so many ideas about god
different races, different peoples
each with their own ideas
cultural, national, universal
mono or polytheistic
worship of the planet
of characteristics thereof
or human rationality
ourselves in the place of god

so many resolving
into what justifies my thought
my wishes and actions
what I do and fail to do
me, my people, my race, my nation
so many supporting
us rather than them
the elect against the outsider
our people not the foreigner
and when push comes to shove
those conflicts and wars
that such divisions always bring
the gods back me not you
they're on the side of my battalions
my ends justifying the means
my might always being right
or so my take on the gods tell me

so what is the power and purpose of god?
what difference does he/she/they make?
why this god not that god or any god at all?

perhaps we need god
recognising our faults and failings
the limits to understanding and wisdom
a universe so far beyond comprehension
our finite and limited thinking
facing questions beyond discovery
perhaps we need the awkward questions
god keeps disconcertingly asking
how we justify what we do
our use and abuse of power
the way we do relationships
from home, to work, to nations, to religion?

there was a backwoods preacher
who held up a mirror before us
our being and doings
our actions and inactions
'love the Lord your God
with all your heart, mind, soul and strength'
it's easy to say we do
that we accept external scrutiny
but the evidence says otherwise
then he stretched our thinking
'love your neighbour as yourself'
reminding us our neighbours
include those we think of as enemies
or consider us the same
so he said 'love your enemy
and pray for those who persecute you'
and persecute you they will
for the powerful hate nothing more
mark out as their enemy
than those revealing their power
abused in contrast to such love
so 'love as I have loved you'
sacrificially, self-giving, unbounded
by time, space or circumstance
not theoretically but actively
'to love mercy, act justly
and walk humbly with your God'
and when we get it wrong
or they get it wong
for we all always get it wrong
'forgive our sins as we forgive
those who sin against us'

of course he didn't last
for those with power didn't like
the mirror he faced us with
so we had him killed, crucified
far easier to smash the mirror
than to change, transform
get rid of the nuisance
so we can get on with business
carry on as normal
with a warning left hanging there
for others with jumped up ideas
job done, so we said, so we thought .....

14th February 2025
Stephen Cooper

'Alice laughed. "There's no use trying," she said. "One can't believe impossible things."

"I daresay you haven't had much practice," said the Queen. "When I was your age, I always did it for half-an-hour a day. Why, sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast."'
(from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland)


never mind the White Queen
said the grinning president
those billionaires whispering in his ear
as he signed more executive orders
while falling down the rabbit-hole
the world has never seen
how many impossible things
I can order before breakfast
it'll be beautiful, fantastic
no one's imagined what I can do

..... so don't worry about the convictions
being a self-confessed ****** predator
those lies, alternative facts and truths
they make me who the people love
why wouldn't they want me?

...... and I don't need any government
to tell me what I can't do
sack them all, they're bad, all bad
I don't need evidence I just know
why wouldn't they want me?

...... and don't worry about Congress
the rioters got it right
but now they're mine, I own them
why wouldn't they want me?

..... and the Supreme Court
my placemen and women
they say nothing I can do is illegal
the divine right of kings
why wouldn't they want me?

..... and forget the Constitution
only two terms of office
I can remake it in my image
why wouldn't they want me?

...... and I've got God sorted
told him he's on my team
on the side of the big battalions
that might is indeed right
the end does justify the means
why wouldn't they want me?

...... and I can take over Greenland
Panama and Canada
make them American states
citizens to salute the flag
why wouldn't they want me?

...... and I can do a great real estate deal
transform the Middle East
Mar-a-Gaza will be a great resort
what's wrong with ethnic cleansing
it's only a couple of million people
send in the bulldozers let's get started
why wouldn't they want me?

...... and I've torn up all those Treaties
countries need to get on board
do things my way, the American way
or they'll get what's coming to them
why wouldn't they want me?

...... and those wars, terrible
they'd better stop when I say
or all hell will break loose
why wouldn't they want me?

...... and I'll shut down trade
unless they do it on my terms
let America dominate the world
why wouldn't they want me?

