From time to time I get the urge to write little rhymes and publish them here as somewhere to store them.
Contents 1. The contented voter, written 12 November 2016.
2. The responsible citizen, written 12 November 2016.
3. The Law Abiding Citizen, written 13 November 2016.
4. The Democratic Citizen, written 20 November 2016.
5. Populism, written 5 December 2016.
6. Pick a bitta litter and make the Boro better, written 2 February 2020.
7. Somebody knew, but they didn't say, written 11 February 2021.
8. A Little Rhyme For Our Time. written 5 May 2021.
9. Just a Minute. written 8 November 2021.


The contented voter.

Wha' d'ya mean “it's a consequence”?
Can't be owt to do wi' me
I only voted for what I di'n't like
It's nothin' to do wi' me

No-one said owt about consequences
If I di'n't prop'ly think all things through
So it can't be my fault if it all goes wrong
And the whole world lands up in a stew

No-one said owt about 'avin' summat else
To replace what I wanted away wi'
It i'n't up to me to come up wi' plans
For a diff'r'nt economy strategy

I know! It's them, it's got to be them
It's them what is really found wantin'
Wi' their fancy ideas, o' getting' on wi' us peers
Instead o' just tekin' advantage

If we get that inflation and fail as a nation
It'll be for them to fix you see
I only voted for what I di'n't like
It's nothin' to do wi' me

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The responsible citizen.

Civic responsibility?
What's all that about then?
'elpin' out others for nothin'?
What about 'elpin' me sen?

Do summat good for society?
Help out a neighbour for free?
I'd 'ave to get off of me backside
Can't see nothin' in it for me.

I already pay lots of taxes
And what do I get in return?
Except this – and that – and the rest of it
But it's no more than what I 'ave earned

I could go and be a school governor
Or question the councillors more
But just think what that would mean for a mo
I'd 'ave to go out our front door

Nay, it's them what should be doing it all
It's them what should have it to pay
And it's them what's to blame when it all goes awry
And that's all that I'm willing to say

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The Law Abiding Citizen.

Of course I'm law abiding
Why shouldn't I be, hey?
But some are so ridiculous
When they get in my way

Why shouldn't I park just where I want
For hours or even all day?
Just because there's a penalty charge
Doesn't mean that I should pay

I see the signs “Dogs on a lead”
But that doesn't mean my dog surely?
To stop me doing just what I want
Would be to treat me cruelly

And as for limits on road speeds
They're only for boy racers
Not for me who simply wants
To put my car through its paces

If I want to camp in a pub car park
Why should I really care
If the landlord goes and breaks the law
By letting me stay there?

The law is there for criminals
Not innocents like me
Why should I need to pay
For what I watch on my TV?

The law's OK applied to chavs
They should go down at least
But it really is ridiculous
If it gets in the way of me.

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The Democratic Citizen.

Why shouldn't I do
What I want to do
Where I want to do it
When I want to do?

I don't think it's fair
When you say that you
Won't let me do
What I want to do

Cos it's plain to me
That you all should see
What I want to do
Is the right thing to do

It has to be right
Cos in my sight
Whatever I do
Is the right thing to do

So why do you think
That you should tell me
What I can do
When that's not for me?

What does it matter
If what I want to do
Suits only me
And not a million of you?

If I don't get my way
Then I can't see
How you dare call that
Democracy.

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Populism.

This populism's wonderful
Throwing out the top elite
Will give you all just what you want
It's really rather neat

You get rid of the fat cats
Who won't do as they're told
Then you can have just what you want
It really is pure gold

You vote for the alternatives
Who say they have the answer
But when they're asked to make it work
It looks a different matter

They're very good at running down
Insults and criticising
But when it comes to making plans
Their first problem is starting

Be careful what you wish for
When you go out to vote
Especially when you don't know
Just what it is you want.

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Pick a bitta litter and make the Boro better..

If you pick a bitta litter
You can make the Boro better
You can do it where you like
'cos where you do it doesn't matter

You can do it any weather
In the sun or when it's wetter
So pick a bitta litter
And make the Boro better

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Somebody knew, but they didn't say.

The bridge is a symbol for all of the town
The sparkling jewel in the heritage crown
But people didn't know, though it was their right
That the bridge was in a terrible plight

Somebody knew, but they didn't say
They didn't admit it, they hid it away
The truth came out at the end of the day
But will anyone make the truth hiders pay?

The fields and the trees are the lungs of the town
They help us relax when life gets us down
But people didn't know, though it was their right
That the end of the fields was already in sight

Somebody knew, but they didn't say
They didn't admit it, they hid it away
The truth came out at the end of the day
But will anyone make the truth hiders pay?

All people want is to build up the town
To end the bad days of it being brought down
To know they can build a bright tomorrow
Not fear that past acts mean nothing but sorrow

It needs those who know to be open and say
“Here are the facts”, “Nothing hidden away”
“This is the truth, in the plain light of day”
Then the people will gain, not constantly pay

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A Little Rhyme For Our Time.

We all have a choice at each stage of our lives
To live by the truth or to cower behind lies
We can treat other people with respect and earn pride
Or cover up facts as we've something to hide

When we look in a mirror
As all of us must
The question to pose
Is this someone to trust?

Respect from others
Is hard to achieve
It comes from being someone
In whom they believe

If we let people down
And cause people pain
We'll find trust and respect
Are hard to regain

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Just a Minute.

You instinctively know when something ain't right
When something is missing and hidden from sight
So start to seek out, looking high, looking low
Saying “I'll find it in just a minute”

You ask all the questions and get answers back
But you know that there's something the answers all lack
So start to think where else can I look
Saying “I'll find it in just a minute”

You ask someone else and you get a bit more
A faint chink of light that may open the door
So start to imagine who else might just know
Saying “I'll find it in just a minute”.

You hear of a rumour of donors and gifts
And the seed of ideas gives another small lift
So start to work out where the answers may be
Saying “I'll find it in just a minute”.

Then you realise you know what others should know
The place where the answers quite often do go
And you go and you look and next thing you know
You've found it in just a minute.

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Last updated: 11 December 2022