Close Shave

In my dad’s dad’s time

A Sheffield steel blade

Would have been honed

Against leather strop.

Cut-throat. Clinical. Clean.

Sans hyperbole.

Cared for, it would endure.


Now, I wield a wondrous

Five-bladed monster.

The latest technology,

Shaped by focus groups,

Sharpened by adverts.

Disposable.


Encased in pointless

Plastic packaging.

All style,

No substance.


Tiny bars to imprison

The cutting edge.

Aloe vera lubricates, protects.

No irritation, guaranteed.

So why am I bloody irritated?

£10 for four measly blades!

My skin may be safe

But I can’t help feeling ripped off.

Overpaid, over-hyped, overblown

Promoted by a prancing primadonna

Waltzing across a field of green.


Enough to make me

Wonder. What went wrong?

Why do we need such waste?

I might as well grow a beard.





If you have enjoyed my poetry on this blog, my new collection, “Little Green Poetry” is now available from Lulu – – £4+P&P (paperback) or £2.50 (for e-book readers)

You can still order copies of my first collection, “Little Red Poetry” from http://www.leftbooks.co.uk or http://www.lulu.com – again for £4 (pb) or £2.50 (as a pdf for e-readers).

I hope you enjoy reading my poems, and, as always, all proceeds will go to help build the fightback against corporate political parties, to build a voice for the millions, not the millionaires.

To find out more about my politics, visit the website of the Committee For A Workers’ International, which is engaged in struggle in around 50 countries worldwide.

Tags: advertising, humorous, plastic, poetry, shaving, waste