Saturday 4 February 2012

In the Deep Midwinter


In Ukraine it is minus nineteen
Tramps freeze by the score
Russia turns down their gas supply
Just when they need more;
This evening the snow will
Reach the East of England
Children hope that their school
Will not open so they can
Stay at home doing snow-
based activities such as
Sledging and making a
Snowman in the garden
Or throwing snowballs;
Chilblains will blossom in
A thousand hands
Silly hats will appear
On a thousand chilly heads
Soup will be heated in
A thousand kitchens
And mulled wine will
Be retrieved from a thousand
Christmas cupboards;
The AA will issue warnings
To stay at home but
The show must go on
And drivers will spend ages
Squirting smelly liquids
And scraping icy etchings
From their frozen glass
With loyalty cards
Wondering why they don't
Make heated front windows
As well as the back ones;
Batteries feel the strain
And give up the ghost
The force is not with them;
Do electrons feel the cold ?

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