Born 1951; employed 1968-2013; been paying UK Income Tax since September 1968; voted in General Elections since I could; married to same heroic lady since 1973; raised three hard working caring children; oddly loyal of H.M. Queen Elizabeth II; Christian.
I reckon those qualifications give me the right to say what I please
31-01-2020. 23:00.01
(Not so much a poem. More an Address)
Attend to you homes and loved ones then
And prepare for your myriad small battles.
No backwards glances,
No forlorn sighs for Yesterdays,
No wishes for lost possibilities,
Nations were never blessed with foresight,
Nor perceptions born of harsh histories.
Peoples do so love Dream’s Heady Wines
And forget the price indulgence pays.
Keep your own peace,
Conserve your energies for adapting and survival,
And for those woven into your hearts.
Be ever vigilant for the changes,
Read their runic sub-texts
And meditate upon their implications.
You did not choose this path,
Nevertheless you are set upon it.
Pushed there by a clamouring host
Yammering for some Camelot many do not deserve.
Discard the arguments with the jagged dreamers,
They have their wish fulfilled.
Now let them cope with the consequences.
There is no more to be said to these.
There never was any hope of intelligent discourse
So why bother using precious time?
You have important tasks to attend to
Keeping intact your body, soul and mind,
Ever healthy, for the sake of your loved ones.
Do not weep, too much,
Let you anguish be a transitory thing,
Yes, those times will come,
For we are all mortal prone to emotions.
Take this medicine,
Harsh in its taste
Yet strengthening in its warmth of fortitude.
Folly maybe a constant.
However so is Hope.
Build there on.
…my Flag
…. my Anthem
Writing Despite Computers and Programmes 
Well said, Roger. Lets hope for the future.
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Thank you Audrey.
At the end of the Day all we have is Hope.
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Roger, the road ahead will be quite bumpy for you and your country. I wish you the best. The UK does not have the bargaining power it used to, especially with companies moving their UK headquarters and distribution and call centers to EU cities. Dublin, Frankfurt, Paris, etc. will benefit. Beware of smiling friends like the US president who will seek to leverage this. Keith
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It was a joint effort Keith. The alleged Opposition to the government was too busy trying to poke each others eyes out and many are scurrying around trying to blame everyone else.
Unless I am badly mistaken (which in this I would like to be) it is all over for the UK as it has been for many decades. We have no politicians of strength, vision and a tinge of ruthlessness. Our populations are fracturing upon many lines. The runes set in the historical record indicate our time is over.
Me?
For the present I shall endeavour to do the best for my family, refuse to buckle under, take an occasional harassing ‘shot’ and work on my writing- the fantasy worlds make far more sense and I can craft justice in those.
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Roger, I feel for you folks. It will be a tough road. The social media permits the various tribes to ignore each other saying the other tribe is the enemy. Unless people start talking to each other, autocrats like Trump and Trump-wannabes, can divide and conquer. As a result, nothing of import can get resolved. Keith
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One thing maybe Brois Johnson has woken up to. The divide in these isles has been allowed to go too deep.
Reconciliation will be hard.
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Your poem/address is well said. Sad that the situation is such that it needs to be said, and I fear for what is coming down the road for both of our countries. The only thing I can’t do, though, is “There never was any hope of intelligent discourse. So why bother using precious time?” While you may be right, there is a stubborn part of me that is like a dog with a bone … I just can’t let it go. I was thinking of you, Sheila, and the rest of my UK friends all day yesterday, wishing things were different, wondering … “what’s next”. Hugs to you and Sheila, dear friend.
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Thanks Jill.
This is an odd phase. My anger at the situation has gone, part of me is saying ‘You’ve read enough history to know these backward steps happen. Too bad you’re living in one’. (Although it’s still the big ‘Finger’ to ignorant individuals (on all sides) who know nothing about their own history).
Freaky really, but all of a sudden I have nothing to say about political situations, it’s like part of me is saying ‘You’ve given all your political vibe. What more can you, personally say or add to the conversation. Like ,you’re all burnt out man, on that scene. You dig?’
I guess that’s why you’ve not seen me around much these past few days. Nothing of value to add to the posts.
So it’s back to the story writing where there’s some peace and control- sure it’s possible there’s won’t be much recognition, but, hey it’s mine. Like, far out.
