1061 - Larks in parks

Up early. Alarm, quarter to seven
Big day today: Wilmslow at eight o’clock
Took Josie to Altrincham early on
The sun shone as we played in Stamford Park
And I ordered books from a music shop
So she can play piano in summer
We then went to Hale, to another park
And then Macclesfield, to yet another!
We stayed in South Park for maybe three hours
And yet again we both gorged on chicken
Back to my flat for tea, eye on the clock
Tonight’s show was ‘Walking With Dinosaurs’
At M.E.N. Arena - a good one
And now, relaxing after that hard work!
Fri 31 July 2009

1043 - In Ireland 5 - Banter near Bantry

Stayed up listening to music and talking
And life plans and whatnot and feeling high
At the way my Irish trip was ending
With my music being liked by Tor and Ky
And invitations to return, to try
Recording my songs with good production
And also, and this could be fun for me
Taking part in group improvisation
Slept on the sofa at DarkWorld.com
Only a short sleep, second night running
Croissant for breakfast; Ky was looking tired
She had some work. Andy and me went down
To Durrus for a pint and sandwich. Things
Have ended up all right, then, finally
Mon 13 July 2009

1040 - In Ireland 2 - Galway, Clare and Kerry

Ireland, day two - things went somewhat smoother
No large losses of money, cock-ups, stress
There is one thing that’s still crap, however
And that was the grand old Irish rain. Yes!
It never lets you down. It fell like piss
So I sat in the car in Ballyvaughan,
North County Clare, with my second breakfast
Of chicken and chips (wedges, as they’re known)
And then did my best to see The Burren
And the Cliffs of Moher in the shit weather
Drowned ratdom gets boring, I must confess
So, drove south: Spanish Point, Ennis, the town
Of Limerick on the wide Shannon River
On through Adare, to Killarney, and rest!
Fri 10 July 2009

1003 - Late night news summary

It’s nearly half-past one in the morning
I’ve been off work, at home most of the day
Then out in Yorkshire this sunny evening
To Hebden Bridge, to sing a song, and say
A poem; both went well. It’s a long way
To go and balls it up, after all. Saw
Live coverage of the House of Commons. They
Were lining up to slag off Gordon. Poor
Prime Minister (unelected). He swore
To end boom and bust, and to start cleaning,
Just like a broom, the dust of years away
Enacting all sorts of complex new law
He must finally now be regretting
Seizing power, without us getting a say
Wed 3 June 2009

999 - Sunshine beats football

Today we had to go down to the sea
And paddle in its waters in the sun
But finding a good beach is not easy
We went to West Kirby, a nearby one
The sea’s too far out, even if you run
Josie and me walked over endless sand
Past countless spirals invisibly spun
On carpets of shells, each one abandoned
To two seemingly far distant islands
One is called Little Eye, and one Hilbre
On the first one, we sat and ate chicken
We walked on, pointing out crab skeletons
Soon after, we visited my Mummy
Who reminded me the Cup Final’s on
Sat 30 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

992 - On the edge

The sun broke through as me and Josie sat
Outside The Wizard at Alderley Edge
Each with an orange squash and crisp packet
We laughed as usual as our snacks were munched
And after we had had our little lunch
Walked up Wizard’s Walk, yet still were not done
Slid down to Hare Hill, woody muddy sludge
Past streams and slopes and dreams and hopes we’d gone
And climbed and climbed as the signs urged us on
Inevitably, her legs tired, so that
Was that. Past cows and buttercups all bunched
Together in fields of rabbit warrens
This wonderland, quite near where was begat
Lewis Carroll, certainly has the edge
Sat 23 May 2009

