If I left a few minutes earlier
I would have made that tube
Perhaps if I hadn't taken so long
To brush my teeth
Or find my wallet
Or kiss my children goodbye
I might have walked up
Through the empty streets
With the golden glowing dawn
Caressing building tops
And weary bus stop
A little earlier
But then
If I had
I might not have written this either

you enticed me to show off a little
and hammed-up your surprise
even though you smiled nicely
it felt a little contrived

“You’re original!” she said
As she kicked a stone across the path
We didn’t look up
We barely looked down
It was late to be out in the town
I knew we were different
But some small connection had been made
I wanted to acknowledge it
Before the moment passed
But the pressure
Of silence
“Show me your hand!”
I held out my hand
I had nothing to hide
She looked at my palm, smiled
And ran away
I looked at my palm
My foot lent on its side
Beside an old railway arch
Alone, familiar, but comforted

Oi B! Don’t sink
To the bottom of the sea
Don’t drown, in your
Nights out on the town
Keep some air
In your lungs
Find some passion
Away from the crowd
Put the spring
Back in your step
Be the B
You always were to me
Regain some rhythm
Or don’t
But don’t
Be rolled over
Before
You have
Realised

We’re bare
Our words can
Chill each other
We’ll look
For every intent
Before settling on kindness meant
But when we settle
I can take joy from that instant
And slip away

I’m away without you
But I’m alone
If I’m not feeling alone
Then I’m not loyal
And if I’m not true
I’m never going to be happy

I don't want to be right or wrong
I just want to be held
I don't want to be grown up
I just want time to stop
In your arms
While you breathe in my ear
Until I fidget
But feel a little better
Afterwards

Step into the night!
Kiss your children tenderly
On the forehead
Pull your collars up behind your ears
It’s brave, fierce work
Out there, on the cutting edge
Of hedonism
I wish I could be there with you
When you awake
But I won’t be
I’ll be lamenting the passed night
Gnarling my teeth from side to side
I’ve decided
So don’t try to tell me otherwise
Or I’ll despise you for trying to curtail
My beautiful free spirit
You’ll thank me for returning whole
Then quickly **** my selfish soul

Resting weary
Post
Posting Christmas cards
Done with
Donning smiles
Resting hesitantly
Not quite believing
There isn’t another pipeline
In the pipe
You
Aren’t
Here
Constant companion
My interface to the worldly
Wakeful wanderers
Nothing seems so easy or
So tragic without your humour
Your thoughts touch me
Because I know they’re travelling this way
Not because I am the TV detector man