Keanu, salvum fac pópulum tuum.
     et benedic hæreditati tuæ;
     Dona ad victoriam imperator,
     super hostes eorum.
     et ex quo imperium tuum,
     habitationem tuam substravisti.

THERE WAS A SMALL BROWN BOY ALL ALONE,
MY TROUBLES WERE NOUGHT COMPARED WITH HIS,
A WAVE HAD TAKEN HIS FAMILY AWAY
AND HIS HOUSE, AND NOTHING WOULD EVER BE
THE SAME AGAIN - ALL THAT'S LEFT IS JUST
THE PAIN; BUT THERE WERE SOME THINGS I
COULD DO TO HELP, AS AN AID WORKER IN
THE WRONG PLACE AT THE RIGHT TIME - HE
BECAME RATHER LIKE A SON OF MINE;
NEW PEOPLE TO LOOK AFTER HIM WITH FOOD
AND SHELTER PROVIDED WAS FORTUNATE,
GOD WAS WATCHING OVER HIM AND HIS FATE,
THE SCARS WILL TAKE TIME TO HEAL BUT
WHEN I SEE HIM SMILE, I'LL KNOW MY HELP WAS WORTHWHILE.

THE HALL WAS PACKED WITH EVERYONE DOING THEIR DUTY,
PEOPLE FIDGETING, WIPING GRIT FROM THEIR EYES,
CHILDREN RESTLESS, LATECOMERS FINDING A SEAT,
THE PRIEST DRONED ON, A COUGH WAS INDISCREET;
A STRANGER DRESSED IN WHITE WALKED THE AISLE,
LIKE A PRISONER MOVING ALONG THE GREEN MILE,
HE APPROACHED THE ROSTRUM AND TURNED AROUND,
ALL OF A SUDDEN THERE WAS ABSOLUTELY NO SOUND,
THE MINISTER CONTINUED AS THO' PART OF A PLAY,
HE SAID THAT WE MUST LEAD OUR LIVES RESPONSIBLY,
LOVE THY NEIGHBOUR, DO AS YOU WOULD DO UNTO OTHERS,
THE MAN IN WHITE HAD THE WORLD'S PROBLEMS ON HIS SHOULDERS,
WE KNEW THEN THAT WE MUST DO WHAT THE SERMON HAD TOLD US.

I CAN UNDERSTAND COLOUR, KNOW YOUR SHAPE,
LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL GIVES ME HOPE,
IT'S BEST TO PUT THINGS INTO PERSPECTIVE,
AFTER ALL, A BRIGHT SMILE CAN ONLY BE REFLECTIVE;
CAN YOU PAINT A WASH, EVEN DO A PICTURE?
I ARRIVED AT A MASTERPIECE AVOIDING STICTURE,
HOW WONDERFUL TO HAVE THE MONA LISA TUCKED
UNDER YOUR ARM FOR TEN YEARS, NO MORE FEARS
WHEN YOU REALISED THAT YOU WERE A GENIUS AFTER ALL,
NOW YOU KNEW YOUR OWN WORTH RIGHT FROM BIRTH,
SHOW ME SOMETHING WHICH CAN NOT BE SEEN,
IN ORANGE AND BLUE AND SHADES OF GREEN,
SHOW ME YOUR POWER AND THEN GIVE IT TO ME,
I'LL MANAGE THE BRUSH STROKES OF LIFE PERFECTLY.

THE LIGHT WAS RIGHT - A DUSTY YELLOW,
DARK BELOW, NOT TOO HIGH AND NOT TOO
LOW, WINE UNTOUCHED AND PICTURES ASKEW,
KEEP YOUR SHOES ON WHATEVER YOU DO,
SHADOWS MOVING AND SOULS PROVING THAT
MAGIC STILL EXISTS BEFORE AND AFTER LOVERS
KISSED, HEARTS BEATING AND MOMENTS FLEETING
TO THE RHYTHM OF THE CLOCK AND HANDS
THAT MOCK, FEEL THEIR WAY WITH  DEFT
SKILL - NOTHING ELSE MOVES, NEVER, UNTIL
PASSION FLOWS AND ROSE UP LIKE SUNBEAMS
FINDING POLISHED SURFACES EVER EXTENDING,
ARCHED BACKS LIKE WILLOWS ABENDING,
WITH WAIT AND GO - TOMORROW NEVER COMES.

