1060 - Music and musing

I’ve got a sore left eye. Resting tonight
Getting up early tomorrow morning
To look after Josie. Losing the fight
To write tonight, even though I’m feeling
Both bored and guilty. Once again fleeing
Responsibility. Consolation
In the Proms live on TV. This screening
Contains works by Berlioz and Mendelssohn
With such musical treasure, being alone
Is not such a big thing; rather, a flight
Through history, emotion, suffering…
I must mention the weather. Evening sun
After terrible downpours that have quite
Drenched July, and are still continuing
Thur 30 July 2009

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

1049 - Manchester monsoon

Today I hoped we’d see the Festival
Of Caribbean Culture in Moss Side
But that plan was scuppered as the rain fell
We ate lunch and kept an eye on outside
Torrential downpours, they became our guide
So we went to the pictures (in 3-D!!)
Wearing ‘sunglasses’ in the dark, inside
I’ve not done that since I was height of knee
To a grasshopper. After ‘Ice Age 3’ -
Though too late - the weather then turned out well
Someone said, “Don’t wear those glasses outside!”
Drove down to Wilmslow to drop off Josie
Right now, after those sweets, I still feel full
Might do more music next, if not too tired
Sun 19 July 2009

1033 - Emerging briefly, then retreating

The rain and heat fell down alternately
But, thank God, in the evening there was sun
For the school barbecue. Josie and me
Walked over to it, and we had great fun
Josie’s face painted, then met the parents
A beer, a catch-up, balloon, pony toy
Games with Kirsty, and going for a run
Staying there till the moon was bright with joy
Back home now, it’s just me, a lonely boy
But in a funny way, that quite suits me
It’s quite nice to chill out, to be just one
No-one annoys me, no-one to annoy
The weekend’s here again: now, how shall we
Spend precious ‘us’ time, now that it’s begun?
Fri 3 July 2009

1027 - The bells, the bells

A lovely day centred in Didsbury
No films worth watching, so we hung around
Fletcher Moss Park, but as we parked, then we
Heard loud bell-ringing, like a wedding sound
The church door open as our ears were drowned
We found a spiral staircase and climbed up
To see the bell-ringers standing around
A hot high-ceilinged room, all reaching up
They smiled and then they invited us up
To sit and watch, and they even let me
Have a go on the rope. Then we popped round
To see Pearl, back from Paris, get dolled up
In new dress and haircut for a party…
And then the heavy rain came pouring down
Sat 27 June 2009

1005 - Dark June 2

The sky darkens now that summer is here
This is the season of disappointment
Hopes dashed with each raindrop that splashes clear
Onto the piss and vomit-stained pavement
We cannot say this summer rain's recent
It seems to be the mainstream, quite the norm
Old dreams of lazy hazy days are spent
The plain reality's this thunderstorm
Imprisoning me here; I can't go home
Just yet or my face will be wet with tears
From the heavens above, from where love's sent
Running in dirty streams down drains to form
Subterranean rivers; disappear
To sea with all our dreams, our innocence
Fri 5 June 2009

1001 - Am I dreaming?

Three days of clear blue skies. Is this Britain?
It seems that everything is upside down
And back to front these days. Politicians
Reviled, fraudulent. My face and arms brown
I live within walking distance of town
And go out now and then for a good time
At home the neighbours have all quietened down
And sleep, at last, when I need it, is mine
My mortgage interest’s low, meaning that I’m
Able to afford holidays again
Been to Paris in May, and I’ll have flown
To Ireland, come July; the autumn time
Should see a trip to European lands
It’s mainly good, because my life’s my own
Mon 1 June 2009

