THE ANTHEM
The old enemy, roused and on foreign turf,
clutch shoulders, roar defiance at the crowd,
sing of the monarchy. A sacrosanct tradition.
Applause. Before the choir amplifies a new noise.
Thousands of voices unite, join in the anthem.
Suddenly, an entire people, from each corner,
every pub, every living room or workplace,
back an army of fifteen. Eyes pricked by tears.
Gushing passion. Electricity at fingertips.
The rhythm accorded with pressure waves
that course through the arterial walls of a nation.
Each man and woman evincing counter-defiance
in the valley of the heart of the old land dear to all.
