Guns, guns
Like the Wild West
The boy runs around
In a ***** vest
Shooting water
Like Al Capone
He has no help
He’s all alone
Past the church
And down the streets
The urban warrior
With heart beats
Angel child
Diamond rough
These chiselled bricks
Have made him tough
Suburban angel
Boy of man
Shows the zest
Of Peter Pan

Down by the river
And across the grass
Where the cows roam
And the ramblers pass
Sits my house
A small decrepit thing
Like a humming bird
With a broken wing
Two rooms up
And three rooms down
There’s barely enough space
For my dressing gown
But I like it really
Cause I’m a bit of a loner
The simple mess
Fits my persona
Nobody comes
And nobody goes
Except the wind
That frequently blows
Now off you go
And don’t come back
If you follow me again
I’ll give you a smack

Walls of crumble
Posters of exhibition
Drum beats, cymbals and electrics
Flow through the annex
Piano keys are dancing
Songs bounce on the air
And vending machines release
In the old gothic corridor
Bags, books and pens
Projectors, desks and improvisation
Movement and stretching
In the mirrors of a dance studio
Cafe, pool table and laughter
Cigarette smoke up my nostril
Small television up on a shelf flashing
As Motörhead seeps from the jukebox
Rehearsals for a play
Nerves slowly stand to attention
Then the applause from the crowd
Before the scaffold and lights come down
Off to the pub for beer
The gang of goths terrify on the street
Being kissed quite unexpectedly
When naive and unworldly
Now home slumped on the sofa
Head spinning like a top
Up at a ludicrously late time of day
Back to college for more

When the rain has ended
And the soil is soft and wet
I will remember my beautiful garden
The closest thing that I could get
To perfection on a scale
That I could never reach in life
Because the world is just to demanding
As it cuts you like a knife

Draining all your energy
And chipping away at your soul
Leaving you lost and empty
As you stare into a hole
Of despair and a bleak future
That doesn’t seem to end
Enclosing like a nightmare
Without love from a decent friend

Until I found my garden
Which ultimately found me
Calling me in for attention
As I planted my first tree
Then I turned over the soil
And watched the flowers grow
Such a feeling of overwhelming peace
Before the rain started to flow

Am I the possessed
Or am I the possession
Am I the jury
Or the court in full session
Am I the important letter
Or the stamp that makes it go
Am I the hardback book
Or the words that make it flow
Am I the shimmering sea
Or the fish that live below
Am I the clear blue sky
Or the sun that loves to glow
Am I the yellow daffodils
Or the honey made by the bee
Am I the fronting facade
Or am I just me

Hello love bird
Where have been hiding lately
I missed you down at the bar
Shining so brightly

Hello love bird
Why did you leave so soon
I wanted to talk like we used to
When the world used to stop

Hello love bird
Do you remember me now
I would love us to get together
One day soon

As the fireworks fly and then they die
The Prosecco erupts in the thin glass cups
And the music plays through drunken sways
We remember 2020

The crappiest of years full of misery and tears
When hospitals swelled and and claps were held
Laptops boomed and people zoomed
We remember 2020

But let’s now move on from this
That misery and stupid bliss
Let’s start in 2021
With sunshine and lots of fun
Just watch the vaccines roll
As they reach their ultimate goal
Of lifting the world
To a place
Of beauty and the upmost of grace

Let’s drink and catch up once again
In the snow in the sun in the rain
And hug like never before
The minute we open the door
Cause for me the world has just begun
In the new year of 2021

The cherries roll around and around
The bell shows it face
Three of them and your in the money
There will be coins flying all over the place

Press the hold button and press it quick
Cause the grapes are worth a score
And then the machine starts being a swine
It doesn’t love you anymore

The bell is back and looking strong
The bars are showing a bit
And again the machine takes your cash
Why is it being a ****

It’s being like this for the simple reason
It’s a machine without a heart
All it wants is your well earned money
Your wages will do for a start

Through long stupid grass and over big stupid stones
We wandered for hours
Just me and you
All alone

Saying we’re almost there
But not sounding convincing
Saying we’re almost here
Whilst letting the curiosity in

And then we hit the summit
What a beautiful view
The valley spreads like an ocean
A beauty revealed by you

Saying isn’t this amazing
My mind is lost in space
Saying isn’t this amazing
How did you find this place

Now I know why I love you
You produce rabbits from a hat
This is why I’ll always be your man
Cause you keep my soul in existence

