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Home Blog Arts Hub

Vermin Bait

Vermin Bait

19 June 2025 /Posted bySimon Haines
Post Views: 154

We’ve just published this anthology in praise of Sir Keir Starmer KC, containing no poems at all. One of the non-contributors, Simon Haines, has just sent us a real poem:

Vermin Bait

Make sure they have no access
to food for months, and then
set your traps with tempting nosh
the starving will surely come.
Lure them with tasty titbits,
but never quite enough, then
sit and wait for the endless stream
of helpless starving souls.
The rabid rush will finish the weak
too frail to avoid stampede.
Others will scrap with each other
for a share of the manna left.
But don’t allow chaos at the feed,
discourage with warning shots
then kill several in error
to discourage the rest
too bad if they’re women and kids.
Continue this way for weeks on end
make sure there are none left
to continue the line and people the land
that belongs to them not you.

Tags: Sir Keir Starmer KC
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Roots of War
Helplessness

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About Author

Simon Haines

Simon's poems have been published by Poetry Wivenhoe, Suffolk Poetry Society and The Morning Star.

Other posts by Simon Haines

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