Poet's PO card delivers message (From Stroud News and Journal)

Poet's PO card delivers message

STROUD based poet Michael Horovitz has become the poster poet for a campaign to save the nation's post offices.

As part of his Lost Office campaign Mr Horovitz has produced a card with a poem denouncing what he calls the "profits-before-people" closures and cutbacks.

Proceeds from the card, which also features a sketch by iconic pop artist and friend David Hockney entitled People in the Street, will go to the campaign.

The card has featured on BBC Radio 4's Today programme and been hailed as the most desirable greetings card by The Guardian newspaper.

For Lost Office campaign cards priced £2 each or £15 for ten, including post and packaging, send postal orders or cheques made out to New Departures, c/o P O Box 9819, London W11 2GQ.

Lost Office

Dear Government Postal System: - Why paint your mouth that pillarbox red If you don't want our letters popped in?

Time was, all pot could be addressed With some degree of confidence Royal Mail would deliver it to its haven.

But now in the Whizzdom of its wilful degradation It's Post Office Limited's own bum administration That sinks the heart, head and lifeblood or our nation By ponceing on the cancer of commercialisation

- For this flower'd Grove's Crown jewel since 1908 Is one of hundreds being axed, for the routine dross-market fate Of yet another multisquillion scoop for real-estate Sharks (though wiser humans might, like dolphins, rather wait and count the way to save such friendly arks, than wreck them with such indigestible and eco-fruitless force):

- Here's barking at you, for dumping thus our prime community resource With such base grovelling to Mammon's ruthless course - Unless - post haste, you heal the waste, reopen - Yea! Restore Good public service as of yore, switch on again those lights - our mainstay In the fight - to feed real need, stamp out greed - to redeem And transact again your - and our - most essential daily rights

Michael Horovitz (pp countless long-suffering Post Office Losers)