Hello up there my old friend
Up there
Conducting the orchestra
Making them play
In your own special way
Hello up there my old friend

Hello up there my old pal
Up there
Playing the song
Waving hello
Making them glow
Hello up there my old pal

Hello up there my old mate
Up there
Reading the map
Guiding them around
Feet on the ground
Hello up there my old mate

Hello up there my old flower
Up there
With one eye on us
Watching us all
Standing tall
Hello up there my old flower

I’ll probably fall asleep again
After a few cans of lager
But I don’t want to tonight
I want too enjoy the peace
Enjoy the freedom
Listen to the snoring from other rooms
The rain if it starts
The radiators making strange sounds
I want to listen to my mind churning
Thinking about the topics of the day
About football
About friends
About family
I want to watch old comedy
That remind me of being young
I want to......

**** the alarms just gone off
I fell asleep

A gift for me
Left at my door
Placed in a box
But nothing more

I open the gift
Left in my care
It’s a curious thing
Who left it there

It wags its tail
Left to be cared for
A little bundle of hair
Lifts its paw

I carry it in the house
Left by a friend who’s seen
My smile had disappeared lately
A wave of sadness I have been

I stroke it ever so warmly
Left to be my friend
The puppy that I will call happiness
And will love to the very end

We chase it we chase it
The car going fast
The cackle of delinquent
Hangs in the air
And we know it’s there
Across the grass it goes
Leaving holes in the soil
A wicked excitement follows
Then boom it’s on fire
From roof to tyre
Squeals of delight
Feeling of sadness
A persons pride and joy
The tool thats goes from A to B
Up in smoke like a firework set free

They stumble down the embankment
All bomber jackets and heavy boots
Shouting loud obscenities with venom
Swearing allegiance to the *******
The upbringing of a damaged world
And undisputed seeds of damaged minds

They hide in the shadows of the bridge
Terrified little boys clinging to each other
Poor unsuspecting victims of hatred
Innocent young hearts of a different belief
Praying to be safe and alive
Behind the sanctuary of a ***** old mattress

Displaying a rage so disturbing
As they stumble close to the waters edge
Throwing stones in menace
That cause ripples in the water
They laugh like tormented hyenas
Who terrorise animals in the wild

Hearts pounding underneath the rib cage
And sweat dripping from their brows
They huddle together in fear
Echoes of school bullies
And running for their lives down streets
Reverberate around their minds

Then a hand grabs quick
And a fist rains hard
Screams are stifled
As blood flows slowly into the river
And then silence
Accompanies the mattress as it floats away

He wrote for a second
A line about me
And then changed his mind
The ***** little coward
Sat up cosy in my tree
I glared from my window
At the pen in his hand
I’m just another scandal
To sell a filthy rag
Not an ounce of truth in it
The swine just wants to lie
Then out he goes
Hurts his leg in the fall
I pick up his pad
And eat the page
Before I push him over the wall
The swine just wants to lie

Shrubs grow wild along the empty tarmac
Lizards scurry through endless grass
Headlights shine over the cracked concrete
As the juggernauts fly down
Their horns bellowing like bagpipes
Drivers with corroded souls
And broken down hearts
Through divorces and estranged children
Listening to country and rock
Whilst drinking coffee from big cups
Going past Tony’s Diner
Lit up like a Christmas tree
Gasoline pumps rattling in the breeze
The trucks litter the carpark
Like milk cartons upright in a fridge
Inside the waitress pours the jug
Into large plain mugs
Then places plates down
With pancakes and jam
She smiles a sweet pleasant smile
And returns to behind the counter
Through the window the grizzly biker
All yellow fingered and wiry haired
Watch’s a couple hand in hand
Kissing between giggles
Thumbing down vehicles
Hoping the drivers to be sane
On their way to stardom
Billboards flash breakfast cereal adverts
And the latest movie trailers
Until a bulb flickers then dies into the night
Crickets laugh and cackle
Along the green and stony embankments
That lie under neon motorway signs
Directing traffic and leading the way
Birds fly from trees en mass
Like a scene from a horror movie
Before the animals run between cars
Some survive but some don’t
Then as the moon kisses the clouds
On the road of the ******
Dreams are lost but never forgotten
For eternity and forever more

Kisses on my face
All sloppy and wet
A dream of a man on the brink of waking
They are the best ones yet

A smile of a face
Full of beauty and fun
As the light comes through a tiny window
Made by the eternal sun

In a world of questions and chaos
I believe she was made for me
Through the pains and trials of social ills
Her radiance is a joy to see

