Music

It seeps in through your skin and goes straight to your soul.
It is the real 'Lord of time travel',
taking you back to a time and place where the sun always shone and life was good, or to that place that is dark and which is riddled with sadness.
It logs into your 'control panel' and over - rides your emotions,
lifting them to the skies or down to the depths.
Just a snippet and you are gone,
to a time and a place,
when you were someone else and for a while...
... you aren't who you really are.

Out Late Man

Never seen him 'round the town
never seen him in the day.
He's the 'out late man'
the 'carrier bag man'
the 'bottle of red man'.

Never seen him clean shaven
never seen him without that coat,
he's the 'out late man'
the 'never says much man'
never laughs or never smiles...

The unhappy man.

I Dreamt of White

I Dreamt of white,
as if all the stars had fallen and covered the ground.
I felt the cold of children playing,
released from their chores,
busy making memories.
I felt the bite of a freeze,
saw familiar places changed -
the normal rearranged.

Time with loved ones
extra time not planned for -
hot soup and sleeping bags...

...and then it was gone

Paper Planes

Paper planes fly
swirling round the still Parisienne sky
down to the ground
from the little window high
above the triangle of grass
now a park
for children to play in
like I was just a child
when I made those paper planes fly
swirling round the still Parisienne sky
down to the ground
from that little window high
all those many years ago

A Crumbling Fragility (It'll be alright)

The first time away from him.
A playgroup,
a 'dump and run'.
It was designed as a couple of hours rest,
time away from him,
me time,
'do something you like' time.
In reality it was time spent feeling lost,
pushing an empty buggy 'round the streets,
time spent knowing there was something missing.
Constantly checking my watch,
with a crumbling fragility growing inside me...
"1 hour to pick - up time; 30 minutes...  15.
worrying about getting back to the community centre,
too late, too early.

So here we are,
20 years later and he's off to South America.
Chile via Madrid,
for 2 months,
and here comes thar crumbling fragility,
and I am back on those streets once more,
pushing the empty buggy,
feeling fragile and out of control,
knowing I must let him go,
but wanting to care for him,
put an arm 'round him and tell him that everything's gonna be alright!

Sh1t Morning Commute

(An ode inspired by; and in homage to 'John Cooper- Clarke')

Shit on me windscreen that me wiper won't reach,
Shit mornin' commute 'cos "my life's a beach!"

Got three quid in me tank 'cos I ain't been paid,
got a porn on my passenger seat 'cos I can't get laid!

Put a camera on me 'elmet cos the bastards can't drive,
Put an 'elmet on me 'ead cos I'd rather be alive.

Me expressionless 'visage' -
Don't  interact with me
I'm suited and booted,
me lanyard and me.

Me expressionless mobile
and coffee to go
on me mornin' commute,
I don't want to know!