I. Letter 1

You write of sitting in the cold
of anxiety about your grant
not coming & how you lonely
you are & how you'll send the money

for those jeans of yours she paid for
not wanting to come between
her & her mother
& of the growing

distance between you
such a poor, proud country boy
unwilling, still to give up
on what all see as a crazy dream

& talking of emigration
& how you couldn't find
the book she wanted
in the shops, for it was sold out

A letter to your English girlfriend never sent
& poignant all the more for it

I.I Letter 2

You write of your concern
for us, my mother & me,
praying we have enough to eat
saying you wish you were there

to stand in hopeless Russian food queues
for us and how hard it is to be so helpless
You talk of shouting on the phone
& how you didn't mean to do it

& of how love and pain are two sides
of the same coin & how when
you & my mother talk you never
say anything much, just talk about the Museum

& dinosaur bones & how mad this is, how wrong
my mother would say those bones
were your reason for your so-called love
that she should have seen the naked ambition in your eyes

that of a man used to poverty, reaching for more
aiming for notoriety, whilst lying of love

I.I.I Letter 3

You call my mother ' Princess'
(my mother doesn't know this is cliche)
& talk of British superstitions
such as black cats being unlucky

& ask why Russians think
asking for photographs
of people is unlucky
a superstition my mother doesn't recall

when I ask her about it now
Black cats, is that why I ended
up in hospital in Britain
in a land of the free robbed of my freedom

because we had a black cat?
I always thought them lucky,
adhering to the Russian superstition
I guess I might have been wrong

back then you talked of emigration
of wanting to move to Russia to be with us


I.V Letter 4

I can mostly only imagine it
from my mother's words
your letter to her who was 23
named ' Lily' after the flower of death

bringing the death of our family
She calls you ' Day-Day'
like your youth's English girlfriend
in your mid-life crisis

you've turned into a poet
& are talking of your secret
love & nursing memories of love-bites
all else is dust & forgotten

you'd later cry on the Chinese hotel
bed in front of your wife, my mother
' how can I refuse these offerings'
& eleven years go by

occasionally we talk on the phone
it's something you don't deserve

I remember it as if were yesterday
VE Day...well, not exactly
but, close enough for me
The actual surrender of Italy
May 2, 1945....but the **** Americans
Always the Americans wanted May 8
So, it's May 8th, but I'll always remember the second
We were in Milan...I love Milan
****** was dead, Mussolini was dead
I was alive, and in Milan
Rumours were out that the war in Europe was almost done
Nobody had told the Gerry's that though
Word came from Lubeck that they'd surrendered
I was twenty one years old, going on 50
War ages you...and not in a good way
I was in 6th Airborne and ready to go back
When the word came down
I remember kissing the waitress at our cafe
I kissed her hard, and with as much passion as a 21 yr. old can have
I didn't want to let her go
It was over
I kissed her for myself, and everyone in Milan
I kissed her for my folks in Clapham
I kissed her for her folks, wherever they were
I kissed her because we were free, they were free
I kissed her for my Uncle, who we lost early in 1941
Lost him during the blitz in London
England lost 430 people, we lost Uncle Cyril
That was enough, I was signing up
Now, it was over and I was moving on
I kissed her for everyone still waiting for the news
But, most of all, I kissed her for Leslie Testro, Rfn (18yrs)
Lance Cpl Thomas Wray (22 yrs), Lt. Dennis Edmonds (21 yrs)
and all the others attached to 6th Airborne
Who wouldn't know it was Victory in Italy
They were lost, not forgotten, never forgotten
Forever in our minds, our roll of honour
We celebrate them annualy
Few of us left now, but, those that are
go back to Italy every two or three years
back to Milan, and we toast them all
My waitress, Rosa Testrini
She was there as well, every year
Until five years back, we lost her
Now we toast her as well
We all have our honour roll
She was on mine
I found her again in 1950
We were on our second trip back
She met my wife, and I her husband
He's still there, and we talk
My Italian is better than his English
But, we talk as well as we can
I miss her, and the others
But that day, that glorious day in May
I've never kissed like that since
And my wife knows it
Sometimes she reminds me...
I laugh, and remind her....
What that day means...if it hadn't happened
We may not be kissing now
so, she'll never get that kiss
Only Rosa
Rest In Peace my waitress

As one who's born in England
There is something I don't know
Exactly what is "cricket" ?
Please tell me so I'll go

Both teams dress in white
The bowler doesn't bowl
He doesn't bend his arm to throw
I don't understand the goal

The ball goes out it scores six runs
But it must go in the air
The ball rolls out it scores four more
Is this really fair?

