after Rupert Brooke (a long way
after)
Stands the church clock at ten to
three?
And is there honey still for tea?
Let Saki dream of Filboid Studge -
It’s not a patch on Complan
sludge;
Mushroom, chicken, asparagus -
Mere vindaloo they far outclass;
Soups par excellence for first course,
A gastronomic tour de force,
Slipping blandly down the gizzard
And tasting absolutely wizard!
All taste the same but diverse
shades
So tantalise the eye that raids
Ensue upon ‘Ensure’ - it’s true -
This spiffing food’s just made for
you!
Hurray, hurray, it’s time for tea
-
Mmm, my favourite, raspberry
In curious pink (oh, give me
more!),
Sipped ecstatically through a
straw...
We don’t want honey still for tea,
My balanced nutrients and me...
(May,
1994)
From the forthcoming anthology: ‘A
Poem a Day Keeps the Doctor Away’!
