We’ll cut back on things that make memories,
say goodbye to stuff that is fun.
tell ourselves how we can’t have nice things anymore
or fly off to bask in the sun.

It’s goodbye to fancy French yoghurts –
we’ll make do with custard instead.
It’s the trumpet of doom when we can’t heat the room
and we just have to creep into bed.

When those luscious cream cakes become ghosts in the past
we’ll make do with jam spread on toast.
As well as the jam, we will dig out the spam
in place of the old Sunday roast.

There’ll be no chocolate croissants for breakfast.
Give us bowlfuls of porridge to eat.
As we spoon up the gruel, with an eye on the fuel,
count the pennies left over for heat.

A bottle of wine is a thing of the past
and Bailey’s gone right off the map.
And as for fresh coffee, can’t get it for toffee –
the water’s not bad from the tap.

Turn our faces away from the restaurant.
Let us queue up for pizza tonight.
There’s ways to use less electricity –
we’ll turn off the heat and the light.

We’ll cut out what we can no longer afford
and tighten our belts a bit more
pass laws to make Christmas illegal
and say to ourselves: nevermore!