Gold

Gold is lucky - so some believe 
but I'm not sure - and here's why
I had an accident with my ring
which nearly brought a tear to my eye

I now have ring but on my little finger
because my precious wedding band broke 
this I found to be most upsetting
because I'm a very sensitive bloke 

I caught my ring on a passing handle
and nearly lost my finger!
so there it lays in a bottom draw
forever more to linger 
(the ring not my finger BTW!)

so now I wear a different ring
it's still a band of gold
it was my grandads Cignet ring
well that's what I've been told!

A colliery man; a musical man
he played in the colliery band
so happy am I to know that I 
have his gold on my left hand!

So...
Gold - lucky? Maybe not!
my ring-finger is still in pain
at least I have what's left of my ring
and didn't 
loose it
down a drain

...and I've still got my ring - repurposed 
wrapped around a golden chain


The F.A. Cup Final

When I was a kid it was a very big day
a Saturday to beat all others - except for Christmas and birthdays of course 
I wasn't that fussed about the world cup
we were never the same since 1966
especially after we had a West Ham man as captain.
Both channels showed the whole match live
you could flick between channels if you could be bothered to get up to push the button!
At our house
Mum scheduled meals around it 
even though no-one really followed football 
it was about the only time we got to see live footy on the telly
Both channels went mad with the coverage
they were at the team hotels
on the coaches to Wembley - which was quite a technical feet in those days!
It was; 
"what the teams ate"
and 
"what the teams wore"
there were crowds waving flags along the route 
and interviews with family members - it was a very big day!
Coverage started in the morning!

Now, 
even if your team hadn't made it to the final
even if you didn't have a team
or even, 
even if you didn't care about football
or even if your team was West Ham like me
and as such a final didn't happen very often
everyone had an opinion on the outcome!
Of course as a West Ham fan
which I became after 
Kevin "Benny the" Ball 
came to our primary school from London
and he supported West Ham
and I being a very impressionable ten year old
what better team for me to follow!
So the 1975 F.A. cup final was simply too much!
We were in it
and we won!
2 - 0 against Fulham 
Alan Taylor's two goals
Trevor Brooking and all
I was on cloud nine!

Nowadays
I'm not so fussed about it
I'm not really fussed about football truth be told 
I'm too old to even understand the modern style of the game
why they play the way they do
why they fall down so easily after the slightest touch
and their Oscar winning performances on the ground
and quite what is going on with players hair cuts!
and the top players - for it is usually the top teams that make the final 
earn a fortune every month!

It doesn't do it for me anymore 
I don't get it!
I don't understand - but I do still support West Ham!

"Come on you irons!"



(Haiku)

Shopping.  Child quizzes 
Dad. Spanish inquisition 
couldn't do better

Borrow

I know I am only borrowing you
and I know 
like all things we borrow
I must give you back some day 
some day you might have to give me back - time will tell
but
it's been a joy to have you along with me
on this crazy journey known as life
and to have been in your life too!

Thank you!

Metro

sublime architecture with art nouveau signs  
echoing voices down winding walkways
follow the signs along never-ending passages
take a ride on endless escalators 
taking you down into the earth
to clean white tiles covering underground stations 
posters spaced along platform walls
curved ceilings bouncing whispering voices from opposite platforms
far-off rumbles from distant trainlines 
people waiting in anticipation
the rush of air 
heralds our ride
fast approaching 
noise increasing 
headlights appear 
lighting the gloom
rattling carriages
humming motors
and with squealing breaks
...turquoise and white carriages 
screech to a halt.

simple chrome latches 
release the doors
enter 
quickly 
hold on tight!
grabbing handrails
people 
swaying
speeding
stations
twists
turns
rumble 
rattle
jolt
jar
onto our destination!

...to a stop 
and exit 
and up 
back up

...to find a waiting Parisian sky


The Sock

The sock - a strange creature!
Supposedly they mate for life 
but alas - they get separated in dastardly human processes and machinary.
This separation hits the sock hard
the individual socks life is often cut short
separated from their partners
they tend be found abandoned at the bottom of sock draws 
amid under-garments which seemed a good idea in the shop
or hiding along side the tumble drier in the utility room - gathering fluff
which is not good for a sock.

Socks come in all sizes
colours 
materials
lengths
and styles 
The socks natural habitat is around a foot 
it enjoys the darkness afforded by footwear 
or the shelter of a trouser leg
occasionally they are seen out playing
around the lower legs of sporty types
but despite them liking the dark
the sock can sometimes be seen out 
suffering in the bright sunshine - and with great embarrassment 
found in the leather sandles of an individual
you know the ones
they wear a long pair of shorts
with a short sleeve shirt
beige in colour
buttoned up at the neck
and sport the ever more rare 'long sock' - almost up to the knee!

The sock is normally found along with its matching pair
but sometimes a kind soul will be happy to rescue a pair of individual socks - charities exist to bring individual socks together.
These kind people wear the two individual but non-matching socks with the hope they will 
perhaps
one day become a pair 
and live happily ever-after!

Sock mating has never been captured on film and the new born sock is rarely seen
The young sock can occasionally be seen popping out of the top of a white sports trainer or tennis shoe
The young sock is usually white in colour as camouflage 
and as such
is very hard to spot

Some believe the sock has magical powers.
People are convinced a matching pair went into the washing machine
only to find one when the cycle had finished.
The sock is a mischieful creature and  it is thought there is a mystical 
magical land where socks can transport themself too
there is no impiricle proof to this
but there seems to have been a spike in the number of odd socks being worn these days

As to why just one sock from a pair would take itself away 
splitting up a life long partnership 
is also not known
but it is thought something to do the female sock not approving of the state the male sock often gets into - all those holes and that cheesy smell!

So: next time you reach for a pair of these
seemingly simple and unassuming creatures - take care!
Make sure you keep them together as a pair
or perhaps think about adopting a non-matching pair for yourself.
Remember 
The sock - it's a strange creature!