Keep up your good work Jill. The USA is the next one to step up to the mark. Tell the democrat primary runner to get their act together and get that draft-dodging crook out in November.
Hugs back 🤗
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I had noticed I hadn’t seen you around the last few days and was hoping I hadn’t said something to offend, but I figured you were bummed about Brexit. I do have to admit, though, that I am concerned about you. When you say things like you’ve given all your political vibe, it worries me, for that is not the Roger I know. It would be like if Trump won the next election and I just said, “Oh well, I did all I could, now I’ll just go back to knitting”. Yes, get back to your story writing, take some time out of the political scene, but don’t let this be the end of the sometimes-fiery, always-funny, uber-lovable Roger I know. Sigh.
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Don’t you worry none Jill.
Y’see I’m a fantasy writer with a political/social side. Sometimes one side takes precedence over the other.
As you recall, back last year I got myself into some pretty heavy stuff being on the look out for trolls, intolerants and ignorants. I was vicious on them, and enjoyed it far too much. It was dark.
I’m supposed to be a Christian, and was not sticking to the teachings of our Lord….Y’ know the old saying ‘You become the thing you hate’?
And I was upsetting Sheila, which will not do.
Degrading my writing too. (You really don’t want to read about Writer’s Angst…it’ll take up pages!)
So I’m back at a refit…doing the first re-write of Vol III and also having a lot of fun with my ‘Aureyborealice’ posts, which if you get a chance to read you’ll notice more than a smidge of satire and commentary.😉.
Yeah I’ll be back, but the demons have to be driven out. You don’t want them fouling up your posts Jill.
PS: thanks for the sweet comments 💐 🌷 🌹 🥀 🌺 🌸 🌼 🌻 🌞
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Roger, Jill, your conversation reminded me of an economic theory that I have cited before that won its creator a Nobel Prize. John Nash created the Nash Equilibrium, which says if each entity seeks to let everyone gain from an investment or agreement, then the pie will be larger and everyone will want to protect the agreement. When one entity seeks to maximize its own profit, it may get short term profit gain, but others will do the same and the pie will lessen.
This theory explains why global trade agreements are so important to use and nurture. So, when the UK or US leaves agreements and says I am going to do what is best only for me, short term gain will give way to a lesser pie for all. Good example – when China has a softening in its economy, due to the Coronavirus, eg, it impacts everyone else.
It does not get a lot of airplay here, but when the US pulled out of the Trans Pacific Partnership between eleven countries, the other ten went ahead without the US. As the UK pulls out of the EU, they will continue onward without the UK. The UK will make deals, but others will not include them in theirs. And, market size allows one to ask for better terms. Keith
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The UK (which for these purposes is England and Wales-being the lesser partner, client state) is going through a stage in which a sizeable portion of the population has embraced the echoes of the 19th Century Imperial past and the notion that being on the winning side in WWII still gives a free pass in the world.
This grouping has either lost, or never had a sense of hsitorical perspective that nations rise and decline in importance.
For the UK is achieve as they wish we would need to have a large mercantile fleet and an agressive burgeoing export business covering a wide variety of fields.
And a nation united, behind a common cause which we are not.
The lack of perspective and insight into comparison with other eras in these isles history is woeful.
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Roger, your last sentence speaks volumes. In terms of context, a Super Bowl Ad last night made me chuckle given its lack of perspective. GM has rolled out an electric Hummer, the gas guzzling vehicle of the early 2000s.
The context is lost in that GM could have owned the electric car market, producing a car called EV-1 around the same time. Its drivers loved it, but they were only allowed to lease them. GM decided to kill the EV-1 given some pressure from other entities, but the Board questioned why? They were told Americans wanted vehicles like the Hummer.
So, GM collected all the EV-1s and shredded them, even though the owners offered to buy them. They made Hummers instead. The infatuation with the Hummer did not last long since it drank petrol, so they stopped making them. Now, we have electric Hummers.
We should not forget GM had to be rescued by the government The UK is thinking like GM did then. They are not thinking of the future, but are beholden to the past. Keith
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Very wise analogy Keith.
I fear, it will be, using a paraphrase out of Lord of the Rings:
‘We shall do into the West and diminish’
But without the quiet dignity of the original speaker, The Queen of the Elves Galadriel
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