Every Tyrant like King John
Throws up insubordination
By Monsieur Hood and his merry men
The forests of Albion
Teem with rebellion
And laughter and pain
Under the English paint
Are Romans and Normans
And Scots and Irish and Danes
And Germans Hungarians
Poles Greeks and Iranians
Siamese cats and Maltese falcons
Britain rode the lonely oceans
For gold and spice and dominion
Mixing her blood with princes and minions
From Serendip to West Virginia
From Donegal to Argentina
Jerusalem Babylon and Abyssinia
Britain can escape her European soul
As soon as King Lear
Can throw off the truth of his fool
Roddy McDevitt
Illustration Nick Victor