news that matters, campaigns that count

for Birmingham, the Black Country and beyond

MAKING IT CLEAR: A POEM OF POLITICAL RESIGNATION

12-09-2006

Tony Blair has been sharing his innermost thoughts with The Stirrer's resident poet Brendan Hawthorne. This is positively his final word on his departure date. Probably.

Making it Clear: A Poem of Political Resignation

I want to make the details

of my resignation quite clear

and give guidelines and advice

for when the day draws near

To those who follow it will suffice

to say that sometime between

now and then

will come the time when

I can be certain without uncertainty

that I will announce upon a day

just short of a political eternity

without fear of contradiction

denial or opposition

that I may report with clarity

and with complete lucidity

of my intention to make clear

the timetable of events to steer

the interests of the faithful

and their determined pull

to remove me from my privileged seat

and cast me out homeless on the street

So without fuss or compromise

straight from the lip and

right between the eyes

the date I will announce the date

won't be delayed or a day too late

to set the democratic wheels in motion

without fuss or cause for commotion

For the succession of a patient fellow

my personal feelings are set out below

In short I will not concede to pressure

by any political lever or measure

and will decide on my plans to resign

in theory based on a model design

and therefore I have to say

that there will be a day in May

when I'll make the final details

of my resignation quite clear

and give guidelines and advice

for when the day draws near

to those who follow that will suffice

to say that sometime between

now and then

will come the day when I say when