If

If

If there were railings I could lock myself to,

I’d be there, rattling my chains like Marley’s ghost.

If there were a horse I could accost with a ribbon,

I’d brave those thundering hooves in an instant.

If there were a petition that mattered a good God-damn

I’d sign and share till the cows come trundling home.

If there were a politician whose interests extend beyond

Feathering their own nest and feeding their ego

Then I’d be banging down their surgery door,

Sitting down to thrash out a series of proposals.

But there isn’t. There’s all of us, bamboozled

Bewildered, bolshie and battered half to death,

Trying to keep our own heads above water

And fighting for a place on the life raft.