Editorial note: If you have not yet read our mission statement above, please do so in order that you can put our blogs in context. 

7 July 2012

I

The London Institute of Applied Research Science

(L.I.A.R.S. for short)

has discovered that there are more parks

in middle-class areas than in working-class areas.

This shows, they say,

that working-class people

don’t like parks.

II

The L.I.A.R.S.

have just completed a piece of research

which looks at two kinds of wounding:

cutting and striking.

They have discovered from watching

2000 hours of BBC News programmes

that striking kills

but cutting doesn’t.

So, to save life

L.I.A.R.S. recommend

cutting hospitals and

banning striking.

III

L.I.A.R.S. think

that if  you come from

an overcrowded home

then obviously it’s a good idea

you should go to

an overcrowded school.

if children from big spacious homes

went to

overcrowded schools

they’d be very unhappy.

This proves that

things are best left as they are….

These lines by Michael Rosen can be found on page 38 of his collection of poems “Fighters for Life” published in 2007. Michael Rosen (b. 1946) is a socialist, children’s author, broadcaster, performer and poet. He was UK Children’s Laureate in 2007 – 2009. He studied at Wadham College, Oxford.  His collection proves that it is possible simultaneously to make poetry and engage in politics.

——————

You might perhaps care to view some of our earlier posts.  For instance:

 1. Why? or How? That is the question(3 Jan 2012)

2. Das Vierte Reich/The Fourth Reich(6 Feb 2012)

3. The shoddiest possible goods at the highest possible prices(2 Feb 2012)

4. Where’s the beef? Ontology and tinned meat(31 Jan 2012)

5. What would Gandhi have said? (30 Jan 2012)

Every so often we shall change this sample of previously published posts.

——————