Category Archives: Contemporary Issues

Poems about issues of the present day

Clocks Go Back

Clocks Go Back [Sunday 29th October 2017]

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The days are getting shorter, the nights are drawing in
In no time at all we will arrive at Halloween
Darkness is descending, as we struggle through the gloom
Look out for the guisers draped in their costume

‘Ere we reach that ‘hallowed’ eve the clocks must be turned back
Between Saturday and Sunday an hour they give us back
For last Spring those same clocks were moved an hour forward
To rectify that change now the movement will be rearward

It seems to me this time of year might make you feel depressed
And sometimes negative feelings can be manifest
Some people think this clock change is the harbinger of doom
And thoughts of hibernation fill their hearts with gloom

But most of us will soon accept the changing of the light
Brighter in the morning, then earlier dark at night
Nothing’s really changed, it’s ourselves who’ve played a trick
Tinkering with the clock hands but letting it still tick

So with the changing of the hour we revert to Greenwich Mean
British Summer Time left behind till Spring’s green shoots are seen
But at least we know now where we are, the timing quite official
No fiddling with the hours of day or night, no changes artificial

Ken Fisher

The Clash of the Titans [Presidential Debate]

The Clash of the Titans

Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton shakes hands with Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump after the presidential debate at Hofstra University in Hempstead, N.Y., Monday, Sept. 26, 2016. (Joe Raedle/Pool via AP)

 

I wonder if like me you have found yourself cringing
At the vitriolic salvos fired at each other by those
Who would aspire to be the leader of the ‘free world’
In fact cowering in fear is more accurate than cringing

It seems to me that the level of debate has reached its nadir
When our thoughts are directed more to prurience than politics
More to roistering and partying than to party politics and policies
Not that these antics should be ignored, do they indicate priorities?

Of course without doubt views on morality have changed
And what is now acceptable was formerly roundly condemned
[Although one wonders what may have gone on behind closed doors]
And huge moral issues arise in our volatile world context

Challenges to peace and security bring back echoes of the Cold War
Major wars still smolder away and could burst quickly into flame
Economic instability, poverty, inequality, internecine strife, climate change
Surely these issues should be reflected in the Presidential manifesto?

And so let us hope and pray that these two pugulists will cast off
Their gloves and the rhetoric of the boxing arena
And seek to provide for us a vision worthy of the Office
That whoever wins, will seek the good of others in this divided world

Ken Fisher

Retirement

Retirement

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Retirement gives you time to reflect, and sometimes you might ponder
What happened to all those earlier years – we surely did not squander
But here we are, much more behind than what’s in front for sure
Despite the wisdom of the years the future still obscure

Today’s retirees should not be as depressed as those of former days
On average a longer span is ours – for this the medics praise
And of course it probably is true more days are surely ours
‘Cause good diet and exercise, have helped us keep our powers

Indeed we all know of pensioners who refuse e’er to stand still
Their commitment to volunteering and busyness now their treadmill
Others spend their cash as the globe they circumnavigate
Perhaps they hope to reach the moon before it is too late!

All of this activity is a blessing and a boon to themselves and others
As they seek to help their offspring, even their sisters and their brothers
And there is little doubt charities and clubs and other organisations
Would fail in their mission without the ‘oldies’ co-operation

But there comes a time in the life of every retired person
When steam runs out and once easy tasks now turn into a burden
It’s then that they must claim their right to take their well earned ease
And they at last must realise that rest is no disease!

Ken Fisher

The Volunteer

The Volunteer

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Where would we be without the volunteer?
Those selfless souls who freely offer to take part
Whether it be to join some ‘Great Cause’
And end up making the ‘Supreme Sacrifice’
Or whether it be for a much humbler task
Some regular kindness to our neighbour
That does not demand self-immolation
But nonetheless has the hallmark of self-giving

Is it just me who is becoming more aware
That volunteers seem to be a threatened species?
Despite political hectoring that we should all
Be part of the ‘Big Society’ showing social solidarity
Based on voluntarism and communitarianism
Each one prepared to play our part for the common good
Thus ordinary citizens should be enabled to
Provide the impetus for much greater ‘people power’

These are grand sentiments no doubt advocated
With the best intentions. Unfortunately
There is not too much evidence that the Big Society
Has managed to ‘big itself up’ to any significant scale
And I wonder why so few seem to have caught the vision
And responded to the challenge of active volunteering
Regretfully, I think the zeitgeist of our age is
More that of self-absorption than participation

Why should this be, I ask myself?
Perhaps it is the pace of life, we are all too busy
Work life balance is out of kilter, we are living
In the ‘always connected’ mode – there is no escape
Earning a living, extensive commuting, and exhaustion
All surely play their part. Don’t ask me to do anything
OK – point taken. But will this sound the death knell
Of all that hitherto volunteers have done for us?

