of socialism, class, corruption or spin
which you delegate to disciples, leaving you free
for your Holy Family and life with Cherie.

We welcomed you once as compassionate
with the common touch – you spoke for us
when you called Diana the people’s princess,
supported America on the twin towers attack
declared war on terror – but NOT on Iraq.

You lacked all legitimacy, a moral mandate
from world opinion, most of all the UN;
your talk of weapons of mass destruction
was trumped up and pumped up simply to foil
those who said the real motive was oil.

Not just oil. Iraq is Bush’s bash for profit
for Cheney’s cronies and capitalist chums,
an amusement park for sadistic bums
who mow down civilians without avail,
and abuse the Arabs in Abu Ghraib jail.

The born-again Right believes the immediate
war against terror is writ in Revelation
and America will be the one Christian nation
to stand by the Saviour at the Apocalypse or Rapture,
provided Israelis can manage to capture

Jerusalem’s mosques where Muslims congregate
and knock them flat to rebuild the temple,
then believe in Jesus and be ever so humble
for those who refuse, along with all pagans,
will perish in the very worst of all pogroms.

This is the word Bush hears from the pulpit,
this is the gospel for his modern crusade,
this is the reason why thousands have died
this is the match for a new conflagration
worse than all weapons of mass destruction.

But it’s not Christianity as we here know it:
so, Mr. Blair, admit you were wrong
to go on conspiring with Bush and his gang,
to invade Iraq and create this calamity.
Seek forgiveness, Tony, and show humility.