From The Seat Behind

Yes – look – all these people –
I made them, animals
Too, plants, insects –all
You can see. It rankles

How they waste their lives –
So many of them could
Do better – keep their wives,
That sort of thing. They should

Learn some gratitude, to tell
The truth. What a world!
My son went there – Well
After that, I could’ve hurled

The whole lot into space –
He had a decent go, you know,
Scratched the surface,
Did his best, tried to show

Them clearly what was what –
Do you think they’d listen?
Not a bit! Hardly any got
The gist – Though he’s risen

Above it now, he won’t go again –
He was never one for churches,
I saw his interest wane
For good, when the wretches

Made the new one – what a joke –
The money – you should’ve seen
The loot it brought – you’d choke
With laughing, it’d make you green

If you were one to envy,
Which I’m not. Of course
There’s some good – really
Though, they make it worse

They way they behave –
As if they hadn’t things enough
To fill them up with grief,
Sometimes I’m ready to stuff

The whole show – others had a go,
Most of it’s been wasted
Breath – someone I know
Told them if they fasted

That would do the trick –
The ones who’ve got the food –
Mind you, they take their pick,
Or some of them – the greed

Is indescribable! Fill their faces,
Watch the others starve – It’s true,
I’d like to see them swapping places,
It’s not all I’d like to do,

I’d like to show them who’s
In charge, I know some
Deserve better – water, shoes,
A break – but it’ll only come

When they sort it out
Themselves. I used to think
I’d do it myself, you know, rout
The wicked, fill a bleeding clink

With the worst of the lot,
Throw away the effing key,
Leave them all to rot,
But I don’t think it’s me –

I rather like the little sods,
Not everything about them mind,
They suck up to other gods
A bit too quickly, the kind

That never bring them what
They want – real happiness
I mean – but listen, I’ve got
To get off this now, this bus –

Excuse me – one thing I’d say,
I’ll be quick – is that with all
That’s going on, I don’t pay
Them much attention, they call

When they want something,
You know, an ear for this
Or that – Did that bell ring?
Oh well, that’s me – kiss, kiss.

Harold Jones

Harold Jones is a New Zealander, educated at Cambridge University, where he was awarded an Exhibition to read English. His poetry has been widely published in UK and NZ literary journals. He has been a prize-winner in national UK and NZ poetry competitions, and, as a lyricist, in the UK Songwriting Contest, the largest such event in the world. A selection of his work in AUP New Poets Four (Auckland University Press, 2011), drew the UK review, “this excellent poet, a kind of Ted Hughes crossed with Bukowski,” with a further selection, Curriculum Vitae (Xlibris, 2014), reviewed in NZ as “downright incredible.” His work has won the acclaim of pre-eminent critics and poets: among them, Al Alvarez, “I like the elegance and control, the drive to say something rather than just to cut a fashionable figure," and Ted Hughes, “I hear a real voice, a real movement of mind cutting through resistances.” In the US his poems appear in Merion West and VoegelinView.

From The Seat Behind

Yes – look – all these people –
I made them, animals
Too, plants, insects –all
You can see. It rankles

How they waste their lives –
So many of them could
Do better – keep their wives,
That sort of thing. They should

Learn some gratitude, to tell
The truth. What a world!
My son went there – Well
After that, I could’ve hurled

The whole lot into space –
He had a decent go, you know,
Scratched the surface,
Did his best, tried to show

Them clearly what was what –
Do you think they’d listen?
Not a bit! Hardly any got
The gist – Though he’s risen

Above it now, he won’t go again –
He was never one for churches,
I saw his interest wane
For good, when the wretches

Made the new one – what a joke –
The money – you should’ve seen
The loot it brought – you’d choke
With laughing, it’d make you green

If you were one to envy,
Which I’m not. Of course
There’s some good – really
Though, they make it worse

They way they behave –
As if they hadn’t things enough
To fill them up with grief,
Sometimes I’m ready to stuff

The whole show – others had a go,
Most of it’s been wasted
Breath – someone I know
Told them if they fasted

That would do the trick –
The ones who’ve got the food –
Mind you, they take their pick,
Or some of them – the greed

Is indescribable! Fill their faces,
Watch the others starve – It’s true,
I’d like to see them swapping places,
It’s not all I’d like to do,

I’d like to show them who’s
In charge, I know some
Deserve better – water, shoes,
A break – but it’ll only come

When they sort it out
Themselves. I used to think
I’d do it myself, you know, rout
The wicked, fill a bleeding clink

With the worst of the lot,
Throw away the effing key,
Leave them all to rot,
But I don’t think it’s me –

I rather like the little sods,
Not everything about them mind,
They suck up to other gods
A bit too quickly, the kind

That never bring them what
They want – real happiness
I mean – but listen, I’ve got
To get off this now, this bus –

Excuse me – one thing I’d say,
I’ll be quick – is that with all
That’s going on, I don’t pay
Them much attention, they call

When they want something,
You know, an ear for this
Or that – Did that bell ring?
Oh well, that’s me – kiss, kiss.

