Stop the Clocks – W H Auden

Tracker‘s just penned his tribute to Bush, based on Stop the Clocks, retitled Hail to the Chief:

Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone,
Prevent the dog from barking with a juicy bone,
Silence the pianos and with a muffled drum
Bring out the President, let the mourners come.

Let aeroplanes circle moaning overhead
Scribbling on the sky the message Democracy Is Dead,
Put crepe bows round the white necks of the public doves
Let the body-bag carriers wear black cotton gloves.

He lied to the North, the South, the East and West,
Sold the working man and bought the rest,
Surely they’ll see that he lied all along?
America’s not that stupid!? : I was wrong.

The stars are not wanted now, put out every one;
Pack up the moon and dismantle the sun;
Pour away the ocean and sweep up the wood.
For nothing now can ever come to any good.

4 Responses

1. Jon 03.11.2004 at 9:23 pm

   Welcome back and greetings from sunny Belfast

2. Badger 03.11.2004 at 11:23 pm

   Thanks, AOL boy! You decided which lodge to join yet?

3. Monkey man 04.11.2004 at 11:53 am

   Best thing I read on the day but it’s not all doom and gloom:

   Some Palestinian intellectuals have expressed a modicum of satisfaction at the re-election of Bush for different reasons.
   “I am not upset at all by the re-election of Bush. I believe four [more] years of Bush will widen and deepen the gap between the US and the rest of the world, especially Europe. This is in itself a positive thing we will give Bush credit for,” said Nizar Ramadan, a Palestinian journalist from the southern West Bank.
   “I hope one day more than 50% of the American people will realise that Bush is a disaster not only unto the world, but unto America itself. I think the sooner they realise this, the better for America and for the world.”

4. Jon 08.11.2004 at 8:27 am

   I would just like to point out the reason you got an AOL address, I was using my housemates computer and that’s what she uses – I have taken the piss, but to no avail. Wanted to clear that up – AOL boy, that hurt!

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