...... and I'll kick out the foreigners
round them up, send them home
(except those my companies need)
build the walls higher, deeper, wider
why wouldn't they want me?

...... and I'll ...... hell I'm the President
I can do anything I want
six impossible things before breakfast?
I'll  make America great again
re-make it as Trumpland, Mar-A-merica
I've barely got started
let's do the deal
it'll be beautiful, fantastic
why wouldn't they want me?

12th February 2025

they stood at the graveside
icy February winds
sleet near horizontal
wrapped tight against the cold
feet sinking slowly in the mud
sad for the dearly departed
truly heart-broken
but mostly thinking of the pub
a roaring fire, a glass of .....
and getting warm again, please

a particularly viscious blast
the vicar's glasses fly
bouncing off the coffin
splashing in the mud
six feet under
he carries on trying hard
to remember the words
he stumbles to a halt
looks up, around
trying to focus on blurry faces
raises his hand in blessing
'for what we're about to receive ......'

10th February 2025

from top deck of the bus
train's window seat
fleeting glimpses
kaleidoscopic images
a yard, a garden
old and cherished
a beloved motorbike
bonfire smoke, barbecue aroma
discretely hung washing
somewhere to soak up the sun
privately to luxuriate
life's obsolescence stacked high
junk by time abandoned
secret worlds observed
tantalising perspectives
enjoyed with guilty pleasure

we hold these truths to be self-evident
that only some men are created equal
and that they are endowed
by this Trump administration
with certain alienable rights
that only a few will enjoy life
liberty and the pursuit of happiness
among whom are MAGA supporters
tech billionaires, international dictators
and those who believe might is right

democrats, supporters of the rule of law
those working for equality in diversity
Mexicans, Canadians and Panamanians
Greenlanders and Palestinians
and ..... and ..... and ..... need not apply

if Trump has abolished diversity
by presidential decree
has he abolished himself
his alternative truths and facts
or just other's diversity?

I love those irregular verbs
of the English language:

I'm a unique individual
You're a little bit weird
He's a total wacko

an ode to humanity, possibly …..


back in the day
a message was preached
there's no such thing as society
just individuals, only individuals
in pursuit of self-interest
which rooted, grew, flourished
and community crumbled
a little

back in the day
a message was preached
there's no finites, no absolutes
just bubbles of self-defined reality
alternative facts, truths and meaning
with certainty in my diversity
common language failed
a little

back in the day
a message was preached
there's no definable morality
no fixed behavioural norms
you choose yours and I'll do mine
in widening ethical divergence
culture and family withered
a little

back in the day
a message was preached
that in the hierarchy of being
my individual freedom, my rights
trump social responsibility
with licence superseding law
common good decayed
a little

back in the day
a message was whispered
along the corridors of power
copied in the markets, out on the streets
the eleventh commandment rules
'Thou shalt not get caught'
kicked away, foundations fell
significantly

but others say
‘a person is a person only
in relationship with other people’
atomization is not good enough
self-interest will never suffice
‘who is my neighbour’ they ask
so community coheres
a little

others search out
diverse patterns of meaning
evidence of the truths of being
explored by artist’s brush, writer’s pen
lost chord of the universe sought
by scientists and musicians alike
the language of infinity grows
a little

yet others ponder
humanity, this social animal
that despite survival of the fittest
‘it takes a whole village to raise a child’
so I doing me and you doing you
will never be good enough
for we must do us
a little

others wrestle
with those rights of being
of believing and becoming
that we owe ourselves and others
of what we can expect of them
and they can require of us, to
'love mercy, act justly, walk humbly
a little

still others know
that might is not right
ends do not justify means
God’s not on the side of big battalions
that secrets will always out
and lies will never hold
so integrity takes root
a little

in this present day
what hope is asked, dreamed
amidst humanity deconstructing and rebuilding
society disassembling and reconstituting
community disintegrating and reforming
family dismantling and reshaping
for what do we strive
a little


The Eleventh: 4th February 2025
..... Reviewed: 8th February 2025