At eight o’clock, applaud the NHS
Stand in your doorway, whoop and wave and cheer
And do it loud, make sure the neighbours hear!
Don’t, even to yourself, ever confess
You helped to get these workers in this mess:
Short staffed, with next to no protective gear
Fighting this crisis, fighting back their fear…
Just clap and smile. That’s certain to impress!
And if you voted in the politicians
Who in their turn, proposed and passed the bills
That slashed support for those whom you applaud
And if you, prior to this, took the position
That low paid workers don’t have vital skills,
Your smug charade is nothing but a fraud.
Tom Juniper Poetry 