998 - Friday afternoon, late spring

I'm lazing on a sunny afternoon
It's a Friday, and I'm in the office
I'll be making my way home very soon
When there will be no more taking the piss
No, then the real work begins. Mustn't miss
The chance to write some poems, maybe plan
A trip to Ireland, maybe even kiss
Guitar or keyboard with my loving hands
There's a call from the life insurance man
Changing to him could pay me to the tune
Of £100 cashback - very nice!
If there are freebies about, I'm a fan!
Meanwhile, and suddenly, it's almost June
Only half a month now till the solstice
Fri 29 May 2009

994 - The death of romance (again)

Weather Report are playing in my flat
And flat is how things look now: sky is grey
What a contrast with the warm sunshine that
Greeted us when we met earlier today
We went to Yorkshire, the Halifax way
Turned back to Hebden Bridge and wandered round
I bought stuff as usual, gave cash away
But nice things for the flat were what I found
Along with freedom. She also cooled down
Like today’s weather, she started off hot
Now we both want to explore separate ways
I’m pleased it ended quietly, no sound
Of arguing in the car, no spits or spats
Romance is dead, but freedom wins the day!
Mon 25 May 2009

982 - Weather report

Please do not rain, I have not brought my coat
Please do not rain, I don't want to get soaked
Come back, dear sun, to you we give our vote
Come back, prodigal sun, or have you croaked?

Saw morning sunshine, left my coat at home
Saw morning sunshine, thought summer had come
Unfaithful sun, you always have to roam
Deceitful sun, without you there's no fun

The dark clouds linger, and the trees blow wild
The dark clouds linger, how long since we smiled?
Will summer be like this, gloomy and mild?
Must summer be like this, is our fate sealed?

The English weather keeps us all busy
The English weather keeps us all gloomy

Wed 13 May 2009

945 - Tonight's not the night

Thinking of you and listening to The Who
And shortly now Neil Young will have sung
‘Tonight’s The Night,’ but he’s not right; no, you
And me were last night; tonight I’ll just hang
Around the flat, feeling shattered; I’ll bung
On ‘Gomorrah’ tonight, not tomorrow
When I’ll see ‘Space Odyssey.’ That’ll bring
Me down to earth, grounded before I go
To Belfast again on a plane; no snow
This time unlike that last time when I flew
Tonight there’ll be a flight, but not so strong
Or fast as Belfast or last night….Oh, no
Tonight it’s flights of fantasy, not you
Tomorrow, too, ‘Without You’ to be sung
Mon 6 Apr 2009

941 - Spring has sprung, but will summer be a bummer?

These lovely spring days, will they ever last
Deep into summer? They so rarely do
Maybe not always would it be for best
If all days were stunners with skies of blue
Perhaps some years we need more rain, that's true
And dull greyness to contrast with brightness
Too much sun, I fear, would simply mean you
And I would gain less, and grass would grow less
Rain brings fertility and wealth, keeps us
Hard at our duty, rarely thinking past
Our jobs for thirty hours, and weekends too
If there is booty to be made. Shameless,
Aren't we, slaves to our greed, never to rest
Until our graves are impressive to view
Thur 2 Apr 2009

888 - Portrait of the artist as a knackered father

Ah, steak and ale pie at the County pub
After a frolic at Wacky Warehouse
Read ‘Crime and Punishment,’ then ate my grub
Along with young Josie who when she chose
Had plumped for burger. By that time the queues
Had gone and we got served quick. Then we nipped
To Wilmslow with her scooter, as the freeze
Continued to rain snowflakes, winter-gripped
Soon afterwards, driving away, I pipped
My horn, waved goodbye, headed to the hub
Of all my arty solo endeavours
Where at least TV channels won’t get flipped
By anyone but me, and I can scrub
All tasks, all art, and enjoy mental freeze
Sun 8 Feb 2009

886 - February Debruary

We've slipped on snow and ice trying to get
Together, or get ourselves together
The trains, planes, cars, and even our own feet
Imprisoned at home, saving on leather
Anticipating a change of weather
So we can get it together, us two
And others too: schools where no kids gather
We public sector softies, half of who
Will stay at home given any chance to
So what's the weekend forecast from the Met
Office? Saturday's sunny; temperature
Freezing up in the Pennines. Sunday, cue
The rain. Monday, more snow. May have to let
This cold spell pass; spring's around the corner
Fri 6 Feb 2009

