Author: J. Nugent

Writer and poet. Enjoy.

Neoliberalism Killed The Cat

Posted on by J. Nugent

Politicians talked in their big house

Came up with an idea

That it would save us all

From impending economic doom

 

Waffle & Lie

Preach & Posture

Cuts to funding

To all services and sundry

 

Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth

Otherwise Mrs. May

Will take your benefits away

And give it to her dear friends

 

The queues at the job centre

Get longer and more lairy

As the papers vomit headlines

Blaming the immigrants & communists

 

A freeze on your payment

Means they don’t really care

My cat had to go on a diet

She’s looking pretty thin

 

 

The mice all fled to Spain

Tuna aint cheap

My cats tummy grumbles

Parliament should be ashamed

 

Ideology, they cry

Will save us from our flawed nature

Steer us out of this mess

What do they know?

 

Neoliberalism killed my cat

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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There’s Plenty Left To Shine

Posted on by J. Nugent

Once I was a boy

Who didn’t know how to tie his shoes

Now I am a lad

That don’t know what for

 

Twisting forever away

Tomorrow’s our time

We’ve got the world

And there’s plenty left to shine

 

Went round yours for a cup of tea

We had spliff, listened to The Smiths

Told you I loved you

But you just laughed it off

 

Twisting forever away

Tomorrow’s our time

We’ve got the world

And there’s plenty left to shine

 

 

What’s next in store

Will the future

Bring its own journey

Or will I be standing in the rain

 

Twisting forever away

Tomorrow’s our time

We’ve got the world

And there’s plenty left to shine

 

Like a wave

I drifted away

Down into the blue

Without you

 

Twisting forever away

Tomorrow’s our time

We’ve got the world

And there’s plenty left to shine

 

I found Ringo in his garden

He asked me for a story

I gave him my guitar

So he sang me a song

 

That sounded a little bit like this

 

Twisting your dreams away

Tomorrow’s your time

You’ve got the world

And the sun is yours to shine

 

Twisting forever away

Tomorrow’s our time

We’ve got the world

And there’s plenty left to shine

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Winter Pains

Posted on by J. Nugent

In a land gripped by Jack Frost

Life prevents me from hibernating, vegetate

Darkness descends before I’ve had my lunch

It’s too cold, even for the sun to bother

 

The wave of wintertide

Grips like an icey vice

How many years left

Of free flu jabs for the young and old

 

Private health care kills the poor

Free health care is socialist

Capitalist’s convincingly caw

They aren’t the ones who will suffer, though

 

 

Right in the middle, the Solstice comes

If only we still partied like the pagans did

Instead we consume and give

Consume and give

 

Getting fatter by the minute

Too many mince pies and TV specials

Jesus didn’t die for this

Although he didn’t mind the odd glass of sherry

 

The season of goodwill

Joy to the world and all that

Mostly I am just

Pleased to have a week off

 

© Jack Nugent

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

These Days

Posted on by J. Nugent

These days I don’t feel my age

Somewhere between 44 and 14

Even though I’m in my prime

Waking up in the morning never gets any better

The debt never gets any lighter

Austerity didn’t make us any brighter

I just buy more crap

Wish my waistline reflected my finances

I dont do the lottery or flutter on the races

Just a petulant consumer

That spends more than he needs to

I’m at the crossroads of being young enough

Getting away with it still

And wanting to settle down

Or the thousand other things that drift through my mind

I’ll never see the house where I was born

The friends that I’ve already forgotten

Being from two islands

Either end of the world

Trusting the present and the brothers I can rely on

 

 

© Jack Nugent

 

 

 

Oats and Sugar Cane

Posted on by J. Nugent

Down by the river

I watched the reeds sway

The fishes kept to the shade

Tropical sun beat down and drove me insane

 

As I hid from my killer

 

I could hear his frustrated cursing

And the swish of his machete

Cutting through the glade

Breath ragged; can I escape his blade

 

My blood for this here sugarcane

Worked till I can’t no more

Came here from Donegal

Seeking a better life, found none at all

 

It certainly is

The Queens-Land

Hopes and dreams of riches

Immigration and infected stitches

 

My muscles carved to the heat

Ready to jump into the nearest creek

This old Irish dog

Is still a beast

 

The rest of my work posse grateful for the break

As they sat awaiting my capture

 

Makes me miss Ma’s gruel

Tasteless, but gave you the strength of a mule

The machete waver still nearby

Looking for me as I silently cry

 

He was once my employer

Now I am just a fugitive

Ready to become a bushman

In this strange, sun burnt land

 

Escape into the unknown

Learn to live in the wilderness

With a swaggy on my back

To be chased down by troopers and hung with the blacks

 

I slip into the fast flowing water

As the machete can still be heard

Swinging through the canes

Freedom just at hand

 

Tonight I’ll dream of green fields and Christmas time

As I drift in the current, away from my crime

Redcoats will march down the same path

Looking for my body awash with the stars

 

© Jack Nugent

 

 

 

 

 

Going Out In November

Posted on by J. Nugent

The taxi’s full and your breath is cold

Booze is in your belly and you’re starting to feel old

Don’t matter cos you’ve got your best clothes on

Ready for the weekly demise that’s still going strong

 

Straight back into the drinks

One day you’re gunna have to see a shrink

Too many times you’ve thrown in the kitchen sink

And that’s going out in November

 

The bouncer gives you a nod

You’ve been here so many times before

The barmaid you fancied

Doesn’t work there anymore

 

Straight back into the drinks

One day you’re gunna have to see a shrink

One too many times you’ve thrown in the kitchen sink

And that’s going out in November

 

Payday was only last week

But the money’s running dry

All you wanna do is learn how to fly

Dance with that girl over there and kiss her pretty smile

 

Straight back into the drinks

One day you’re gunna have to see a shrink

One too many times you’ve thrown in the kitchen sink

And that’s going out in November

 

Your mate’s downing shots and he’s ripped his top

Things are about to get lary

However you can’t be bothered

Excitement’s gone and you’ve lost your touch

 

Straight back into the drinks

One day you’re gunna have to see a shrink

One too many times you’ve thrown in the kitchen sink

And that’s going out in November

 

Getting chips on the way home

You share a glance with sultry pair of eyes

She gives you a look that says

Boy, you best come this way

 

 

Straight back into the drinks

One day you’re gunna have to see a shrink

One too many times you’ve thrown in the kitchen sink

And that’s going out in November

 

© Jack Nugent

 

 

 

 

Walk Away

Posted on by J. Nugent

She kept on walking away

You were mine, mine

Leaving it all behind

To remember the pieces of my wasted time

 

Years went by like the rain

Forgetting all the games that we played

Young stupid and carefree

Now you’re anything I want you to be

 

Once you were my saving grace

Memories of smoke and lace

Love at dawn

That kept me in my place

 

Years went by like the rain

Forgetting all the games that we played

Young stupid and carefree

Now you’re anything I want you to be

 

All the drunken nights

All the lousy fights

All the drugs and ripped tights

Feel so good now

 

Years went by like the rain

Forgetting all the games that we played

Young stupid and carefree

Now you’re anything I want you to be

 

Looking for a pocket full of answers

But I can’t find any in the sunshine

We’ve weaved the broken webs already

Don’t know if I had the right tune

 

Years went by like the rain

Forgetting all the games that we played

Young stupid and carefree

Now you’re anything I want you to be

 

For a time I gotta be alone

Just me and my memories

She had eyes that made me see far

She showed me life and how to live it all

 

Years went by like the rain

Forgetting all the games that we played

Young stupid and carefree

Now you’re anything I want you to be

 

© Jack Nugent