‘I hope not’ – I hear you say.
Thank God for the volunteers –but please, please,  just don’t ask me!

Ken Fisher

 

The ‘Flu Jab [2017 Version]

The ‘Flu Jab [2017 Version]

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Don’t you just love it – this time of year?
That NHS reminder that can fill you with fear
It’s time once again to do as directed
And make sure from ‘flu you are fully protected

Not everyone receives this summons from high
But it applies to me – I admit with a sigh
The vaccine comes to us completely free
So take it manfully and don’t try to flee

If you are over the age of sixty-five
They will have checked your name in their archive
Or you are a pregnant lady, or overweight
It’s most unlikely that you can escape

It would appear that this year I can get extra protection
From ‘flu and from shingles, a nasty inflammation
So like the supermarket, the surgery is giving BOGOF*
That from these dual hazards I might well get off

If your immune system is somewhat suspect
They will be even keener your arm to inject
And if around the waist there is too much flab
They will puncture it all with the bold ‘flu jab

Of course we should not complain of this annual ritual
Intended to ensure that we remain fitter
And withstand the dangers of those nasty bugs
That seem to behave like micro-sized thugs

So when the message arrives to make the appointment
Make sure the nurse receives no disappointment
Get along to the surgery and bare your best arm
It will do you much good and surely no harm

Ken Fisher

  • BOGOF = Buy one get one free [except that both of these are free!}

Time

Time

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Time is a concept we simply can’t ignore
It can empower us when we have enough of it
It can enslave us if we have too little of it
It can be our friend if we use it wisely
But it has been described as ‘the Old Enemy’
In mensuration it is the ‘fourth dimension’

The coming of the railways standardized our time
Eventually all the clocks recognizing Greenwich
The agreement of time gave birth to the timetable
Not only for transport – in our schools and colleges too
Thus came the tyranny of ‘double maths’ on Mondays!
And international travel can’t ignore time differences

The factory system exercised control by the time clock
And processes subject to the time-and-motion study
Which seeks to optimize all that’s time consuming
Even in our family life we find the need of time management
And thus was born the modern plea for right work/life balance
We need to employ time savers to ensure some time out!

Elite athletes often find themselves in a race against time
Their lives devoted to shaving miniscule amounts of time
From existing records – Electronic time-keeping
Seems to have made us all more conscious of time
Will there ever be a time when humans can run 100 metres
In virtually no time at all?

But time can also be our friend – considering our whole lifespan
On average we have more time to spend on this mortal coil
More time for reflection, even more ‘time for amendment of life’
Thus some of the older time constraints have disappeared
Our lifetime segmented into learning time, working time, retirement time
Although the costs of this may be a personal and national time-bomb!

As the years have progressed we see the influence of time and time keeping
Become more pervasive in all aspects of our human lived experience
Think of the old adage – time is money; or time restricted offers
Or time-lines in historical analysis; or time capsules and time machines
Of science fiction. And when one mentions deadlines we are reminded
of the pressure which time exerts on us so often

And so I could go on – if only I had enough time!
But none of us can go on forever – our existence is time bound
And I am reminded of that great hymn of Isaac Watts
Where he refers to ‘Time Like and Ever Rolling Stream
Bears all its Sons away’. And perhaps the only message to learn
Is to savour each and every moment of the time we have

Ken Fisher

Shiny New Car

Shiny New Car

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I should probably feel somewhat ashamed
But our latest possession I have to proclaim
We’ve traded in our old car in part-exchange
For a shiny new model – the top of the range

There was nothing amiss with the previous car
It traversed the country from near to quite far
And there was no visible defect that you could see
It’s just that it needed its first MOT!

So towards the car showroom I gravitated
And with the new model was so captivated
Reason was quickly thrown to the wind
And in no time at all on the line we had signed

By its soft leather seats I was easily beguiled
And the fact that they’re heated brought on a smile
There are parking sensors at the front and back
Should help me avoid an anxiety attack

There’s Sat-Nav equipment to keep you on track
A reversing camera when you have to go back
And the on-board entertainment you really must hear
CD Player, MP3 and the Radio is of course a DAB

The colour and trim are equally grand
Anything tacky has surely been banned
Altogether this motor has got to seen
It’s not just a car it’s a limousine

I hope you’re not jealous of my latest toy
I’ll give you a run in it that you’re bound to enjoy
And I’m sure that others will share in our pleasure
As we take to the high road with this new family treasure

Ken Fisher

 

Let the Train Take the Strain

Let the Train Take the Strain

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Recently I found myself on a variety of trains for a prolonged
Rail journey through various European countries
It’s amazing how many organisations are now in the
Rail transport business.

