at our final destination the train breathing like a dragon.
Its whistle cutting through time.
Later I would remember a little wooden acorn
at the end of a string on the blind tapping against the window
as if it were admonishing the dawn demanding
entrance to the room when I was three and
pulling the blind up and then pulling the blind down.
"Shadow people" thrown against the wall
would not survive a morning.
All night they chattered amongst themselves
prowling the room that was holding me.
Debating whether to eat me now or later.
"Beings" merely made from the edge of a wardrobe or
a chest of drawers the brass **** at the end of
my bed where clothes thrown over a chair
made them come alive I believe
in them until I was nearly seven.
Too scared to *** in the porcelain ***
wetting the bed to the anger of Mama.
And now 1963 will more than likely see
the end of me as I am
and the mind that created who I was
offers me these fragments of insignificance
that amount to being a life.
I laugh as Noël Coward warbles
in his shellac'd world forever singing
"But I can't do anything at all but just love you!"
I used to look after this chap who loved Coward as much as I and we would sing all the songs together as I cleaned him up or fed him. He showed me his Dad's diary and the last entry was basically this...so I thought it deserved not to fade away so I wanted to bring him back to a life in words!
Any Little Fish – Noel Coward 1931
Any little fish can swim, any little bird can fly Any little dog and any little cat Can do a bit of this and just a bit of that Any little horse can neigh, any little cow can moo But I can’t do anything at all, but just love you!
Any little **** can crow, any little fox can run, Any little crab on any little shore Can have a little dab and then a little more Any little owl can hoot (to-whit, to-whoo) Any little dove can coo But I can’t do anything at all, but just love you!
Any little bug can bite, any little bee can buzz Any little snail on any little oak Can feel a little frail and have a little joke Any little frog can jump like any little kangaroo But I can’t do anything at all, but just love you!
Any little duck can quack, any little worm can crawl Any little mole can frolic in the sun And make a little hole and have a lot of fun Any little snake can hiss, in any little local zoo But I can’t do anything at all, but just love you!