A poem written by Jacqueline Courtenay
‘There Is Something to be Angry About’ was written and inspired by the 2021 UK fuel supply crisis. The crisis was brought on by a fuel supply shortage for a few weeks and after news of an ongoing lack of HGV drivers, panic buying ensued. Forecourts throughout the UK were awash with drivers trying to buy and take away as much fuel as their tanks and sometimes buckets could take. The impact of this fuel crisis was far-reaching and created a sense of panic and anxiety that went beyond drivers. Jacqueline poured the emotions of the time into this poem to convey feelings of anxiety and helplessness over the situation which followed a long line of mishaps, unethical behaviours and scandals by a Tory government throughout the Covid-19 pandemic.
There Is Something to be Angry About There’s something to be angry about But when it comes to action, I have a lot of doubt. I really don’t want to be angry For instance, I listen to the news often quite blankly Frequently I’m at a loss for words Mystified at how the masses have been led by the herds By an incompetent few, who wield considerable power Time after time their crimes wash off like a shower Yet as Covid cases rise and even fuel runs dry Only a small number of the public bat a single eye There’s something to be frustrated with And our collective pain is no monolith We’re all in the pits albeit unequally affected By the governments actions which have left many dejected It’s unfortunate then to see no marching in the streets Or even anxious, spirited meets Discussing how we change the course Of incompetent leadership, I’m afraid we must enforce Our citizens right To vote with our feet and fight with all our might And democratically remove This government who strive to disprove That their ill-judged steps Have led to unnecessary deaths This is a truth that is most unsavoury The demands required for change will take bravery Many do we have, because since March 2020 there has been damage But when one takes a step Then their courage begets courage And hopefully more will follow to also prep Prep their banners and make their signs! March to Whitehall or Downing Street Wherever as long as it’s the belly of the beast To draw the lines Because in this time, we must define That enough is indeed enough and no more will we decline From telling the truth and voting with our feet Now isn’t at all the time to retreat. -End-
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Thanks for reading,
J
Jacqueline Courtenay 