Tough as old boots but made of heart
A reassurance wrapped in leather
I cross my fingers and long to believe
That we will always be together

A question is worthless
If not without means
All clocks are just pointless
Without hands and mechanical beans
A day is extremely dull
When the wake up isn’t right
The moon doesn’t thrill
If the clouds cover her sight
Grass ceases to grow
After disruption by human endeavours
Birds won’t fly so high
Without wings and colourful feathers
People cannot talk
When freedoms are taken away
And societies cease to exist
If oppression gets in its way

The penguin it flew
Yes it flew
Way up high
Away from the zoo
Away from the people
The kids
And the noise
Into the clouds
With grace and poise
And then it got tired
It peaked too soon
As it soared past a satellite
On the outskirts of the moon
It started to fall
Swiftly back down
Through the clouds
And into the town
Bounced on a tree branch
And rolled over roofs
It landed on a bus heading for the zoo
Then it splashed onto the pool
Back where it belonged
Then did a little swim
And sang a little song
What an adventure
What a day
But it couldn’t talk for long
Cause sleep got in the way

The woman saunters by the stream
Then kneels and strokes the water so blue
A million stars shine up above
She does a gentle sneeze - atchoo
Humming a song she knows from youth
As her ears become one with the breeze
Earths chorus lights up the night
And bounces through the trees
A woman alone is not a good thing
In this place of wicked ills
But the cross she wears around her neck
Serves as a protector against evil wills
Her wrinkling face seems effervescent
And sadness exudes from her face
Blood sees her exit the mortal coil
As the mans shadow takes her place

He knocked and he knocked
And he knocked for hours
Under the gaze of the April showers

The door stayed closed
No answer came
Everyday, just the same

He threw a stone
Up at the window
But no sign of a light glow

A car speeds by
His eyes quickly drift
Sadly as, a curtain lifts

Then off he goes
Trudging in sorrow
The same time he’ll be back tomorrow

So there it is in black and white
The thing has finally arrived
A formal page that means much more
Puts an end to our marital lives

I didn’t see this coming
Just a tiff that stayed too long
But once that tiff started bouncing
It exploded into a song

What do I do now
I mean how do I carry on
You didn’t wait around I see
He arrived the second I was gone

Maybe I could try dating
I’m a man with needs after all
The internet is a curious beast
I guess I could give it a call

A worthless piece of paper
Made from a thousand trees
It’s what you wanted in the end
That and the house keys

Goodbye then and good riddance
You were a waste of space
I just wish you’d had the decency
To not wave your affair in-front of my face

Your love came over me like the tides
Of the largest oceans and seas
Flowing through my hair and over my face
Bringing me to my knees

A love so strong isn’t natural
It should be under lock and key
But that would even more criminal
Cause I need it to be free

Like in a spiders web I was caught
It was pleasure though and not for death
Cause the aura you released at me
Could stop my heart and freeze my breath

The time went into slow motion
By a chance meeting on the train
This world I knew until that point
Went flushing down the drain

I wonder why you came along
Maybe it was just meant that way
The feelings the same all these years after
It will never ever go away

A portrait on the wall
I remember from youth
Famine
Of a man clothed in rags
With wolves by his side
Famine
Stars twinkling brightly
By the artists fair hand
Famine
A million times I’ve viewed it
Mouth wide in awe
Famine
Find me a fortune
So I can buy it to keep
Famine
I’ll love that painting
Till the day I sleep
Famine

Darts, darts
A game for old farts
Simply not true
They’re younger than you
Sharp metal tips
Postured hips
Into the green, then the red
Nothing better than three in a bed
Treble twenty and double top
When will the excitement stop
Darts, darts
A game for old farts

If we, as mere mortals, cannot grab the world
By its throat and correct it
Then how, do we
Expect our children to
Maybe if we changed ourselves
At the age that we are
Then our children will see
That anything is possible
That anything can change
That people can make things better
That happier times can come
Maybe if we changed ourselves

I was gripped by a wild frenzied fear
Twisting through my flesh
Digging around my bones
Tingling my skin
Blood shot come my eyeballs
As the beast entered within

A solitary walk on the empty moors
When the howl echoed the night
And then the piercing growl
Through dense smothering fog
Something unearthly lived
That was no ordinary dog

It knocked me down
Onto the wet slippery grass
The putrid breath in my face
And the devil red eyes
That ****** themselves into my soul
Plotting my demise

Bang went the shotgun
Loud and full of life
I laughed from my stomach
A laugh of joy
Then cried as I turned
To see the naked boy

