Natural Justice (Poetry)

Come friendly storms and blitz our town
bring all these ghastly buildings down
erase them brick by ruddy brick
and turn a transformation trick

They have no grace — devoid of style
each cheap and shoddy ugly pile
won’t stand for years as those before
withstood the centuries of war

Those sturdy homes made sacrifice
for boxes fifty times the price
all crammed together — short on space
termed ‘luxury’ but lacking taste

Where once some character shone through
the old’s betrayed for soulless new
a palm’s been greased, a wallet stuffed
so profit margins swell enough

And thus a once attractive town
has seen its glory days slow-drown
since councils show no finer sense
let storms exact full recompense

***

Note to John Betjeman:

Slough’s not the only place that’s suffered —
there’s others similarly scuppered
wrecked on callous coasts of Time
all victims of town planners’ crime
they kill for profit — murder Art
so trash the past — destroy its heart