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

1039 - In Ireland - Mayo and Galway

Ireland, day one - a day of big mistakes!
First off, I forgot to pack my glasses!
Not good when I’m driving a hired car. Yikes!
And then, at Liverpool Airport, there is
No BMI Baby check-in, because
My flight’s from Manchester, NOT Liverpool!
My taxi zoomed there (Cost: 50 knickers!)
A late take-off to Knock saved this damn fool!
At Knock Airport the car hire cost a full
Hundred euro more to insure ’gainst breaks
Or pay 300 euro for scratches
No time, or eyesight, to go driving all
Round Mayo. Knock-Tuam-Galway in three shakes
Galway’s always busy; it always is
Thur 9 July 2009

1038 - Bags packed - tomorrow

It’s my last day at work before Ireland
Culminating in a Poetica show
In Central Library, and now that’s done
Tomorrow, pack my bags, and then I’ll go
On foot to Manchester, and wait below
The bus-stop, catch the coach to Liverpool
Airport, and fly to Knock, explore Mayo
Pass briefly through Galway. My schedule’s full
For the next five days over there. Meanwhile
I’m relaxing, now everything’s in hand
I’ve made a checklist I’ll check tomorrow
Morning; for now, I haven’t got the will
To pack my bags. My head is in the sand…
Mañana, mañana, mi amigo…

1026 - We're all going

Late June, and talk turns to our holidays
John's off to Sweden to see his brother
Amanda's off to Turkey for a laze
By the pool in the sun, while the other
John's off to far-off California
Annie will no doubt go to France again
I'm off to Ireland soon myself, hell yeah!
And Charles was talking about going to Spain
Of course, we all pay to escape the rain
Here's hoping we get our share of sun's rays
Here's hoping for sunburn (I don't smother
Myself in sunscreen; that sure is a pain)
And so we'll soon all go our separate ways
And do our best to forget each other
Fri 26 June 2009

1018 - Trainspotting

Another trip up north to Newcastle
Another chance to see some scenery
Another chance to see girls and ogle
On yet another long slow train journey
But the nice girls they never sit by me
They walk past empty seats and sit elsewhere
Then, after they have passed, immediately
Some guy sees nothing wrong in sitting there
And I think to myself, a wasted fare
No-one to stare or glance at (all subtle,
Out of the corner of my eye, quickly)
Why do girls do this? It seems so unfair
And silly, since it’s so predictable
Some other guy will sit by them, not me
Thur 18 June 2009

1016 - Just flu in from Mexico

A woman's died from swine flu in Scotland
And a colleague who sits two seats from me
Is going next month to the very land
Where the outbreak began, on holiday
Hey, let's go to Mexico, we all say
The rooms are cheap right now, the plane seats too
If you're fed up of fever caused by hay
Then Mexico's where you should fly for flu
Remember all those colds caught when you flew
On other, shorter flights? Well, when you land
Back in the UK, you'll say 'Excuse me...
I think I'm going to sneeze. A-a-achooooo!
If you don't want the bug, cover your hands
Not your face. Enjoy Mexico City!
Tue 16 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

977 - Europa interloper

I’m home, dear. Oh dear, I’m home. Dear, oh dear
I’ve got the travelling bug now. Will you come?
The only problem is it’s all so dear
Meals, hotels and whatnot all cost a sum
Tourism isn’t threatened by the slump
Or is it? Pockets shrink, hold fewer pounds
To the euro. To Europe’s a big jump
Will you go? Walking loses a few pounds
Supermarket snacks too; lose weight around
Your hotel restaurant bills and you’ll be there
Try camping, sleeping on trains, thump thump thump
But hotel rooms keep you awake with sound
Of costly bangs through thin walls… Disappear
With me, let’s go before the month is done!
Fri 8 May 2009

976 - Kids on a plane

I’m sitting on a crowded aeroplane
A warm evening at Paris Charles de Gaulle
The toddlers are all starting to complain
They don’t understand this waiting at all
Is it going home makes them wail and waul?
Red-faced, a tiny girl, despite cuddles
From Daddy, bellows; then suddenly, cool
Now the girl in the seat behind wriggles
But seconds later, she’s become all smiles
Is it their youth makes waiting such a pain?
The plane taxis, stomachs tighten, the small
Unaware of the sudden speeding wheels
Seconds ahead. The Mummies will explain
We’re flying faster than a cannonball
Thur 7 May 2009

974 - Plastered in Paris 2

Un autre jour à Paris: Sainte-Chappelle
A fuckin’ long queue, mais it was worthwhile
Those stained-glass fenêtres: sensationelles!
Un peut de shopping, home for a piss, then we’ll
Go for a falafel, served with a smile
Fed les pigeons; on est allé au Musée
Carnavalet, where luckily twas real
Easy a prendre des photos, regarder
Le lit de Proust. Turned into a good day
Despite the clouds. I was OK, but Pearl
Was fatiguée. Walked over to the Ile
De la Cité, ou Pearl est occupée
Dans son restaurant. I thought, fuckin’ ell
What to do next? Qu’est-ce que c’est difficile
Tue 5 May 2009

973 - Tour-ism

The first place we saw was the Tour St-Jacques
Kids played in the sun there and near Les Halles
On the grass, just in front of St-Eustache
We queued but failed to get in Sainte-Chappelle
On to the Latin Quarter: the next pile
Was St-Sulpice; Jardins du Luxembourg
Café Rostand. Montparnasse: half a mile
Up the tower, Paris laid out like a rug
The long line of the Louvre like a slug
Trail; Tour Eiffel cut a vertical dash
Cimetière Montparnasse cast quite a spell
From such a height, and on the ground, graves dug
For JP Sartre, de Beauvoir and Duras
In the evening, poetry in Belleville
Mon 4 May 2009

971 - Today, Derbyshire, tomorrow, Paris!

