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Anger Management

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We should not yield to anger,

Nor trespass upon kindness.

There are other ways to staunch the boiling blood.

The sight of yesterday’s Victory parade,

With its wind-up, flat-pack military,

Its gross salutes and guns and strut,

Its little man made out of wax,

Talking for ages through his nut,

Made me grimace at the waste

And at the tragic, pointless load

Of fresh-dead bodies, laid in haste

On some unprized suburban road.

In response, I squirmed at every stomp

And laughed, yes laughed, at all the pomp.

Ukraine

◄ Lenin

My Enemy ►

Comments

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Stephen Gospage

Wed 11th May 2022 21:03

That's most kind if you, Stephen. Yes, you have to laugh at all the self-important nonsense.

And thanks to Ray, Tom and Julie for liking.

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Stephen Atkinson

Wed 11th May 2022 18:12

Another brilliant piece, Stephen. I always think of it as a yearly pantomime, minus the good. Widow Twanky has never looked so pompous . ✌

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Stephen Gospage

Wed 11th May 2022 15:14

Thanks very much, Greg, John and Graham. I do my best to manage anger but it's sometimes not easy in view of what is going on.

I get the ridicule point, Graham. It's true that the more obnoxious these dictators become, the more absurd things look. Think of the Belarus generals with their oversized hats or the practised, hysterical clapping in North Korea. Yes, the parade seemed more jackbooted than ever.

My thanks once again for all the kind comments.

And to Nigel, Rudyard, Holden, Pete, Clare and K Lynn for liking.

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Graham Sherwood

Wed 11th May 2022 10:31

This parade for many of us in the West has always been(to me) a thing of ridicule. The irony for me is that Putin declares he is removing naziism from Ukraine and yet his troops resemble the jackbooted strutters of 1939 more than ever!
A fine observation. Well done Stephen.

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John Botterill

Wed 11th May 2022 08:08

So much to admire in your poetry, Stephen. The fresh-dead paradox and the "wind-up, flat-packed military" descriptive brilliance. All of it was great!

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Greg Freeman

Tue 10th May 2022 23:16

Wonderful final couplet, Steve. You just keep them coming. You manage your anger very well.

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