983 - Giggin' in Wigan 2

Tonight I shall be giggin' in Wigan
Well, okay, it's just an open-mike night
Before that, hopefully, I'll be eatin'
With Christine and Carole, something quite light
In a Wigan cafe before the flight
To the Tudor House Hotel for the show
Two nights ago, sober, managed to write
A longish new poem I hope will go
Down well like the food. Before all that, though
I must plough through some work that's been pilin'
Up on my desk. With any luck I might
Actually get some of it done, the flow
Of emails usually slowing me, and then
Leave work early for Wigan poetry night
Thur 14 May 2009

980 - Monday night in Bolton

The cold, litter-swept streets of Bolton town
Are pierced not only by the freezing wind
But by the shouts of lads playing the clown
The shaven-headed and track-suited kind
The dignified town hall’s clockface aligned
More with the moon than these streets down below
Maintaining high standards, seemingly blind
To economic downturn, social woe
The stained pavements and walls of each long row
Of pubs and bars and clubs streaked grey and brown
We pass a passed-out woman, left behind
For ambulancemen to mop up as they go
Down old and bitter streets, back up and down
In pubs the hard laughter brings pain to mind
Mon 11 May 2009

979 - Crazy Sunday

A lovely day, though cloud-covered and wet
Caught up on sleep, radio playing low
Cleaned that big dusty carpet in my flat
Swept floors, then phoned my girl. Now, where to go?
She drove north on the ring road, till below
We saw the hills near Bury, and turned off
Ramsbottom was the destination; though
It rained, we shopped, we had some food, we laughed
She always finds antique shops, likes old stuff
Then J came back to my newly-cleaned flat
It was nice to be together once more
Off she went in her car: bye-bye, my love!
Then visited two friends, two pleasant chats
Now home again, work looms once more. Oh no!
Sun 10 May 2009

965 - Messing about on or near the river

I drifted on the waves of sleep till nine
Or half-past, at half-mast my wakefulness
Landlubber scrubbing floors to make them shine
Removing mould from black-stained walls, real mess
Flat sparkles like a yacht off Shoeburyness
Flat anchored near the banks of the Irwell
Except when earthquakes strike, no seasickness
But when they do strike like storms, who can tell?
Drove out to Lymm later, clanging church bell
Calls drowners to be saved, throws out a line
Canal barges bob gently, free from stress
Crossed and recrossed the Mersey by car, sailed
Through Partington, Carrington, Sale, to wind
Our mast down in the garden’s peacefulness
Sun 26 Apr 2009

948 - Happy days

Been hard at work and play these last few days
Up early today to see my Josie
We went to Uppermill and found some ways
To amuse: stepping stones, a small café
But no cruise on the barge today. Then we
Drove back through the hills, past stone cottages
The Pennines and Manchester, from Mossley,
Both look good, a new sight for Josie’s eyes
We then watched a new family film: it was
A tearjerker about a dog who dies
Worn out from years of being so naughty
We ate these mice sweets full of E numbers
Josie’s front tooth’s out - tooth fairy be praised
A sleep now, then my love I’m off to see
Thur 9 Apr 2009

944 - Springtime up in the hills

It’s late again, another night at yours
And not forgetting our little day trip
To Uppermill, all pleasure without pause
Surely we cannot let this great chance slip?
You know how I adore you, want to sip
Each pore of you like red wine, then refill
The glass immediately, savour each drip
Intoxicate you, then turn up each thrill
Until you are a helpless wreck, until
Life is too sweet to bear, then more, because
My mission is to make you flop and flip
And lose your head; I want to be the pill
You need to take in increasing numbers
Now please just pop this in between your lips
Sun 5 Apr 2009

943 - Oh my Darlington!

