The Lecturer's Tale

[abu nuwas]

'What did you do in the riots, Dad?'

'I'm not mad --I stayed home
and looked after Mum;
Just like all the rest'

'What did you do in the riots, Bruv?'

I was engaged in a beautiful
thing with Kates, Up West
An other-worldly act of love'

'What did you do that week, Sonny?'

' I was-- I was -- on a sleep-over;
Yes -with one of my mates,
Everything was quiet. Funny; but -

Speaker, what did you do ?'

'Me, I gave the Capitalist bastards a bloody nose!
And what is more, to serve the buggers right,
I nicked a few of those!'