Listening to Churchill (a poem)

It's the late 1930s and an old man paces

The corridors of Parliament, as his country races

To self destruction with the practiced eye

Of those who deny and deny and deny.

He waits and listens, shakes his head in defeat

As he hears his Prime Minister blather and bleat

About 'peace in our time' and 'Mr. Hitler's' intention.

No one's listening to Winston, so why bother to mention

That his Land's unprepared to revisit the Hun.

After all victory there has already been won.

But a new breed is leading a new regime,

And those who realize it want to scream

To their fellow citizens 'We can no longer wait.

We must make ready before it's too late'!

Then Churchill takes charge, and the magnificent Few

Rouse the people of England, their courage renew.

But one thing is different today from then.

They had the USA to fall back on when

The forces of darkness would have swallowed all.

Who is there now to answer our call?

Time's not on the side of the weak who just sigh

And forever deny and deny and deny.

Mimi Winship   2 08 06