Marching Howards

• Stuart Balsley
• Poetry
• 2009

Onwards and onwards they march,
Eyes on the past, blinded by past glories,
Dopey grins plastered on ageing features,
Hilarious glasses obscuring the true wickedness within.

Bringing up the rear, Blue Howard, the vintage years
Buried in the past, tormented by failures.
Sitting in opposition, biding his time as a Peacock’s Dusty Deputy
Only to become Liberal Leader before being ousted again, twice.
Leaving him a laughing stock, a drunkard and the weakest of the Howards.

Second in line; Orange Howard.
Getting bigger in stature, this Howard has won back the leadership,
Deciding to be “better right than popular”
And he won the Prime Minister’s mantle
Living off of the circumstances and failures of his betters.

Second to one; Purple Howard.
He’s battered his way to a Third term now, Brought in the GST,
Sent our boys to Iraq to prove he’s no Coward,
Had a scare with Latham gunning for him in the polls,
But just got away, how’d he do it?

Teal Howard, the end of the line,
Cut down in the height of his time,
Economy lagging, he endured a media slamming,
Costello’s after the top job, people want him as PM,
No-one wants this Old Boy from Bennelong anymore…