KICKED IN THE HEAD BY A HORSE

i.m. IT

A police horse. Horseshoes. Metal. A riot helmet. Hooves.
Knock, knock. Broken jaw. Fetlock. Mane. A splintered fibula.
Minor injuries. Bruises. A booted shin. Accident & Emergency.
Temporary loss of vision. Stroke. Strike. A heart attack.
Knock. Shattered humerus. Who's there? POLICE. A bust Yale lock.
Fingers in a door jamb. A fat lip. Torn eyelid. Lesions.
These are polished heroes on parade. Medals. The door on the chain.
Community trust award. Shield. Riot squad. Boots. Stampede.
Bust. A police horse. Halter. Stirrup. Bit. Neck. Reins. Noose.

WEST GORTON GHOST TOWN

for RB

These streets still have names; Wenlock Way, Lloyd Walk,

Basechurch Walk, Skarratt Close. White boards; windows,

doors. Cars from Safeguarding Children over the road.

A bus stop. A fifteen storey tower block with satellite.

I wrote this on the internet: modern archaeology.

Three Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs).

Google maps; faces blurred, anonymised, a dog,

a child in a pink coat with her hand raised. One click; 

they separate like ghosts. All of them are gone.

WORK FOR THE OLD BILL: AN ELEGY

for RB

I was pleased to see DCI Jack Meadows
find regular work on The Street,

Glad the Dales had provided a home
for PC Leon Taylor and Sgt June Ackland.

DS Phil Hunter has gone undercover
in London's East End,

But I would not go to Waterloo Road
to find the newly promoted Dale Smith,

And what of the missing and unemployed?
Where DC Mickey Webb? Where WPC Polly Page?

CID? How do you spell that then?
Reg Hollis nearly killed himself.


Written with recourse to my new favourite wiki: The Bill Wiki

Sound recording here: Soundcloud

BEETENSON & GIBBON ACCIDENT CLAIMS CENTRE

for SF

The accident occurred at 9:38 a.m. 
on 19th October 2012,
outside Beetenson & Gibbon
Accident Claims Center.

Whiplash was caused to the driver
of the aqua green Nissan Micra.

A Ford Focus, that sped
from the scene, left a scratch
on the rear left bumper and left
side of the Nissan Micra, flecked
with vermillion clearcoat paint.

The car was later traced
to a teacher from Broughton
who had took the corner too fast,
being late for her next class
after attending a hospital appointment.
She had failed to stop.

She was charged with failure to stop
and fined £200, plus damages
and court costs, but avoided a ban.

A later civil suit, managed by
Beetenson & Gibbon
Accident Claims Centre,
found in favour of the driver
of the aqua green Nissan Micra
and ordered payments for whiplash,
trauma and damage to property

Everything was reduced on appeal.
There were extenuating circumstances.

A man in a white t-shirt,
who witnessed the accident
on his way to Beetenson & Gibbon
Accident Claim Centre,
told the police of another witness,
"behind that bench, over there," who ran.



Now with sound and Jo Whiley spitty mic technique: https://soundcloud.com/gavin-hudson-1/beetenson-and-gibbon-accident

A DEATH KNOCK

They let them sleep before they told them.
Last night their daughter's car had clipped a curb,
pitched right and tipped
squealing to a halt on its roof.
I wonder if her hands were hot as she knocked;
if she'd done this before, did this all the time?

UNTITLED

NHS staff have been warned to expect

storm weather and floods. Tsunamis

of alcohol related hepatitis will burst

through the automatic doors in A&E.

They have been told to be underprepared

like the police for the fallout of Friday night

violence in city centres. Blood will come

like a flood. A riot of scalpels and syringes

held to the throat — Give us your money,

you bastards, or we'll burn you. The Fire Brigade

are on strike. 999 is a disconnected number

and nobody gives a shit if you die.

In Westminster MPs stand on the roof

catching fivers in nets. The bonfire of services

turns ash into cash and the unscorched snatch it.