Apart from UK providers like Virgin Trains (however did he chose that name?)
We have Eurostar, SNCF, Deutsche Bahn, Thales, Rail Jet to name but a few
There are Pendolino trains and ICE (Intercity Express) and Alstom high speed
In fact the options are almost infinite and no-one can complain of lack of choice
And I haven’t even mentioned the Orient Express!

But there is something romantic about travel by train, something
worth preserving despite the other options available to the traveller

So here is a little rhyme to capture that mood

Check the Departure Board to confirm the time
On the right platform, next to our line
Search for our coach number, in the right class
Seated passengers gaze back through the glass

Mount the steep ladder to enter the coach
Hoping that no-one has our space encroached
Remember we have booked a nice reserved seat
So we should not with others have to compete

Why is our seat number always at the wrong end?
As up the passage we haltingly wend
At last we have found it – it must be still free
A window seat with a view fills us with glee

Our luggage loaded neatly up onto the rack
The siren sounds, we feel movement of wheels on the track
We are off on our journey no matter where
And soon we forget all of our dull cares

Not long in our progress we feel need to refresh
And tasty snacks and drinks our pangs soon repress
Free newspapers are issued by one of their staff
Of course we get them ‘cause we travel first class!

As the miles disappear under the wheels
And the country and townscape to us are revealed
We thunder through stations as if out of control
Determined to reach our great journey’s goal

Eventually we arrive at the terminal station
In brief hours we have traversed across the nation
All this without effort if one travels by train
Cast aside all our woes – let the rails take the strain

Ken Fisher

 

Caution – You Are Approaching the End of the Conveyor!

Caution – You Are Approaching the End of the Conveyor!

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The other day in the supermarket I received that verbal caution
Approaching the top of the conveyor belt you have to slow down the motion
It made me think about life itself as it takes us forever forward
Day follows day no matter what as time pushes ever onward

Most of the time on life’s conveyor belt we are happy enough to comply
‘Cause more often that not to those passing events we are pleased to wave goodbye
And as the progression of time moves only one way, as the calendar ticks off each day
We learn to accept whatever good fortune or bad we meet upon the way

But as the years pass by from hopeful youth to old age increasingly feeble
We might notice a trend to dolefulness, our life somewhat less gleeful
So what we must do is to accept what life brings in its time-bound conveyor
And acquire the wisdom to slow down enough and thus every moment savour

Ken Fisher

The Enigmatic Smile

The Enigmatic Smile

[Apologies for a rather longer offering in this post]

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The smile of the Mona Lisa is said to be ‘enigmatic’

In seeking meaning for our lives great thinkers of the ages past
Have sought to help us to reflect on our brief span while here on earth
That having travailed in this world, and as our days stretch to their last
We may in time proclaim our little life has had some worth

The Socratic message helped to show us how to be
Plato, to the notion of the ideal form, a yardstick and a perfect guide
Aristotle claimed that through ethics we can be free
Augustine, that by freewill, into evil we may slide

And so down the years one long great noble procession
Of heroic thinkers, ready to direct our thoughts and mind
Aquinas, Descartes, Hume, Kant, Nietzsche in succession
Earnest seekers, men of faith and doubts of every kind

Of course for years we searched for meaning through astronomy
How life began, how it might end, our earnest quest sustains
The universe the heart of all cosmology
Our unrelenting search for purpose still remains

Then followed on the rise of science and technology
A brave new world which questioned all belief
Measured all our deeds in terms of each new ‘ology’
In sociology, or psychology we’re sure to find relief

There can be little doubt that science’s great progression
Has brought for millions release from ills and deprivation
But oddly in the minds of many remains a feeling of depression
The benefits of knowledge yet to prove our sure salvation

Perhaps fears raised by anxious thoughts on world ecology
Have tempered hubris borne of all these gains
The warnings raised by experts in meteorology
Foreboding life that offers unremitting pain

However, notwithstanding all hidden cares and apprehension
A new nostrum to ensure our fears are kept at bay
From that great power house of new invention
Yes Uncle Sam – the mighty U S of A!

It seems odd that despite centuries of deep reflection
Mankind had not stumbled on this simple and reliable solution
But in the nineteen fifties, after some introspection
Of thinking habits, a great new revolution!

You’ve heard of it before – you know it must be good
Cast aside all doubts, no need for bingeing or for drinking
This new solution to depression and low mood
None other than the Power of Positive Thinking!

