Brexit - Gates Of History Poem by Peter Wainwright

We stand at the gates of history
Which is all about who is my neighbour
And who would I object to if they moved in next to me
And do I have the right to object

What is this ourness of a country
When we freely eat dishes from every land
When we work with all nations

The only country in Europe not to have its borders moved
Its people moved or moved into
Not to have been invaded
Not to have had a dictator for hundreds of years
Not to have had a civil war for hundreds of years
Is the UK

To leave is to throw
A javelin through Europe
To say the biggest project of community is not worth it

Do I love my neighbour
Is what this is about
And if I do
Do I care enough to help those less fortunate than me.

The country is full up
Is the talk of a full up mind
One with no spare capacity to change
One stuck in a rut of
This is our land
The mantra of home used to
Keep out others
Unless they are useful
Unless we can measure their worth in income
Which is a sorry way to look at anyone.

Over 90 per cent of UK is
Open countryside
Sunday walking for the few
Not homes for our fellow European incomers
No not them
Our nearest neighbours
Whose goods and services we use every day without delay
Sad wouldn't you say


We when talk of fear
There is fear
When we talk of hope
There is hope and from hope comes light and enlightening innovation
Welcome my neighbour welcome