After These Wars

After battle, with wounds to lick and Beaus and belles all reuniting Rationing, austerity: it did us Good after the fighting Now, time to bid some fond farewells and Walk away from empires crumbling Post-war baby-boom to fuel with post- Victorian half-dressed fumbling I see a screen, grey cathode tube in Walnut cabinet, pride of place In holy family living room. Clipped- Tone announcer, powdered face And now to mould public opinion Sanctify the good and great Lordly over his dominion, brash Television seals our fate After these wars, when gentler winds were blowing After these wars, when stocking tops were showing When the Co-op gave us daily bread And penicillin raised the dead And combine harvesters kept Us fed, after these wars We thanked the Yank and thanked the Lord for sparing us from dark invasion Now to liberate, rebuild and balance Europe's new equation Spooky spies in from the cold with Lies and secrets to be sold To bigger brothers, bigger bombs Le Carré thrillers to be told We take our place amongst those others Who would punch above their weight Divest ourselves of glowing mantle Mantle of old Britain Great Bit part cast in Hollywood, ripe Old thespian, tolerated World-weary ham upon the stage Evergreen but over-rated After these wars, when gentler winds were blowing After these wars, when stocking tops were showing When the Co-op gave us daily bread And penicillin raised the dead And combine harvesters kept Us fed, after these wars