It’s late, I need to pack, watching football
Why am I so late getting organised? Well it’s coz
I spent a lovely day out with my girl
But early tomorrow I’ll catch the bus
To John Lennon Airport, off to Paris
To see my daughter, who now works real hard
At a café near Notre Dame. Hope this
Doesn’t tire her too much, not too much poured
Out into other people’s cups. We’ll board
Le Metro to some great spots, join the whirl
Of French life, drink some coffee, take some tours
Have as good a time as we can afford
In the capital of what was once Gaul
Pictures to follow on Facebook, of course!
Sat 2 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

901 - Transports of delight

Oh my God, oh my God, oh my good God
I so, so nearly missed that bus back home
Been down to London again; things seemed good
Plenty of time after the Millwall game
To reach Victoria coach station again
But at Stockwell I chose the wrong platform
Not Victoria, but a Northern Line train
Is what I hopped on to! With some alarm
I instantly knew my mistake: the harm
Done, had to stay on till Oval, but would
There be time to catch the coach, my mind groaned
Like metal wheels on metal tracks, forlorn
Ran through Victoria… Arrivals! No good!
Departures…Gate 20... Wave driver down!!!
Sat 21 Feb 2009

813 - Scottish angels

I finished reading Shadow of the Wind
On the train home from Glasgow in the dark
The sun shone all day. First, we tried to find
Queen Street station, on George Square. Hearing talk
From my colleague about the angels: ‘Look!’
I saw four buxom goddesses of love
Made of stone, holding up buildings. We walk
Away from love, from those girls up above
In the cold morning air, senses removed
Showing the boobs that no hearts beat behind
Got places to go, people to see, work
(In this case, tax talk.) Northward the train drove
Through green fields, orange hills, blue skies, a kind
Vision of Scotland, beautiful and stark
Tue 25 Nov 2008

812 - Sketches from the east coast mainline

The train took us north through pretty Yorkshire
Hills green and rolling, yellow towns nestling
Historic Durham Cathedral, higher
And therefore nearer to God, its choir sings
Plenty of eye candy, pretty young things
Sharing the ride, some jumping off before
Saying goodbye with eyes, pulling, dragging
Their cases elsewhere, gone forevermore
Alternate rain, hail, sun, cloud and much more
In windy Newcastle, but they don’t tire
Schoolkids leap and shout, homeward journeying
Back up to Edinburgh, then change for
Glasgow Central, eighth floor, Thistle. Try a
Japanese sushi. Now TV watching
Mon 24 Nov 2008

805 - Edinburgh Choo-Choo

It’s been a busy month for travelling
I went to Paris earlier, you know
I’ve just got back from York, recovering
From that while also preparing to go
To Edinburgh: up there tomorrow
And then, the following week, Newcastle
And on from there to sink pints in Glasgow
Then back home at long last, perchance to chill
I love to travel but my wallet’s ill
Paris was leisure but the rest’s working
Nonetheless, pleasure can still smoothly flow
From pumps in pubs on work trips, so let’s fill
The glasses and drink to more journeying
(And promotion prospects, though they’re quite low :(
Mon 17 Nov 2008

794 - We are sorry for any inconvenience this may cause you

Public transport, like public school, can be
A slight misnomer, and for a roamer
Highly dramatic, traumatic maybe
Let the train cause the strain, make you phone the
Person waiting: “Sorry, I’m late home, a
Railwaymen’s strike. Looks like a taxi which
Will tax me.” Strikes me that you’re a goner
If public transport fails the poor man. Rich
And you’ll get there, no scare… but you’ll still twitch
In your first-class plane seat. The meeting’s three
And take-off’s delayed till two. Bemoan your
Fate to be late: this thick fog’s got you stitched
Uptight as night draws in, gate twenty-three
This airport scare’s taught me to stay home more
Thur 6 Nov 2008

793 - The Parisiad (part 2)

Deuxième jour à Paris. Visited
The Place des Vosges dans le Marais encore
The Jewish Quarter, rue des Rosiers, hid
Just off the rue de Rivoli, and more

Delights: the rue de Sévigné… alors
Montmartre, then lunch, then Beaubourg, then the long
Walk up Rivoli, Louvre, Tuileries, pour
Promener le Champs Elysées; a strong

Espresso (and rest) chez Café George Cinq
Then on to the Arc, unusually crowded
With police and army. Bir Hakeim Métro
And it’s a short, bothersome walk that brings

One to la Tour Eiffel, decorated
In blue, with sparkling light show every hour

Wed 5 Nov 2008

792 - The Parisiad (part 1)

Due to last night's public transport trauma
And not getting to her flat until two
A.M. thanks to plane / train / taxi drama
We lay in, and my daughter skipped class too

A cloudless sky of pure Parisian blue
When finally we rose penetrated
The courtyard. Briefly observing the view
From her front door of Notre Dame, we did:

Bastille, République, Canal, Stalingrad
La Villette (Cité de la Musique); a
Serge Gainsbourg expo. Down rue Menin to
Parc Butte-Chaumont (Montmartre clearly sighted)

Belleville, Ménilmontant, Richard Lenoir
Back 'home,' then out to see Barack break through

Tue 4 Nov 2008