Dudley Wood Road

Dudley Wood Road.

A street of aspiration

nearly new cars parked in nearly finished front gardens

their cherished number plates don't quite say the names of their owners

and hide the real age of the cars!

Dudley Wood Road.

A road of showmans compounds 

barricaded in behind threats of prosecution and two very real alsatian dogs

a pub with a 'Sky TV' sign tied up outside on the railings

creased and fading

like the carparks half tarmaced surface

like the pub itself!

Dudley Wood Road.

Tarmac and gravel where lawns and flowerbeds should be

a street of many house designs

an occasional run of similar houses 

interspersed with a mix of old and new 

in all sorts and all sizes and styles

a sort of planners 'free-for-all!'

Dudley Wood Road.

Cars

half completed cars

half completed cars half on pavements 

half on the road 

car parts litter front gardens

an old landrover which has long since seen the road

yet faces the it

more in hope than anything else

maybe there's one more adventure left in its wheels!

Dudley Wood Road.

The signs of rebuilds

up-grades

improvements and extensions

huge sacks of gravel

sit amongst the weeds in front gardens

one planned to replace the other 

The occasional skip

A recent delivery

An old lady with purple 'upgraded hair' walks her dog,

says hello!

Dudley Wood Road

is any road

any town

any city.

Dudley Wood Road 

is every road

your road

my road.

Nobody's road

Art

Art is something that catches my eye

some thing that makes my soul want to fly.

Art is something that warms the heart

something that blows the mind apart!

It's bright and it's cheery and makes my day

I know it makes others feel that way.

If I see something I'll stop and I'll think

It brings us together; makes the world shrink.

Art is personal; you see it from your view

art has the power to do this to you.

It starts conversations; things to discuss

and I think that art is bigger than us!

I'm Not Sure Any More

Is that a women or a man?

I dont know,

I'm not sure anymore.

Can I say that?

I don't know,

I'm just not sure anymore. 

The World That Betjeman Knew

The world that Betjeman knew is not that which we know now.

For the 'conifer county of Surrey's' now skirted,

the 'avenue to the potting shed's'; traffic diverted

the 'black stockings legs' to comfort converted

and there still isn't grass enough to graze that cow!

And what of 'the hockey girls; their tennis or gym'

'the liberty lampshade that shone on them all?,

'Oh! Fuller's Angel cake' went to the wall

gone like the alcove; along with the hall

(as did the baths where they taught her to swim)

Oh dear! The flesh no longer needs to be subdued!

'The early light on Beaulieu water',

no longer shines just like it oughta,

'and Clemency; the generals daughter'

no longer 'tulip figured'; I must conclude.

The nightclub; whose cleaning just wasn't attempted

knocked down; the 'regency curtains' disappeared 

a site for a 'Tescos' quickly cleared

the 'host of spiders'? Lost it's feared

and alas; the ashtray's still waiting to be emptied.

The 'ash tree' that up the sun and ivy rose

like the 'leathery limbs' the 'final entrance fee' paid

despite them both finally dying; fade

succumed the two; to a disease I'm afraid 

'swarm over death'; I do suppose.

The bells of churches these days must adapt

'oh why must they make such a din!'

and 'shake the floor and smudge the ledgers' in time for a very large 'lime juice and gin'

and the 'blackened girders of Cricklewood'; now scrapped

'the polished oak desk; smashed' - seems apt

'Metro-Land' gone; the builders cash-strapped

and the bells; a noise abatement slapped!

Perhaps the 'friendly bombs did fall on Slough'

for the world that Betjeman knew

... is not that which we know now!

Old Waldor Castle (On This Peaceful Corner Of England)

Deep amidst the summers heat; hidden in the forest green  

darting wagtails nod and swallows swoop; a meal to catch

as quiet under shade of ancient trees; a family eats

the mothers stroll with prams; their sun shades high so babies cool

and men with fishing rods along the lakeside wait; their luck to try; a fish to catch

sits a castle ruined there - and all around is calm!

All is calm - but once a bloody battle raged!

The calm belies that many souls were lost and so the seat of power seized 

a siege of great distruction dealt; battles left a ruined pile 

the self inflicted distruction caused the mighty walls to crumble

so determined he to take his rightful seat; his power to reclaim.

In time replaced by castle new; which built within the ruins sight 

so dressed to please his lordship's eye 

as garden folly; a statement made

and now on summer days like these when families come and children play

it's hard to imagine that battles were fought and that blood was spilt

on this peaceful corner of England

In Front Of Me

Hear the morning shadows pass the window of your sleeping 

see your breathing lighten by the glowing crescent moon 

as if a lonely heart was just broken into pieces

that couldn't understand why the world would end so soon

it wasn't like the dream I'd had before I woke up finally,

the one in which my tears upon the floor were many strewn 

We had nothing left in common but the gloomy autumn weather

I could see the good times leaving; now were many miles away

despite the remorseless march of the hand upon the clock face

despite the fact that time just wouldn't stay

I think you need to see it through your bright reflective glasses

you wouldn't know what's meant; if I sat it on your knee

If you held it on your hand; you might see that it was broken

broken upon the floor in front of me.