Rushing about here and there. A couple of questions, on in the form of a poem.

Today has been an odd day. I had planned to go to York with my daughter to bring Granddaughter Number Two home from University for Christmas. Indeed, that is what I did but our departure was delayed because five year old Grandson Number Two was receiving an award in the school assembly, for good behaviour and enthusiasm and active participation when they went to the pantomime earlier in the week. My daughter wanted to be there to applaud him. These little triumphs are important. 

Our run to York was uneventful but rather foggy. Granddaughter Number Two brought a prodigious amount of stuff home with her. However did I manage to travel home from university by train with one suitcase? I know I didn’t have a laptop computer to carry around but even so! 

We rushed back so that my daughter could watch eight year old Granddaughter Number Four take part in a dance performance at school. These small children are very busy! While she did that Granddaughter Number Two and I ransacked the local Tesco for items we might need. And then the three of us killed some time taking a walk almost to the local reservoir, Dovestone, until it was time to collect the small people from school.

And finally we went on a hunt for a small Christmas tree for my house, ideally a rooted tree, not too tall and not too bushy. We found one at Sainsbury’s eventually. It will be decked out with lights and wait until next weekend for the elves to decorate it properly for me.

Skimming through the papers at some point yesterday afternoon, I chanced upon this article about Kemi Badenoch and Kier Starmer and what they like to have for lunch. With so much chaos in the world, do journalists really waste their time on such trivia?

Here’s another question, in the form of a poem by Michael Rosen:

Questions

There’s a question waiting to be asked:

America, why are you in the Middle East?

America why are you there? 

America is a long way away from the Middle East

What’s the interest?

Why does your man Antony Blinken spend his life flitting from country to country?

Blinken plays the guitar

Is he in Qatar teaching them rock n roll?

Is he teaching the Saud family how to sing the blues?

America why are you there?

When the news people say

Israel 

Do they mean 

America

When they say

Today Israel has hit a target in North Gaza 

Do they mean: 

today America hit a target in North Gaza? 

When they say

Israel bombed Syria

Do they mean

America bombed Syria?

America why are you there?

People say you’re not there for the oil

They say, You’ve got enough oil.

So, America are you there to stop other people having the oil?

People say you’re there to protect your bases.

But that’s like saying

You’re there to protect you being there.

It doesn’t answer the question

America why are you there?

People say

You’re a global policeman

You’re keeping the peace

But it’s your weapons that are doing the killing

When fights break out on the streets

the police are not supposed to be handing knives and guns to one of the gangs. 

It’s your weapons doing the killing.

America why are you there? 

If all the journalists and tv shows

wondering what’s going on

asked

America why are you there? 

Maybe they’d find out what’s going on.

If all the journalists and tv shows

wondering what’s going on

Asked

America why are you there?

Maybe WE

would find out what's going on.

There we go!

Life goes on. Stay safe and well, everyone!