Pause For Poetry:
Michael Hawkes /72

How Long Has It Been

A poem by Michael Hawkes

How long has it been since poetry
was thought to be a noble art,
since dairy men delivered daily
with a pony and a cart,
since soldiers fought from trenches
a hundred yards apart?
One life time of experience within a single heart.

How long has it been since orcas
were maimed and killed for sport,
since embryos were projects
it was forbidden to abort,
since elephant tusks filled holds of ships
to be trafficked, sold and bought?
A life time of persistent re-active battles fought.

How long has it been since classic books
were sought and widely read,
since flowers, respect and sacrifice
were offered to the dead,
since aeroplanes with wooden frames
held passengers in dread?
A life time’s worth of memories inside a single head.

How long has it been since views of Mars
were impossible to find,
since caning naughty children
was not thought to be unkind,
since women wearing mini skirts
were invariably maligned?
In the life span of one old man, such changes come to mind.

28/03/24 – Hawkes

Feature image: Indiana Album – Greg Wright Collection

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