WORDS OF DISLIKE

Some words do irritate

They’ve become too profligate

So now I’ve begun to postulate

Perhaps I ought to illustrate

You see “everyone” doesn’t mean “everyone”

Despite how things might seem -

When “everyone is talking” about something

It’s seldom me that they can mean

So “everyone” means “some people”

Not anyone I’d like to call

“Some people” means “someone else”

Then “someone else” can be no-one at all

And if we get to a place where “everyone”

Doesn’t mean anyone, civilisations can fall

Perhaps you can relate

Could be I pontificate

Maybe I speculate

Must I reiterate?

Because “brilliant” doesn’t mean “brilliant”

Despite what you might hope –

They’ll tell you everything is “brilliant”

Singing praises for some old rope

So “brilliant” now means “adequate”

Or “something I quite like a bit”

So now all kinds of mediocre rubbish

And any old duff piece of shit

Leaves the truly brilliant to just slink away

Whilst some idiot gets a huge hit

Are you all up to date?

Is it beginning to permeate?

Might take all night at this rate

Yet again I’ll demonstrate

I know that “genius” doesn’t mean “genius”

Even if you’re clever folk

But any old nonsense these days

Gets called “genius” by some blokes

But genius turns up maybe once

Or twice in a lifetime they say

A Leonardo, an Einstein, a Mozart,

Not some geezer from down the café

Who dazzles you with some fancy card trick

Or wrangles words in a vaguely witty way

There can be no debate

Because they ought to legislate

Intervention by the state

Or at least this old reprobate

See… “legendary” doesn’t mean “legendary”

At least not in the way that they mean

One cough and a spit in the limelight

And a “legend” is too soon to be seen

True legends must earn that big label

By standing the true test of time

And sticking around in our memories

Long after their candle has died

And it does kind of help if they’re brilliant

Although being fictional will also be fine

These fools I do berate

They’re far too profligate

Word’s true meaning will negate

So again I’ll regurgitate

We all know that “hero” doesn’t mean “hero”

Not in the way it’s bandied about

These days any fool is a “hero”

Even if they just lark about

Sportsmen and rock stars and actors

Even someone who’s just an old pain -

Yet there are real heroes of course

Dodging bullets and bombs in our name

Worthy of our respect and admiration

And not just because they’ve found fame

Once more I’ll elaborate

My vented spleen to satiate

I know it’s getting late

But at the risk of tempting fate

Nowadays “like” just doesn’t mean “like”

People “like” even when they’re not keen

They’ll click on all sorts of nonsense

Say it’s the ‘best thing that they’ve ever seen”

They’ll tell you your rubbish is “brilliant”

Call you “genius” and all kinds of things

Tell you “everyone” thinks you’re amazing

You’re their “hero” and all that this brings

And when you start to believe in your “legend”

You might find out just how hollow it rings

These words I want to reinstate

The real value of, old mate

I hope it’s begun to penetrate

These over-used words I really… quite dislike.

Martin A W Holmes, July 2015