Always in a hurry
Like a butchers knife
Cutting through life
The world is in a hurry

Why don’t we just slow down
Don’t treat your time
Like it’s bad or a crime
Just try and slow down

Take a step back
And breath in it
For more than a minute
Time now to step back

Where did I go
When I ate my breakfast this morning
Where did I go
When I got myself dressed
Where did I go
As I looked in the mirror
Where did I go
That man I used to know
My hair looks very different
And a beard covers my face
My eyes seem all puffy
And my hair is out of place
My skin is showing wrinkles
And my nose now has hairs
My face is faint and thin
Like a stranger just moved in
Where did I go
When I closed eyes after forty
Where did I go
When my body started to change
Where did I go
When I struggled with my clothes
Where did I go
Is the age just starting to show

I passed a man in the lobby
He was as silent as the midnight hour
His face was as white as Christmas snow
And his demeanour was dull and dour

I passed the man again that day
Not one word left his lips
It was like the world around me stopped
As a coldness passed through my hips

I never saw the man again
He disappeared into the night air
The most unusual feeling was left with me
When normally I wouldn’t really care

Who was the man I’d only seen twice
And why did he have to go
Without the simplest flash of a smile
Or the courtesy of saying hello

And then I saw the painting
Hung like a memory on the wall
Of the man who passed me quietly
As I wandered down the hall

His face was all tired and grey
Looking like a chap of deception
He must be someone of importance
As he overlooked the hotel reception

I enquired to the desk clerk
Who is the gent up above
That is the owner of the hotel
Mr Henry J Love

Then I was hit by thunder
As my heart beat with dread
He won’t be with us tonight though sir
The mans been thirty years dead

She’s gives me the ice cream
Then takes it away
Playfully and full of fun
But a bit naughty also
Curly haired and sweet
With a mischievous grin
Portuguese I’m told
She can be whatever she wants
For me

From under the salty tasting waves
Skin fused with slime and sand
Comes the serpent
Teeth like jagged rocks
It’s spring loaded jaw snapping in the air
A boat on the water
Floats along silently
Unaware of the danger to come
All is calm until...
CRUNCH! Goes the wood of the hull
Broken like twigs on a branch
Bodies slung up into the air
Like bread being tossed to the ducks
Screams awash the portrait like sky
And then silence
Blood covers the foamy waters
Like paint onto an artists canvas
The serpent has come
And fed its belly
It’s rotten dark putrid belly
Awash with bone and flesh and wood
Down it’s drifts
Back into the depths of middle earth
Sleeping like a baby
Until interruption brings it forth
To wreak havoc once more

She had glasses
I had none
We talked a little
And then she was gone
Didn’t even catch her name
And she didn’t catch mine
But for those few brief hours
The world felt so fine
I could walk past her in the street
She could walk past me
Without the slightest recognition
Of a conversation we had at sea

Prisoners of war
Or prisoners of pride
Or prisoners of peace
Or something beside
The flip of a coin
To decide your fate
To decide your future
To simply change fate
Through the fields
Men with guns
Men with grenades
Men making runs
War is over
Relief to be here
Relief to be home
Relief brings a tear

Pebbles in salt
The salt of the sea
A beautiful moment
For my dog and me

Waves come a calling
Spraying me with the tide
An idyllic picture book setting
As the dog wags at my side

The roar of the ocean
Vibrates the drum of my ear
A fine sight to behold
My Labrador bolts away in fear

Boats litter the blue horizon
From all four corners of the world
And the dog races away
Chasing the stick I just hurled

I love watching the seagulls
Flying over my head
The dog sniffs at a dormant jellyfish
Lying transparent on the sea bed

Casually walking over the dunes
Through brambles and golden sands
I lovingly stroke my dogs yellow fur
With the palms of my warm hands

I used to have a friend
Or did he have me
We spoke for several hours
About family about games about tv

I used to have a friend
Or was he really there
I chased him around and around the house
Then watched him sit and stare

I used to have a friend
Who would tell me to be bad
So much that my parents would scold me
And then I’d feel sad

I used to have a friend
But one day he just disappeared
No goodbye no note no reason
As quick as he appeared

I used to have a friend
Who was imaginary I feel
But to me in those childhood days
He was there and he was real

I used to have a friend
When he went I had to make more
I suppose though if you ever came back
We could talk like we did before

