Part of Me Died

The part that is envious

Cold hearted and devious

Greedy, mischievous

Global, colonial

Bloodthirsty, blind

Mindless and cheap

Focused on borders

And slaughter and sheep

Burning of books

Bulldozing of homes

Giving to targeted killing with drones

Lethal injections

Arrest without trial

Monocular vision

Gangrene and slime

Unction, sarcasm

Common assault

Self-satisfied heroic killers

Lifted on high

Piracy adverts

Acid attacks

On women by bullies

And perverts and hacks

The rigging of ballots

And the buying of power

Lies from the pulpit

Rape in the shower

Mute, indifferent

Feeling no shame

Portly, important

Leering, deranged

Sat in the corner

Watching TV

Deaf to the cries of

Children in pain

Dead to the world

Just watching the game

Watching endless repeats -

Out of sight, out of mind

Silence, indifference:

The ultimate crime

But when I met you

That part of me died

Bring me a bowl

To bathe her feet in

Bring me my final cigarette

It would be better by far to die in her arms

Than to linger

In a lifetime of regret