Radio Times

A polyphonic spectrum

of melody and sound,

a rhapsody of composition,

a toccata in fugue.

Aural symphony, timpani,

Marconi’s dream retold,

Wireless winged messenger,

Mercury’s streaking path.

Mayday from a liner,

transmission lost on waves,

Chamberlain’s peace for our time,

A despot declaration of war.

Propaganda manipulating minds,

a bulldog’s fighting words,

a king’s declaration of victory,

bunting, dancing, smiles.

Radio pirates offshore,

breaking convention, invention,

Blackburn spinning discs,

revolution broadcast news.

Stationary in my car,

taillights stretch for miles,

bandwidth scrolling, searching,

cacophony interspersed in sound.

I hear Bowie’s sailors

fighting in the dance hall,

the bad moon a-rising,

requiems for the masses.

Inane DJ chatter,

billowing disseminated noise,

phonographic copper disk,

hurtling beyond the stars.

And Humanity’s message,

traversing the Universe,

brings our radio times

to those who will listen.