I Don't Really Drink Beer

at a Parisian cafe

I sat at a table

outside on the street 

under an awning 

under the Parisian sky

the waiter enquired

and I ordered a beer 

just a beer 

"une bière s’il vous plaît"

an essential phrase for a Brit in Paris to know 

and when it came

I drank

slowly I drank

cold beer from a glass

...and it was wonderful!

now

looking back

all those years

I now understand 

I know what it was...

it was 10% the beer

but 90% the location!

...as I don't really drink beer!

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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

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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!"

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(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!

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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

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