Oh to be in Radnor now it's Powys county,
For whoever lives in Radnor has unusual bounty.
For councillors who've never fought
A seat decide our needs
In three layers of government
Bureaucratic breeds.
So these few lines of scrappy verse
Are of these tiers about
And even though I may shed tears
I hope you'll hear me out.

From bottleneck at Wylcwm House to Knighton Station Gate
We'll build a four lane highway
Shining, wide and straight.
We'll culvert o'er each sparkling brook,
We'll concrete o'er the Cwm,
We'll knock down buildings far and wide
To give each lorry room
And cut away all nature's growth to tidy up the town
And if it's more than flowering shrub, each proud tree
We'll cut down.

For our part we'll, after hours, show the Special Branch or even
K.G.B,
A thing or two about the "midnight knock" and raids by persons
Two or three
Upon employees however grand, if they'll not toe the line
For decisions here are made by me
And thee and also thine and mine.
And if it's a case of knocking down or selling cheap or cheaper
Or making the countryside a park, for cars and keeping nature neater,
I think the county must admit that we can do it better
And stone by stone with secret signs
We'll winkle out each traitor
And never consult our ratepayers' minds
Not sooner nor even later.

We are the lowest of the low and frankly have no power
We've only a ball and a Mayor's chain
We cannot get no lower.
But even here we like to have a smoothly running boat
And save electors all the time
And trouble it takes to vote.
So drink by me and smoke your own
And don't become a stirrer
Wear a tie and vote my way and never question further
For decisions are made by tiers above and we can never alter
For here we must accept it all
I think the Mayor's chain's a halter.

So it seems my tale is told except the moral ending,
Fight the good fight for every seat
Democracy defending.

Islwyn Watkins 1987.