Lined up together
With whitish glow
Back to front
To and fro
Blocks of wood
Patch of grass
Little rooms
And windows of glass
Sun goes in
Night stays out
As a night man checks
Who’s lurking about
Couples love nest
Families retreat
Takeaway food
For all to eat
Sleep till late
Cause they can
Or rise up early
In the caravan

The dancing butterflies
See how they fly
Like a scene from Swan Lake
Like birds in the sky
Skimming over grass
And twisting through the tress
Beautiful butterflies full of love
Beautiful butterflies in the breeze
Majestic and mesmerising
Enjoying their little chase
A smile at their wonder
A smile on my face
Do they weave in anger
Are they at war in flight
Is it just a friendly game
Is it love at first sight
The dancing butterflies
Racing around in the heat
I’m gripped in utter fascination
I’m gripped firmly to my seat

A thrill
The chill
Crawls up my back
The breeze
In the trees
Makes me jump
The fright
Of the night
Scares us to death
Oh shame
Above our name
When we run for the gate
We talk
As we walk
Away from the old graveyard

Juliet said to Romeo
‘I don’t like your hair!’
And Romeo said to Juliet
‘Well I don’t really care!’
Then Juliet said to Romeo
‘Don’t talk to me like that!’
And Romeo said to Juliet
‘Sorry baby J, I’ll buy myself a hat!’
Juliet smiled all sweetly
‘That would be a start’
Romeo replied to Juliet
‘You have evil in your heart!’
Juliet gave him a scowl
‘You know that isn’t true!’
Romeo looked all sheepish
‘I know thats not true too’
Juliet kissed his cheek
‘Your a dream, that’s what you are’
Romeo went red faced
‘I’m embarrassed, my little star’
Juliet gave him a hug
‘You’ll definitely do for me’
Romeo squeezed her all lovingly
‘Make us a cup of tea’

We found oysters
In slimy crates
Caught by fisherman
And their mates

We found oysters
And stole the lot
In terms of stealing
These were hot

We found oysters
Then shown my dad
He ate about four
To which I’m glad

We found oysters
But they weren’t for me
They smelt of sea salt
Fresh from the sea

We found oysters
Behind the rocks
Left unattended
Without any locks

Here am I
Growing in the rain
Forgotten by humanity
A stem with no brain
Charmless and ugly
Often hurled
The useless feature
Of a dying world
But you are wrong
There’s more to me
Cause I’m alive
Can’t you see
With my beautiful leaves
And my amazing shade
My looks will stay
As yours will fade
I am beauty
With a radiant glow
Spreading my magic
As the wind starts to blow
Don’t ignore me
Or stand on my soul
This here is a wonder
Growing out of this hole
In this land of nature
I am strong in my tower
The majestic and the mighty
The narcissist little flower

Demon eyes staring red
Fill the driver full of dread
Fangs are shown
And poison thrown
Onto the sheen
Of a windscreen
The car she dances
As the snake it glances
And then it’s gone
Then we’re back to one
On this mountain pass
Behind the reflective glass
Of the military jeep
Up hills so steep
The snake was there
And it gave me a scare
In my drive along
This path in Hong Kong

As the neon casts it shadow over us
Away from the dark twinkling streets
We ascend the stairs to Eden
To see what secrets and treasures it holds
A strange kind of aura hangs in the air
And the clientele seem alien and pure
Drinks are served in obscure shaped vessels
As my eyes adjust to fluorescent beams
Nicotine a thing now forgotten
But perfume and aftershave still alive and well
The aroma of youth surrounds my being
As I saunter into the throngs of hell
This is not the place of dreams
Nor is it the place of the well
This is the place that remains so hidden
Under the catacombs of city walls
Fighting to get out of this bedlam
Desperately trying to escape into the dark
A sense of ones own paranoia
Looms ever larger over me
I am not in a place of danger
And the crowd do not wish my demise
The truth lies in my swirling cranium
Sometimes we need to learn
When things don’t feel right
I leave this place into the lamplight
Goodnight and sorry for being a burden
My how I realise my predicament
I am fragile and need wisdom

Full of life and emotion
I am like an ocean
With rocks in my depths
And the occasional hidden wrecks
I am calm in the sun
Relaxed and full of fun
But I am cold in the rain
When the water takes my brain
When I capsize from my boat
Through the clouds I like to float
Seeking dreams like we all do
Not just for me but also for you
Sometimes sulky a childlike disposition
Means my growing up is still in transition
But I do believe in good
Which I think we all should
I’m balanced but complex as you see
But that’s my vessel my soul my me