1059 - Up early

So short of sleep, I went to work today
The guy below was singing, half-seven
Before that I’d been woken up by… Hey!
Wheelie bins being dragged at 7.15?
What gives? Got up and went in. Yes, went in
But not much done, well, unsurprisingly
A works do, with beer and a meal looming
Blokes at one end, the girls all separately
But later, managed to talk to Tracey
While eyeing up the girls in the bar; they
Had legs to die for. Wasted, wasted on
Whoever they were with, temporarily
The rain eased off, the sun came out to play
And in the end it was a nice evening
Wed 29 July 2009

1057 - Deep sleep

I need to sleep, I need, I need to sleep
I’m knackered, I’m knackered, fuckin’ knackered
Please let me fall so deep, so very deep
And stay down, stay down, through singing of birds
Let traffic noise, traffic noise stay unheard
Let dreams of love, dreams of love, dreams of love
Reverberate, reverberate like words
In this sonnet, this sonnet; let them move
Like bass guitar, bass guitar in a groove
Let evening dark, let evening darkness creep
I’m feelin’ even more fuckin’ knackered
If I had stairs I’d be up there, above
Lying, just lying, lying in a heap
Lying on my bed, lying on my bed
Mon 27 July 2009

1035 - Tennis sonnet

A quick sonnet, because it’s two-thirty
In the morning, and I’ve since gone to bed
But as I lay there, I thought suddenly,
Hey! I’ve not done a sonnet! Oh my God!
And so, here it is, written at great speed…
Played tennis in the early afternoon
Slowly improving, though I still can’t beat
Louis, who remains determined to ruin
My feeble attempts to compete, but soon
I’ll at least win a set. Then, on TV
I watched Federer beat Roddick, who led
But threw away the second set. Immune
To nerves, the Swiss player made history:
Fifteen Grand Slams! And now, it’s back to bed
Sun 5 July 2009

1014 - No time to do nothing

I thought I’d slept okay, had energy
To get through the day, starting with tennis
But I’m wiped out now. Maybe yesterday
And today I’ve been so active that a rest
Is what I need. But time is so precious…
I can’t rest while there’s songs to be arranged,
Recorded and learned. I just can’t dismiss
This dream, that, as I get older, seems strange
This dream that I’ll be at home on a stage
You’d think my recent fitness strategy
Would help me to make music my mistress
Push-ups, sit-ups, stretching, walks, sport…The page
Has turned from lazy ways, permanently
Or as long as motivation persists
Sun 14 June 2009

989 - Dawn of the dead

Dawn of the dead, that’s how today has been
Awoke at 4.30, then stayed awake
Read Kierkegaard, and even that book seemed
To grip me as I read it at daybreak
I thought, ‘Oh well, I’ll be able to take
A nap on the sofa later,’ but no!
I couldn’t! Thinking there was some mistake
I kept closing my eyes, trying to flow
Into that stream of forgetfulness. Go
To sleep…To sleep…To sleep, perchance to dream
At 4pm I staggered, zombie-like
Back to my bed, a quiet radio
Providing background talk on the news themes
I’d been watching all day as my eyes ached
Wed 20 May 2009

988 - Everything hurts

Today I drifted semi-consciously
As the flu gripped, and relief was nowhere
As light spread, I slept with difficulty
Even breathing was hard, and it grew clear
I’d be off work again, but also there
Would be no energy even to read
Let alone play music, or leave my lair
I needed stimulation, and indeed
I got it, as the Speaker now agreed
To resign. Watched ‘Picture of Dorian Gray’
Then watched Gordon Brown trying to declare
He was ushering in the end of greed
Yet refusing to sack certain MPs
Right! Now I can slump once more in my chair…
Tue 19 May 2009

970 - Hotel bed 2

I’m sorry, my love, not many sweet dreams
Mainly my own fault, also partly theirs
Making me stay up late chatting, the themes
Of work and private life a colleague shares
In pubs, restaurants, through the wee small hours
Got off to sleep okay, but woke at six
Disturbed by sounds from the next room, those showers
Those lightswitches, tap turnings, all those clicks
Those hums, those coughs, doors, voices, real sick tricks
Like ignored wake-up calls… To me it seems
Unthinkable to sleep on unawares
Through three such calls, but next door’s guest, he likes
To wake up slowly, he needs three alarms
So now I’m really knackered, sorry dear
Fri 1 May 2009