Earlier versions of this brand achieved great fame
I think especially of ‘New Thought’ – you know of it as ”Christian Science”
Mary Baker Eddy, the promoter of its name
Illness could be cured by thought and body in alliance

But the 20th Century variant met even more acclaim
Its great advocate Norman Vincent Peale, shared its enormous potential
That “positive thought” was not just a punchy name
Its message soon hugely influential

And so sidelining the wisdom of the philosophical ‘giants’
Economists, political theorists, theologians and purveyors of such complex notions
The new peddlers of “Happiness” were soon to regale their clients
With joy untold to counter each and every dark emotion

The positive psychology movement, was cast by some as simply magic
Though many claimed it’s weakness was a certain lack of rigour
And others said to trust its simplistic dictates could prove tragic
But despite all that its growth throughout the West has shown great vigour

The advocates of living life with an ever-ready smile
Not just on the face, but in the heart each hour and every day
Proclaim life will prove for us to be so much more worthwhile
In illness, or any kind of trial, our fears it will allay

In the affluent West a new industry has been born – the speaker motivational
Their task to encourage all the staff – especially those who’re disaffected
To meet each demand and need that’s organisational
And if they can’t then very soon they will be disconnected

In illness too, no matter that the diagnosis is quite dire
And the only future looks extremely bleak
Positive thought demanded thus to lift you from the mire
It’s your duty not to show that you are weak

Of course there are considerations other than just health
Who wouldn’t be positive about gaining much more cash?
It’s claimed that smiling is the thing to attract so much more wealth
Just visualise and it’s sure to come – there’s no need to be rash

But while we’re on the matter of our money and all that we hold dear
It has been claimed the credit crunch and everything to follow
Was caused by a smiling self-deception ‘gainst our inner fear
Which makes rictus acquiescence somewhat hollow

And so from my simple thesis you’ve had just a tiny glance
Of all that can be gained by positive emotion,
Protected ‘gainst the vagaries of risk and capricious chance
Your duty now to make quite sure your smiles will gain promotion

So what then is the final word – negative thought an equal danger?
Perhaps we need to monitor our thoughts to find the middle way
For when reality and truth become to us a stranger
Then surely false emotion only will hold sway

 

………………………………………………………………………………….

And now I am tempted to add a codicil to my earlier musings
As more recent concepts in this field have now arisen
I hope this will not lead to even more confusion
And ensure that our thinking will never us imprison

But rather bring  freedom through deep mediation
Guided by TM* or Mindfulness based concepts
We may readily accept our own living emotions
Threats to our peace we thus learn to contest

And thus through the means of such cognitive therapies
We might learn to cope in the maelstrom of our life
Finding a measure of calm and serenity
Heralding peace and negating all our strife

Ken Fisher

*TM Transcendental Meditation

[Reflections based on the book “Smile or Die” by Barbara Ehenreich]

 

 

 

 

 

 

Last Minute Dot Com

Last Minute Dot Com

[with all due respect to the App of this name]

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You may be familiar with those popular Apps
Tailored just for us by those marketing chaps
Especially that one that highlights the time
Which, if you waste it, is surely a crime

So in case by indecision you are beset
They are determined that you won’t forget
The choices for you that each day still remain
To quickly secure an unbeatable bargain

Throughout the day their message lambasts our screens
Just in case the latest movie you’ve not so far seen
Or the most sumptuous meal for your sharp appetite
Time-bound treasures offered for your great delight

And of course, the ‘carrot’ they offer is the discounted price
To overlook these offers would be quite unwise
The ‘stick’ is the pressure for you to decide
Any undue delay would the deal set aside

Now despite my own reservations of this kind of trade
Apparently it has succeeded the world to persuade
For I am sure if you are looking to be entertained
And your budget at present is somewhat constrained

Then Last Minute Dot Com will be quite a boon
Download the App and check it out soon
For every day it offers an infinite treasure
Of goodies to bring you immediate pleasure

Ken Fisher

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Holiday’s Challenge to our Soul

Holiday’s Challenge to our Soul

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The calendar routine is set aside, released from enslavement to its rhythms
The prospect of a week or two of uncharted freedom leaves some uneasy
Perhaps the regularity of familiar patterns has turned us into automatons
We seek liberty but fear the impending loss of habitual strictures

However, no turning back now, forward is the only choice remaining
And so we set off on our journey casting aside our doubts and trepidation
We move steadily towards our destination, relieved no incident has impeded
Our progress to the long-planned journey’s end

Within a few hours of our arrival, new sights and sounds have our mind assaulted
New situations, and novel experiences soon cast aside our earlier foreboding
As we begin to feel the joy of patterns unfamiliar and surprises unforeseen
Thus re-awakened to a fresh and different mode of living

Those early days of holiday seem to pass at their own plodding pace
But very soon the tempo of life’s carousel accelerates
Each day now filled from dawn to late sunset
With activity to stimulate our bodies and our minds

This onslaught of frenetic activity, and sometimes quiet reflection
Has quite dissipated the doleful mood which marked our earlier arrival
So that now the prospect of the end of our vacation
Is viewed with equal disquiet as was the start

Perhaps most holidays are too short, not sufficient time
To disengage from all that would our lives oppress
Yet if they were to become much longer
How would we cope with re-entry to reality?

Ken Fisher