The games can last for days and days
But what confuses me
Is that every game at four o'clock
The players stop for tea

A game is called a test
But is every test a game
some may last for just one day
The length is not the same

There's a throw they call a googly
I know what that means
I got hit there playing hockey
It ***** your breath so you can't scream

There's wickets and there's bails
mid slips, and those silly stumps
I'm sure that if it confuses me
What does it do to umps?

The biggest question that I have
Besides, what's a sticky wicket?
Is of all the players on the field
Which one of them's the cricket?

We knew of "The Troubles" for most of our lives
They were there before we were born
But, to speak of "The Troubles" to those who don't know
They can't see that our country is torn

Pop stars sing songs about England go home
They make money, while we fight the fight
They stand on the sidelines just flapping their gums
While we live, breathe, and sleep this all night

Soldiers unknowing, just why they're here
They choose sides because that's what they do
They don't know the issues, how deep "The Troubles"  go
They're just here, and that's all they know

The orange and green, divided as one
Catholics and Protestants alike
Both fight their battles and both live for peace
And the British...can get on their bike

A land half as lovely, torn asunder by war
would be laid waste, with nothing to show
But "The Troubles" aside, there's lots here to see
And lots of great places to go

It's a war of attrition, where neither side wins
Each army gets recruits from the womb
You stay on your side, and I'll stay on mine
And we'll disagree to agree to our tomb

Fighting for freedom, religion or rights
It's political, hatred and worse
Religions involved, and we've only one God
So which side does God cheer or God curse

The battle still wages, though not like before
It's a war that is fought underground
"The Troubles" remain, and will for all time
And I pray for the dead, not around

Why do people do ... ?
The things ... that they do ... ?!?
  
It's ...
Funny ... to me ... !!!
  
Is it ...
Funny ... to you ... ???
  
NOT ... !!!!! ...
Funny ... Ha Ha ... !!!!!
  
..... " Funny " ......
with ... NO LAUGHS ... !!!!!!
  
When people ... Do Things ...
That ... BREAK ... Peoples' Hearts ... !!!
  
Like Men ... BEATING Wives ... !!!!
Or .... Girls who .... "Connive" ....
  
See .....
These ... Are The People ... !!!
who lives are ... Contrived ... !!!
  
So ...
Why do they do it ... !?!
Their actions are ... STUPID ... !!!!
  
They Think ... they're ...
Sooooooo ... SMART ... !!!!
  
But ...
What's in their ... Heart ... ???
  
A vision of ... TRUTH ...
or a life of ... PURE FARCE ... !!!!!
  
I'm writing ... This Piece ...
cos' of ... something I Saw ... !!
  
A fight on ... my street ...
but hey ... What was the score ... ?!?
  
I'm just at home ... cooling ...
Watching ....  " Channel Four " ....
  
but ...
Next thing you know ...
I'm out the front door ... !!!
  
I hear a girl ... CRY ... !!!
Then see ... a white guy
who CLEARLY ... was ... FUMING ... !!!!!
  
I asked myself ... " Why " ... ???
  
Next thing you know ...
I hear a glass ... SMASH ... !!!
  
The girl ... and her child ...
were making a ... DASH ... !!!!!!!!
  
The White Guy ...
Still SHOUTING ... !!!!!
  
Picked up ... A BILLBOARD ... !!!!!!!!!!
  
and then tried to ... RAM IT ...
Right Through The ... Pub Door ... !!!!!
  
I figured ... " Maybe " ... ?
I should make a ... " Call " ...
  
But ...
This is the ... " Story " ...
of what I then ... SAW ... !!!!!
  
A pair of police ...
pulled up on the street ...
and grabbed the white guy ...
Like Butchers ... GRAB MEAT ... !!!!!
  
The white guy ... Complained ... !!!
and still wasn't ... " tame " ... !!!
  
and this is where ... " NUMBERS " ...
then entered  .... " The Game " ....
  
Next thing you know ...
NOT ... ONE Car or ... TWO ...
  
But ...
  
VAN Upon VAN ...
of ... MORE POLICEMAN ... !!!!!
  
The way they were coming ....
had people like ... Damnnnnnnnn ... !!!!!!!!
  
It took .....
SEVEN ... of them ... !!!!!
to control this ... ONE MAN ... ?!?
  
The rest of them ...
STOOD THERE ...
Just like a ... " Street Gang " ...
  
I took one ... " Aside " ...
  
and said ...
  
"Listen man, why ?
So many of you,
to restrain, this one guy ?"
  
He said,
  
"A one on one struggle
could leave someone hurt !"
  
I then bit my tongue ...
  
But thought ....

( SHUT UP, You Berk !!! )
  
But then ... one of them ...
Tried to ... Argue with me ... !!!
  
I said ....
  