951 - Brainstorm

My brain is disabled, I’ve writer’s block
And even thinker’s block, it’s shock and awe
Up there in my head, just this loud tick tock
That’s blocking out the things that came before
I saw you, a tick tock more like a roar
I’ll sock it to you, I’ll unpick the lock
I’ll peek into the keyhole in your door
I’ll make you jump, eyes wide shut with the shock
I’ll feel for you, I’ll make you reel and rock
Rattle your crockery, open your drawer
Plant seeds in your rockery, write the book
Of love again before the ticking clock
Starts sticking; stocking up my late night store
Of lightning, lighting up your shady nook
Sun 12 Apr 2009

947 - Life in a day

This little man has had a busy day
Was dreaming about cricket on the beach
And I chased the ball in a lazy way
By driving my car after it, but each
Time I need rest someone always must reach
My eardrums with a shout or song, and so
It proved at 3:15 am, some French
Drunkard woke me up! I drifted back slow
Into a doze, then up at six; you know
I had to catch a train and plane today
To Northern Ireland to see Martin; such
A long meeting, then home. I said I’d go
To Hebden Bridge music night; saw Deb play
Her flute, I sang, and spoke in rhyming speech
Wed 8 Apr 2009

940 - Lazy ways

I rolled over in bed at half-past eight
And tried to doze off again, but couldn’t
Wednesday mornings are so noisy; I hate
The bin emptying racket that doesn’t
Allow lie-ins. And so I had to hunt
For wakefulness for another half-hour
Till I got up; admittedly, this meant
I was sleepy at work, not at top power
Smokin chicken soup and bread for lunch - wow
Then saw ‘The Damned United’ - celebrate
Derby’s ’72 title that went
To the wire, but we beat Leeds, and how!
Then home to watch England-Ukraine, a late
Chat to my new love, and now the day’s spent
Wed 1 Apr 2009

938 - Tired sonnet

Wanted to watch ‘Il Divo’ after work
I also wish I had watched ‘Gomorra’
These two Italian films show the beserk
Gang violence there. Well maybe tomorrow
I’ll have more energy and I will go
Tonight, however, I’m just staying in
Resting, an early night, slowing the flow
Watching some DVDs and relaxing
Too tired to play music, just beer drinking
Is all I can manage now, after work
I plan nothing, and that plan is thorough
After this, there will be no more writing
At times like this, living alone’s a perk
And household chores - oh, spare me the horror!
Mon 30 Mar 2009

937 - Late sonnet

Later than 25 or 6 to 4
I write this on my sofa smooth and black
Not long since I came in through my front door
Not long either now till I must go back
Through it again to work, alas, alack!
Here I’ve spent many a sleep-deprived night
But this time, if slumber amounts to jack
I won’t be upset; no, I’ll be all right
I’ll whistle along to the birdsong, might
Even conduct them from my window, for
I’ve just got back from seeing you, a stack
Of memories to which I can cling tight
We need each other, that is nature’s law
And who am I to argue with plain fact?
Sun 29 Mar 2009

936 - No rest for the wicked

The day began round her house, then taxi
Home for a few hours’ rest, then collect parcel
Of Kubrick DVDs, then, shocked to see
How much brick dust there was, cleared up that hell
Under the rug in the spare bedroom: well,
Louis is sleeping there tonight. Breakfast,
Then off to see Josie, who did real well
On her scooter, and made sure not to waste
My two-for-one voucher, a cheap repast
At Gourmet Burger Kitchen, her and me
No time for catching up on sleep; pressed bell
On Louis’ door in Burnage, and real fast
We got the evening’s food from Sainsburys
Watched The Shining, talked scripts and how they sell
Sat 28 Mar 2009

