Fulcrum
A gangle man with whale-grey hair
The druid of the long blue moon,
Looked out into the seething air
That crowded all the afternoon.
He raised his staff and orb (de luxe),
For History was at its crux.
Churchill’s known for Dunkirk spirit;
Wellington for Waterloo;
War brought Alfred well-earned merit;
Nelson led a gallant crew –
But here’s the man we need anoint,
Who led us to our turning point.
The future that lies far behind us –
Such a time he always scorned:
His budget speech was what defined us –
We lived through it. We were warned.
Here he loomed, with noble talents,
While History hung in the balance.
When thinkers tip the national scales,
When sportsmen raise the national score,
We will tell our Hammond tales,
Concerning merry days of yore –
When Philip spoke (although he oughtn’t),
And glorified the self-important.
