Klaus' Expensive Lunch, A poem Options

[Guest_Jox_*]

© Todd Congreve, 2005. I, Todd Congreve, do assert my right to be identified as the author of this work in accordance with Sections 77 and 78 of The Copyrights, Designs And Patents Act, 1988. (Laws of Cymru & England, as recognised by international treaties). This work was simultaneously copyrighted in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United States of America. This work is posted as an unpublished work in order to elicit critical assistance and other helpful comment, only.

Upgraded from AC to AD, thanks to Nina's two suggestions and from AD to AE following Liam's call for greater clarity.

Klaus’ Expensive Lunch
by TC

Pub lunch: two men
debate political philosophy.
One creed - one country -
one loyalty - one master.

A beer; kinship?
Questions: sister? agents?
mad? bad? sane? good?
depends on perspective.

Harwell needs you -
I’m your friend, Klaus -
help me keep you there.
“We” need to convince “them.”

perspectives -
only things which matter.

Your side; my side; “our” side,
fought Nazi Germany...
today - different perspectives.

Mental-partition wall:
made of what?
Those same brain cells
with divided loyalties?
How does one cope with
neuron osmosis?
Protect job; freedom; lover?

What price a pint?
Nine years - that’s
post-war inflation.

Come on Klaus; I’m your friend.
Your welfare is my chief concern.
Now, hand me the keys
to your gaol cell...

                          ...Good man, Klaus

(end)



Ref: TC 0432 AD (Started: 25/07/2005)

Klaus’ Expensive Lunch
by TC

Pub lunch: two men
debate political philosophy.
One creed - one country -
one loyalty - one master.

A beer; kinship?
Questions: sister? agents?
mad? bad? sane? good?
depends on perspective.

Harwell needs this man -
I’m your friend, Klaus -
help me keep you there.
We need to convince them.

perspectives -
only things
which matter.

Your side; my side; our side.
Fighting Nazi Germany -
but today?
Today... different perspectives.

What price a pint?
Nine years - that’s
post-war inflation.

Mental-partition wall: made of what?
Those same brain cells which have
divided loyalties?
How does one cope with
neuron osmosis?
Protect job; freedom; lover?

Come on Klaus; I’m your friend.
Your welfare is my chief concern.
Now, hand me the keys
to your gaol cell...

                          ...Good man, Klaus.

(end)

--------------------------------------------------------------------
Notes:

This was inspired by a BBC R4 play “Atomic Lunch” broadcast on 25/07/2005.

Here’s the BBC website comment:
Monday 25 July - Atomic Lunch - By Michael Butt

In January 1950 two men meet for lunch in an Oxfordshire pub. One is the Head of Physics at Harwell Research Laboratory. The other is a senior MI5 investigator. One of the most important spy stories of the cold war is about to be revealed.

I would add:

Klaus is Klaus Fuchs - Britain's notorious "Atom Spy" who sold UK /USA atomic secrets to the soviets. His lunch "companion" was a senior MI5 interrogator.

Here‘s a Wikipedia info page on him... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Klaus_Fuchs

[Guest_Jox_*]

Hi Nina,

>J>Thank you for popping in, critting and reading that, Nina. At present I’m critting something of yours - so when I’m late again please understand!
>N>LOL, I should have held off critting you then and maybe I shouldn't continue the discussion, then again I can't resist.

:) Tomorrow maybe - but I’ll get there!

>J>He retained his original loyalty - never changed it. (I’m not defending him - just trying to explain).
>N>OK thanks, so in other words he used Britain to escape from a country that threatened to kill him and probably killed those members of his family who didn't leave Germany as according to wikki he was born into a Jewish family. Once war is over he says "wham bam thank you mam" and runs straight back to Germany/ Russia as if the sun shines out of their ***** quite frankly he deserved everything he got.

Are you suggesting that you’re not sympathetic to him there? Don’t hold back... :)

>N>so having the pint with the MI5 investigator cost him his freedom.
>J>No, not at all... I think there was a steak and kidney pudding as well but that would have been too exciting to put in the poem.
>N>A good steak and kidney pie was wasted on him.

Pudding! Not pie. A wonderful steak and kidney pudding - quite a temptation - and with a decent pint, well a few years in Clink seems a minor price to pay.

>N>He should have dined on sauerkraut and maybe the acid would have lain heavily and given him lots of discomfort.

I don’t think you’ve quite forgiven him yet...

>N>bah humbug.

What the Dickens are you talking about?

Thanks, Nina !

By the way, what is your opinion of Burgess, Maclean and H.A.R. “Kim” Philby? Go on, they weren’t all bad...

:) J.