Black Friday Blues

The news arrived by Facebook

and was confirmed by Sky,

images of mass consumerism

straight out of 1984,

or the part before

the novel's start.

Men and women scrummaging

flat-screens, flinging kettles

at each other like a game of

American Football, taking

what's theirs, as kids

stare in through windows.

Punch ups for jumping queues,

rushing to purchase bargains

to get them home

and plugged in,

animalistically thinking

of number one.

The Prime Minister focusses on immigration,

solemn, suited, flushed, defiant in the face

of calls for change: there will be none,

the Animals of Black Friday will be

the Children of Tomorrow, Airstrip One under

construction - soon the net will close.

JRTF

29/11/2014