When You Just Can't Help Yourself

If you've an aerosol can

and a stairwell wall

You've a ready-made canvas

for a spray-on cock and balls

If you're sitting at your desk

and the lesson's getting boring

Then you whip out your ballpoint

and you do a bit of drawing

The bus window's steamed up?

You can't fight the temptation

to add some decoration

to the condensation

If you're poised on the khazi

and the door's looking bare

And you've got a felt tip

then you'll do it if you dare

If you're serving up dinner

and it's meat and two veg

Arrange them rather tastefully

with sauce around the edge

But if you are a pilot

then what else can you do

But fly a contrail cock

and balls against the blue?

© Janine Booth

US Navy pilot who drew huge penis in sky with plane is banned from flying

Janine Booth lives in Hackney, East London. She writes and performs poetry, and has had three slim volumes of poetry published. Janine posts poems and political polemics at www.janinebooth.com

Jesuit Diplomacy

Your civil conflict's been so long

That some would almost say it's wrong.

There can be room, nevertheless

For some divergent godliness.

The road to peace is arduous,

So I'm not here to make a fuss:

My Church has not lived to these times

By telling Power of its crimes.

Some platitudes, and then I'll run -

For that's what my Christ would have done.

© Philip Challinor

Pope Francis fails to mention Rohingya in Myanmar speech

Philip Challinor posts fiction, satire and assorted grumbles on his blog: The Curmudgeon. His longer fiction is available here.