882 - Salford snowfall

Outside the third-floor window, snowflakes float
Sailing, then sinking in full formation
Frail frozen fleet, soon flattened underfoot
Failing, falling to its destination
Headlights, tail-lights flow from Salford station
Forgetting office facts and office files
Filing themselves away as suburban
Freed from the city by four or five miles
The snow, the shadows, lie in light / dark piles
This freezing season with its frosty coat
This frightened evening, white, black, tight-woven
On forlorn pavements, forgotten exiles
From frequent footfalls, I'll now plant my feet
Forlornly fleeing fate's final function
Mon 2 Feb 2009

857 - Early days, early doors

Light lingers, brightening the evening sky
Through thick grey cloud, reviving earthbound hopes
Senses respond, stimulating mind's eye
And though things are no better, ego copes
Thoughts drift to summer outings, fancy gropes
For roots and branches halfway down the cliff
To slow the slide. Opening envelopes
Of bills and parking violations, stiff
Drink as the darkness inks the sky, a sieve
Removes the stars. Shit lingers, has to lie
On pavements, unattended; no fly creeps
On its frosty moonlike surfaces. If
Days were warmer, would they feel less lonely -
Those days of summer's scantily-clad groups?
Thur 8 Jan 2009

855 - It's a chill wind

Cold Arctic wind combined with clear blue sky
Diagonally crossed by vapour trail
Means rather than go out for a walk, I
Will stay at my desk this lunchtime. The pale
Sun oversees anaemically the tale
Of winter once again, cold spells that sting
The face and fingers, trying not to fail
Employers' expectations; I'm struggling
With aching gums and teeth, and following
Up things I've started, ambitions I try
To meet, lost in the cold atmosphere, stale
As working life reasserts its draining
Of energy and hope. Old people die
In unheated flats. The last coffin nail.
Tue 6 Jan 2009

849 - Not looking back or forward

A mainly cold, dark, wet, depressing year
Is dying at last. Die, you cur, die, die!
I am talking about the weather, here
What else? Well I’m an Englishman, aren’t I?
Newspaper article prints some new lie
About how next summer will be all sun
To go with all the other crap you buy
If you waste money ever buying one
Well this past year has been both shit and fun
The cherry bowl has a hint of manure
But without shit the fruit wouldn’t grow high
It’s nature’s way, the way it’s always done
So next year won’t be better. Also, fear
The reaper: twelve more months for him to try!
Wed 31 Dec 2008

845 - White remembered hills

I got up early to go for a run
In the steep hills of Cheshire’s own Lyme Park
First off, I did my old warm-up routine
Of press-ups, knee-jerks, stretching. The car park
Was cold in my running gear, and the spark
Of my car ignition failed several times
But thank God, after several tries, it worked
And I drove down to Pott Shrigley to find
Lots of cars there. Obviously great minds
Think alike. The post-Christmas keep-fit scene
Was in full swing even at ten. A leak
Behind a bush, then I set off to climb
Those steep hills, puddles frozen, frost and sun
And woolly-hatted folk out for a walk
Sat 27 Dec 2008

839 - Blue and green patches

The rain held off while patches of blue fought
For space with those big bullies dressed in grey
We waited, baiting breath like we were taught
But not holding it for a sunny day
Emerging from our holes this dark Sunday
Like frightened rabbits on Watership Down
Scared of the sky god’s blessings in case they
Mess up our hair or splash our shoes with brown
I made a dash for a green patch, high ground
And cautiously explored with map I’d brought
In Heaton Park, North Manchester at play
Amazingly tall tube kids can slide down
Some ponies looked lonely but not distraught
In muddy puddles, huddled by the way
Sun 21 Dec 2008