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