Boris Johnson claps the nurses
after sending off in hearses
some without protective gear

why expect a sincere tear

your less than perfect leader holds the purse
deciding who gets well or dies in fear

inertia made the situation worse

as he protects his dear career
maybe he deserves our curse
instead of a resounding cheer

                                                                                                   (4th May 2020)

(NB to hear embedded sound, enable audio in your browser)

If you are patient enough to listen till the end of the clapping,

Bowie's vocal line 'the darkest hour' evokes the sort of heroic

Churchillian Blitz vibe Bullingdon Boris would like us to associate with him.

In another sense, it is indeed the darkest hour for us that this blond bombshell is running the show.

 Gratitude to nurses & other frontline NHS staff  might be more meaningfully expressed

with better pay & conditions, not to mention adequate P.P.E.

Also published here, in the online edition of the Morning Star:

And, a few days later, here, in the paper & ink, hard copy, print version of the newspaper. They kindly featured a memorable photo of me from my website, but omitted the important gaps between stanzas, presumably to save space:

Didn't get paid a penny for my work. Anyway, truly grateful for getting published. It means a lot to me. I feel chuffed. As I'm a lifelong, committed socialist(of libertarian persuasion), The Morning Star is the only national newspaper, whose political position I respect. Sorry Guardian, who did publish a short piece by me some years ago (again unpaid), but who then started supporting war criminals like Tony Blair. I stopped reading their newspaper, which I'd previously bought regularly for most of my adult life. Offered them this verse too but they didn't even acknowledge my submission. Also sent it to The Daily Mirror (no response), where I had been a Page 3 pin -up in 1973. Read all about it here, if you doubt my word.