"Look at your wagons,
just blocking my street !
It's simply, excessive !
Don't argue with me !
On my Thursday Night,
I don't want to see !
My road blocked with cars
cos' of, STUPID POLICE !
Your actions, as usual,
aren't necessary !"
  
Now I know they're ...
... " Peacekeepers " ...
  
But Hey ...
  
What's with police ... ???
  
In Fact ......
You know ... WHAT ... !!!
  
... The Police ... !!!!! ...
  
SEE ....
  
Why do they do it ?
Treat People like ... MEAT ... !!?!!
  
They are a ... " Factor "
in ... VIOLENT STREETS ... !!!
  
Don'y You ... all agree ... ???
  
Well ... whether you do ...
Let's make this ... COMPLETE ... !!!
  
What about people ...
Who do .... " Poetry " .... ?!?
  
I've been quite ... AMAZED ... !!!
by the number who ... " Teach " ...
  
and then ... get on the stage ...
with ... NONSENSE RIDDEN SPEECH ... !!!!!
  
I Fear ... for our children ... !!!!!
If ... people who teach ...
write poetry suited ...
  
For .... " ADULT TV " ....
Expletives in poems
and ... " Vulgarity " ... !!!!!
  
YES ... I use it TOO ... !!!!!
  
But i'm ...
  
NOT PAID ... to teach ... !!!
  
It seem that ... " Some Teachers " ...
NEED ..... " Dictionaries " ......
  
Now .....
You may not agree ... !!!
  
But ...
How would you feel ... ?
  
If your child was ... " Reliant " ...
on people who ... " Read " ...
  
Poetry written ...
About A ... " Barbie " ... !?!
  
These are ... The People ...
who think they can ... " Teach " ... ?!?
  
No wonder our children ...
are now ... " Human Sheep " ... !!!!!
  
My Wordplay's .....
More ............. " Lucid " ............ !!!
  
But ...
Many take ... " Pride " ...
In Proving They're ... STUPID ... ?!?
  
So here's my ...
LAST Question ...
  
" Why Do People ... Do It ... ??? "

Oh I do like to be in the countryside
where the branches bash against the windows of the bus
where the leaves on the boughs of the trees bow so low
that I feel I have to duck.

Where people know me almost better than I know myself
I can gesture to my figure when Brigitte says
"have you eaten?"
and she will reply
"but that means nothing."

Where I can tell Tracy all about my life
and she won't judge,
will look at me with the same quiet smile,
the same laughing acceptance
as she ever has, since the day we met.

Where Cindy and Cathy sit talking about the world
and tell me of their troubles
because they know I'll understand.

Where the sea pounds gently in the distance
whipping the wind sometimes into a frenzy
and molding my hair into a salt-ridden sculpture
on my head.

I don't miss it
when I'm in the city
on the contrary, I love the beat of the sun on the concrete,
the thrash of the trains in the distance,
even the wheezing exhaust fumes
feel like they fit somehow.

But it's nice to be back sometimes
where the trees still grow on the roadsides
where the fields are green even in winter
where the pubs are cozy and quiet
like their clientele.

I went back there today
and I loved it like always
I loved it as ever
I love it still.

today that pull toward sleep but not-sleep—

rest

the coppice crowns a slide of green
—so very English,
as the seven-four-seven strikes a stave against the blue vault;
a tabula rasa for a new century’s march,
but the sky remains silent to all that effort
to get from one horizon to the next,
the day comes round soon enough anyhow
—so very now

the jet plane’s pendulum of time-equals-money
centres me and any thoughts I had of making
that walk back to Warwickshire and adolescence
vanish to be replaced by equations

of distance over time,
the number of seats for the lucky few,
the price we have to pay
to escape ourselves…

Anne stands
on crutches
in the queue

to be weighed
by a nun
in the home

for sick kids
Skinny Kid
she whispers

to the boy
just in front
if I win

the choc bar
I'll share it
just with you

if you win
who will you
share it with?

you of course
he replies
in soft voice

other kids
up the front
fail to put

on more weight
so don't win
the choc bar

it's you now
Benedict
a nun says

Skinny Kid
stands steady
on the scales

you've put on
5 ounces
she tells him

he gets off
of the scales
and Anne

crutches up
on one leg
her stump swings

underneath
her red dress
steady now

the nun says
Anne stands
as steady

as she can
you've put on
7 ounces

the nun says
so you win
the choc bar

Anne smiles
and crutches
herself off

of the scales
the nun puts
the choc bar

in Anne's
dress pocket
let's go Kid

Anne says
and they go
out the back

on the lawn
she crutching
to the far

white table
and white chairs
with the Kid

beside her
making sure
she's ok

he pulls out
a white chair
and she sits

the Kid sits
beside her
and they share

the choc bar
between them
12 ounces

gained in weight
between them.