916 - It's no joke, this comedy

I worked on my comedy for twelve hours
For today was the last day to write it
Been working hard, using all of my powers
But rushing like this only leads to shit
Still, opportunities are rare, admit
It would be nice if the Beeb liked my script
My wrists are aching, my back too, a bit
My eyes are probably red, my brain has flipped
Running on empty now, the last drop’s dripped
After this sonnet, none of my prowess
Will be left; into dreams I need to flit
To recover the brainpower that has dipped
Not packed yet for tomorrow’s trip that steers
Me Newcastle way. I might wear a suit!
Sun 8 Mar 2009

912 - Counting on my fish fingers

Fish fingers are sizzling in the oven
The peas are boiling away in the pan
The potato in the microwave’s done
Time to eat, now I’ve done all that I can
Finished my World At War track, and I am
Well under way, ‘High Over Liverpool’
Too tired, too late to sing it again, Sam
So I’ll do that tomorrow. It’s been cool
Considering I was too much a fool
Last night, with the bedroom window open
Yet again, woken by that damn siren
A loud reveille at 6 am. Cruel
But if this continues, we must complain
I need my beauty sleep to dream and plan
Wed 4 Mar 2009

910 - Come all ye builders

I woke at six thirty to an air raid!
Crazy? Maybe, but a siren sure wailed
Maybe no bombs were dropping on Salford
But siren sounds still rose and fell, prevailed
Over my other-worldly visions, sailed
Through my open window, filled up my head
With such surreal reality, I failed
To relax till it ended. Then, the thud
Of rubble and metal landing on mud
‘Yes, rise and shine, folks! We don’t just get paid
For building work, you know! We’ve been detailed
To scare the shit out of you all! You could
Not possibly be late for work now!’ Stayed
In bed, window closed now, senses assailed.
Mon 2 March 2009

898 - Putting it off again

Off work today, but short on energy
Because of online chatting late last night
Breakfasted while watching war DVD
And Jeremy Kyle (unmissable sight)
Whenever I’m off, I enjoy the plight
Of chavs giving abuse, getting abuse
Although to some, to say so isn’t right
Maybe they’d like to live next to such crews
And hear their late night arguments and screws
Finished episode three of comedy
Since then, not done much, cause I couldn’t fight
Tiredness and laziness… Oui, je m’accuse!
But now, after a nap, it’s time for me
To practice the two songs I’ll sing tonight
Wed 18 Feb 2009

894 - Happy alone

Tired last night, went to bed and fell asleep
Slept like a log, thank God, neighbours quiet
Valentine’s Day dawned, appointments to keep
With myself and work, no shortage of it
Started with the news, there’s no end to it
Watched a chart countdown, then football preview
Wrote fifteen pages of ‘Love At First Fright’
Then watched the football scores, as boys have to
Followed by rugby (Wales - England), then new
Songs written and recorded; been a steep
Learning curve, but getting there, bit by bit
Not bad when last month didn’t have a clue
I drank and smoked, and now to count some sheep
With Plato for my bedside reading shit!
Sat 14 Feb 2009

851 - From dusk 'til dawn

Are the folks in the flat below human?
They go to bed late, make love about 3
But strangest of all, get up at seven
Or even earlier. It puzzles me
(And disturbs my sleep…) The tension can be
So bad sometimes that even when I’m whacked
I lie there, eyes aching, clock-watching. He
Makes no noise when they shag. Has he awaked
Her or is she asleep? The mattress creaked
But nothing else. On other nights you can
Hear her a mile off, moaning, ecstasy
For peeping toms, maybe, but it’s a fact
I’d far rather have peaceful slumbers than
These rings under my eyes, this lethargy
Fri 2 Jan 2009

838 - Ol' square eyes is back

A lovely day for once doing nothing
It seems I haven’t done this much for years
Too tired to think, my mind is on the blink
So I just watched one and a half series
Of Curb Your Enthusiasm. Now here’s
Another DVD lying around
Must watch before my son’s present appears
(A pile of films - the bet is safe and sound)
Well I’ve watched it now. Look who’s run aground
On Film Four - it’s Bogie and Katherine!
Will they get out of Africa? Boat nears
The sea, but gets stuck in mud. Could this mound
Of brown be metaphor, I’m wondering
For any of life’s frustrating failures
Sat 20 Dec 2008