Old and New

I wrote this poem for recital at a new poetry group (The Pub Poets) who met for the first time on 4th January. The theme for this inaugural meeting was "The Old and The New"

I had recently watched all three of the Batman films directed by Christopher Nolan, which probably accounts for my line of thought when writing this poem.


Old and New 

You’ve probably heard of the saying concerning

the things that are changing and staying the same?

Well, this came to mind when I found myself turning

these thoughts all around in my head, so my aim 

was to highlight some cases – that we could all use:

Holding on to the old so the new is not news.

Reinventing the wheel is the media’s thing,

From Gascoigne to Paxman: no challenge at all,

In X-Factor, so many covers they sing,

and Dallas revamped – with the Oil Baron’s Ball.

The filmmakers know they have nothing to lose 

Taking hold of the old that anew could be news.

Just think about Batman who, ev’ry few years,

Is pulled out of mothballs, the dust shaken off 

for a reboot when some new director appears 

who believes that there’s plenty left there in the trough.

After Keaton and Bale they must carefully choose –

Yet they still hold the old so the new is not news.

It may be tradition, and that’s fair enough;

nostalgia’s a powerful thing, to be sure.

But there’s more to contend with – discard all the fluff;

There’s greed and intol’rance; the world needs a cure.

There’s still killing and starving as plenty refuse 
to leave hold of the old. So what’s new? It’s not news