"this is sixth form poetry, not Keats or Yeats"
Beneath the rock lies liquid gold, With pressures set and bills to fold; But prospectors should be aware, Removal must be done with care. As well as housing lush greenbacks, These biomes mask a hidden tax; For all the songbirds living there, Removal must be done with care. For as we dig with … Read more
When gliding through our old and rusty skies, You filtered out the wheezing, blackened air; A century of progress built on lies, Now captured in the feathered down you wear. The smut and ash that billowed from our hearth, Concealed the dirty secrets of our past; So, when you flew no more and fell to … Read more
The oceans are awash with our debris, As plastics from our lives flow down the drain And travel down hewn channels to the sea, Where laced with man-made poisons they remain. Through plankton they leach into the food chain, As fish consume this fouled and tainted meal; The plastics then cross over to their brain, … Read more
This week I am helping colleagues from The Cooper Group at the University of Liverpool discuss the fascinating world of molecular cages, as part of the Royal Society’s Summer Science Exhibition. As part of the exhibition, I wrote the following three poems to celebrate the diverse science that can be achieved with molecular cages, and … Read more
We need to breathe so that we can all live, And yet our lungs are not a perfect sieve; So why is it that people still deny: Pollution in the air can make you die. Small particles suspended in the air, Are something of which we should be aware; Ozone is deadly when low … Read more
Arising from our ashen pit of toil, As forge and mill did shape this unkempt land; The blackness of the trees from coal and oil, Contrasted with the skin nature had planned. A single, fragile pearl encased in jet, Your pallor marked you out for all to see; In contrast to our progress, blood and … Read more
With climate change now set in stone I go to turn on my TV, And watch the other people moan: “It isn’t really up to me.” “I heard the US fracked for oil, And China built some factory; It’s them who rape and rot and spoil, It isn’t really up to me.” Of … Read more
Do not go into artificial light, Our lamps can bring an end to fragile life; Fly, fly away into the shrouded night. Your passion like a candle burns too bright, And danger lurks in shadows like a knife; Do not go into artificial light. We harvest you from town and rural site, To … Read more
The fifth of November we can’t forget, As colourful explosions light the sky; But rocket residue can cause a threat, Especially if humidity is high. The smoke and aerosols affect your eye, With visibility a quarter less On average, but when conditions are dry. With more moisture less vision will egress, And warnings should be … Read more
Whilst mankind does litter the globe, There’s something that we need to probe: As yuppies flush the toilet chain, Are fish getting high on cocaine? As drugs of abuse start to rise, It’s not just users that have highs. With every speedball down the drain, Are fish getting high on cocaine? A crazy … Read more