Harold Jones

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Yes – look – all these people – I made them, animals Too, plants, insects –all You can see. It rankles

How they waste their lives – So many of them could Do better – keep their wives, That sort of thing. They should

Learn some gratitude, to tell The truth. What a world! My son went there – Well After that, I could’ve hurled

The whole lot into space – He had a decent go, you know, Scratched the surface, Did his best, tried to show

Them clearly what was what – Do you think they’d listen? Not a bit! Hardly any got The gist – Though he’s risen

Above it now, he won’t go again – He was never one for churches, I saw his interest wane For good, when the wretches

Made the new one – what a joke – The money – you should’ve seen The loot it brought – you’d choke With laughing, it’d make you green

If you were one to envy, Which I’m not. Of course There’s some good – really Though, they make it worse

They way they behave – As if they hadn’t things enough To fill them up with grief, Sometimes I’m ready to stuff

The whole show – others had a go, Most of it’s been wasted Breath – someone I know Told them if they fasted

That would do the trick – The ones who’ve got the food – Mind you, they take their pick, Or some of them – the greed

Is indescribable! Fill their faces, Watch the others starve – It’s true, I’d like to see them swapping places, It’s not all I’d like to do,

I’d like to show them who’s In charge, I know some Deserve better – water, shoes, A break – but it’ll only come

When they sort it out Themselves. I used to think I’d do it myself, you know, rout The wicked, fill a bleeding clink

With the worst of the lot, Throw away the effing key, Leave them all to rot, But I don’t think it’s me –

I rather like the little sods, Not everything about them mind, They suck up to other gods A bit too quickly, the kind

That never bring them what They want – real happiness I mean – but listen, I’ve got To get off this now, this bus –

Excuse me – one thing I’d say, I’ll be quick – is that with all That’s going on, I don’t pay Them much attention, they call

When they want something, You know, an ear for this Or that – Did that bell ring? Oh well, that’s me – kiss, kiss.

Harold Jones

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Subscribe to VoegelinView via Email

Yes – look – all these people –
I made them, animals
Too, plants, insects –all
You can see. It rankles

How they waste their lives –
So many of them could
Do better – keep their wives,
That sort of thing. They should

Learn some gratitude, to tell
The truth. What a world!
My son went there – Well
After that, I could’ve hurled

The whole lot into space –
He had a decent go, you know,
Scratched the surface,
Did his best, tried to show

Them clearly what was what –
Do you think they’d listen?
Not a bit! Hardly any got
The gist – Though he’s risen

Above it now, he won’t go again –
He was never one for churches,
I saw his interest wane
For good, when the wretches

Made the new one – what a joke –
The money – you should’ve seen
The loot it brought – you’d choke
With laughing, it’d make you green

If you were one to envy,
Which I’m not. Of course
There’s some good – really
Though, they make it worse

They way they behave –
As if they hadn’t things enough
To fill them up with grief,
Sometimes I’m ready to stuff

The whole show – others had a go,
Most of it’s been wasted
Breath – someone I know
Told them if they fasted

That would do the trick –
The ones who’ve got the food –
Mind you, they take their pick,
Or some of them – the greed

Is indescribable! Fill their faces,
Watch the others starve – It’s true,
I’d like to see them swapping places,
It’s not all I’d like to do,

I’d like to show them who’s
In charge, I know some
Deserve better – water, shoes,
A break – but it’ll only come

When they sort it out
Themselves. I used to think
I’d do it myself, you know, rout
The wicked, fill a bleeding clink

With the worst of the lot,
Throw away the effing key,
Leave them all to rot,
But I don’t think it’s me –

I rather like the little sods,
Not everything about them mind,
They suck up to other gods
A bit too quickly, the kind

That never bring them what
They want – real happiness
I mean – but listen, I’ve got
To get off this now, this bus –

Excuse me – one thing I’d say,
I’ll be quick – is that with all
That’s going on, I don’t pay
Them much attention, they call

When they want something,
You know, an ear for this
Or that – Did that bell ring?
Oh well, that’s me – kiss, kiss.