PAST TO PRESENT - FUTURE TENSE
           14th February, 1942 To 15th February, 2003
(14/2/42 Air Staff to Bomber Command "... your operations should now
be focused on the morale of the enemy civilian population and in
particular, of the industrial workers." Some 2 million dead
were expected. 15/2/03 2 million marched in London to stop us bombing
another civilian population.)

          Hurrying to find the march bus,
             One February day,
          Meant to return our caucus -
             Hyde Park to Armada Way -
          I pondered judgements bravely
             Another war had set,
          And Nuremberg knew gravely
             Would be weazeled out of yet.

          Crowds, hopeful/hopeless-hearted,
             Our search seemed to frustrate
          Yet, not till we departed,
             Was I struck by the date -
          First day that our Prime Minister,
             And R.A.F's Portal,
          Had made a Saint's Day sinister,
             Black-hearted 'neath Whitehall.

          For years they've made me throw up -
             Our hero myths of war;
          O when will Britain own up,
             To what we did before?
          And as we set off westwards,
             More than the sun seemed set;
          Men I had known, proved cowards
             When peace with war was met.

                            (Apologies to Philip Larkin)