Inhumane Bondage

James is most likely in a City bar

earwigging 'manipulations'.

No more dead drops, or midnight kidnaps

or running through Bulgarian stations.

M's given our boy an I-gadget,

for bureaucrats' on-line indiscretions.

No more honey - or money, come to that-

for diplomats' Ugandan discussions.

No training on garotte or PPK

- Just spreadsheets and data bases.

No martini shaken or even stirred

No girls with exotic faces.

If he were a horse they'd put him down

he couldn't manage a canter.

He misses the days of Pussy Galore,

and inappropriate banter.

Not so long to retirement now,

Barbados would be heaven,

a long cocktail and a girl to tell

he used to be double-oh-seven.