mice cream

the old field where children played
was entirely boarded up one day
some grass was left
when open fencing
revealed a box of bricks in place

the school became renound
pushing out millions
of sugar coated smarties
onto the tube trains
away to work at being acceptable

a track that took
children on trips
one day became
siding to motorway
metal things came roaring past
patient offspring looked left & right
waited for the green man
but when he came
he just pretended to be king

the wood where we would
up tall tree climb
arrowhead found
deep in hallow ground
was all chopped out
like a bad disease
in it's place a mall was positioned
it told people to need things
they wanted to believe they'd found

the children sit
still inside brick shed
screened & brightly lit
telling them to find their space
like potted plants
quietly filed into
plotted place

it is a shame that
the clock cannot laugh
marching back & forth from towns
busy boys & girls
turn into mums & dads
bags wave in wind full of hopes
turning through worry distraught

faces ticking
frown in place
reveal the headlines
they know how to talk of
hidden still is
confidence picked
pocketed & long spent


before it was dismantled
the clock tower was an informant
but time is now demolished
now antennea beams
omni-convincing conditioning

a grateful public reflect
instantly beamback
a billion selfie smiles
on digicams thankful
for yet another upgrade

deep underground
a refracted distortion
hums in background
disregarded or unnoticed