Not much sleep for the drive to Darlington
To see the Quakers play Morecambe - deep joy!
The usual cold north east wind, despite sun
The ticket girl on the phone to her boy
This time I decided I would employ
My Salford Uni student card, saving
Some money. Once inside, no hoi polloi
At all on this new stadium’s seating
Just sitting in the shade, and shivering
The game itself was goalless and humdrum
No surprise there, but Louis was annoyed
By the fans pushing, shouting and shoving
The atmosphere friendly, banging of drums
And calls for Hartlepool to be destroyed!
Sat 4 Apr 2009

934 - Salford Shopping City

It’s Salford Shopping City in the spring
The wind blows plastic bags round and around
The taxis race round roundabouts. Swearing,
A woman with Tourette’s withdraws her pounds
The bus-stop throbs as people are let down
A man skulks smoking outside Bargain Booze
The Pound Shops, William Hills, Woolworths (closed down)
The Flea Market empty but for refuse
At quarter to five, long Post Office queues
When my turn comes I find myself chatting
To a friendly blonde clerk eager to expound
The new Post Office credit card. Refuse -
How could I? But I did, remembering
How long it’s taken to get my debts down
Thur 26 Mar 2009

917 - Sage and Tyne

The sky darkens from Darlington to York
The headscarfed woman opposite sleeps on
Head buried in pink, pudgy hands, while talk
Drifts into my left ear. Returning from
Newcastle, recalling my walk along
Four bridges, Grainger and Grey Streets, crossing
Bigg Market to the Monument, the sun
Smiling weakly, the north-east wind breathing
Gently today at ground level, rising
To gusty bluster on Tyne Bridge. I walked
From the Gateshead side; the Millennium
Was my next crossing: slender, white, curving…
Into the Sage Centre, for this was work:
Three Civil Service seminars to come…
Mon 9 Mar 2009

911 - Rock and Roll Part One

It’s only ‘Rock and Roll,’ but we liked it
The Tom Stoppard play, Library Theatre
The audience looked like they were past it
But they were old enough to remember
The 60s: they’d been there, they weren’t all square
Ex-rockers, academics, TV stars
All crowded in to recall and to share
The golden age of rock and roll ideas
Ideals of Red Square, books they’d read, guitars
They’d strummed, joints smoked (fake joints and fags were lit)
Seen through a distant haze (I didn’t wear
My glasses, silly me). And now, the cause
Of socialism’s agreed to have bit
The dust, or has it? Might its ghost appear?
Tue 3 March 2009

890 - Travels in Northern Ireland and northern England

Down by the misty Lagan I wandered
Before the meeting about tax began
People walked over bridges, I wondered
How death had undone so many again
Mist dispersed, snowy hills seen, now and then
Cave Hill supreme, Belfast’s Vesuvius
Up and down May Street where titanic men
Built ships now rotting like them and like us
Big yellow cranes seen from taxi and bus
Back to George Best airport, where I sundered
My brief connection with Northern Ireland
Airborne over the coast, Runcorn-Widnes
Then Bolton, Rochdale, Oldham, snow-covered
Eastern hillscape. South Manchester, touched land
Tue 10 Feb 2009

878 - Poetry can be fun

It’s late, and I’ve had one or ten whiskies
Been to a poetry night, read some stuff
By God, it was a bit cold, felt I’d freeze
But now I’m back home, feel a bit more tough
Read two poems I wrote on the chuff chuff
That took me home from Glasgow yesterday
Not too bad, since both were quite off the cuff
One about Burns Night, one at close of day
As train sped through hills heading England way
The whiskies made me laugh, it was a wheeze
As guys read poems, stifled the odd laugh
I’ve not had much to laugh about, so hey
Why not? It’s cheaper than stand-up, and these
Nights can be fun with wordsmiths spouting guff
Thur 29 Jan 2009

877 - Let's go to San Franglasgow

A warm and sunny day up in Glasgow
Delivered a half-hour presentation
On anti-fraud measures: RDCO
Tied oils , not forgetting post-detection
The oils strategy overview was on
Powerpoint, but it didn’t work at all
So I talked using printed sheets, upon
Which lay my notes and stats; tried not to drawl
On for too long. After my talk, a small
Coffee break, RFTU video
Then down one floor, by lift, to a luncheon
Outside Portcullis House, a technical
Demonstration by a road testing crew
Back down Argyle Street to Central Station
Wed 28 Jan 2009