How Can I Leave Thee? (Sonnet for Article 50)
(With sincere apologies to Elizabeth Barrett Browning)

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How can I leave thee? Let me count the ways.
I’ll leave thee as I believe I have the right
To batter and breach all doubters in plain sight.
I’ll end EU trading with indecent haste.
I’ll leave thee as every Leaver brays,
‘Heed the shining democratic light’.
I’ll lead thee weakly, let others worry what’s right.
I’ll lead thee gullibly, so no challenge raise.
I’ll lead thee to a cliff edge to be obtuse,
Ignoring briefs, and with my experts gagged.
I’ll lead after my election I seemed to lose.
With no true mates, I’ll leave thee not a mood lift,
Union, nor smiles for rest of life; and, as it’ll prove,
I shall but leave thee worse and cast adrift.

©Keith Murphy