REGREXIT

by John Beaton

Donald Tusk has said Theresa May needs to come up with "a better idea" than the EU's controversial plan to prevent a hard border in Northern Ireland. The PM has rejected keeping Northern Ireland in the EU's customs area saying this would split the UK in two. But the European Council president said one of the "possible negative consequences" of the kind of Brexit Mrs May wants would be a hard border. The two met in No 10 ahead of a big Brexit speech on Friday by Mrs May. —BBC, February 2, 2018

There’s strength in numbers so we bond,
then disagree and split apart
from those of whom we once were fond.

A hand extends and we respond,
a glance invites a heart-to-heart—
there’s strength in numbers so we bond.

Then, clashing over all we’ve spawned,
we take back Cupid’s stupid dart
from those of whom we once were fond.

Yet, faced with fighting tout le monde,
our breaking up seems not so smart:
there’s strength in numbers—we re-bond.

But squabbles we can’t get beyond
reset our course—we rip the chart
from those of whom we once were fond.

If Fate could wave a magic wand
and right the upset applecart,
for strength in numbers, we’d re-bond
with those of whom we once were fond.

John Beaton, a retired actuary who was born in Scotland, is a widely published poet and spoken word performer from