ONE IS TO PICK UP THE OPEN PAPERS ON THE FLOOR,
SHOWING EVENTS WHICH HAPPENED ONCE BEFORE,
TWO IS TO LISTEN AND POINT OUT HERE AND THERE,
THE THINGS I MISSED WHEN I COULD ONLY STAND AND STARE,
THREE IS FOR COMPANY AND JUST TO MAKE ME LAUGH,
I CAN NOT STOP, YOUR FACE, ONE VOICE, MY PATH,
FOUR IS SPECIAL, UNRELENTING WITH RARE TALENT,
HOW I MISSED YOU GONE WHEN YOU FINALLY WENT,
FIVE IS QUIRKY JUST LIKE ME BUT THERE'S ONLY ONE
SPACE AND SOMEHOW WE BOTH WRIGGLE INTO IT TOGETHER,
SIX IS THE MECHANIC WHO USUALLY GETS THINGS DONE,
ONE OF THOSE PERENNIALS YOU CAN REALLY DEPEND ON,
SEVEN IS TO LOVE AND GUIDE ME ON MY WAY,
GIVE ME MAGIC JUST LIKE HONEY SO THEY SAY.

A DIFFERENT LIFE ON THE TAPE, NOT MINE
BUT SOMEONE ELSE THIS TIME; THE HOUSE
SMELLED DIFFERENT: LEATHER, TENDED FOLIAGE
AND FRAGRANT AIR IF YOU TURNED OVER A PAGE,
MY SHOES CLIP-CLOPPED ON THE FLOOR AND
AN IMAGE STOOD FRAMED WITHIN A DOOR,
CLOTHES WERE GOOD AND A VOICE BECKONED ME
FORWARD FOR DINNER, FOR COMFORT, FOR MANY
THINGS AND ALL THE WARMTH THAT A SMILE BRINGS,
HOW HAD I MISSED THIS BEFORE WHEN IT WAS
ONLY HIDDEN BEHIND A DOOR, NO MATTER -
I HAVE MY OWN SMILE, OWN PLANTS, OWN SEAT -
IN FACT I'M THE NICEST GUY YOU COULD WISH
TO MEET; BACK IN THE BOX I SEE ANOTHER TAPE.

HE WAS BACK, LIKE PHAEDRUS BUT NOT
OF THIS EARTH, RATHER TO HAVE SOME FUN
FOR WHAT IT WAS WORTH; I TOLD HIM TO
BEHAVE PROPERLY AND LEAVE THE TALKING
TO ME - EVEN THEN HIS POWER WAS GREATER
THAN IT APPEARED TO BE; AN EMPTY GLASS
BECAME FULL, SOMEONE'S WALLET SUDDENLY
HAD EXTRA NOTES AND A NEARBY DOG TURNED
IN CIRCLES WHEN IT REALIZED THAT NO TAIL
WAS VISIBLE; THE PUNTERS WERE ASTONISHED
WHEN A HORSE IN A TV RACE WHICH WAS
CLEARLY LOSING, SUDDENLY STRAIGHTENED IT'S
KNEES AND LEAPT FORWARD PAST THE OTHERS
TO WIN - PLEASE EXPLAIN, I DON'T KNOW WHERE TO BEGIN!

I LOVE THE SHARPSHOOTER - SHE PUTS EVERYTHING RIGHT,
IT'S SO GOOD SOMETIMES - SHE GIVES ME A FRIGHT,
FROM EXPERIENCE, IT SEEMS MUCH BETTER THAN MINE,
KEEPS YOU ON TRACK, STRANGELY KEEPS YOU IN LINE;
I TOOK ALL THIS ENLIGHTENMENT, HEAVEN - SENT,
AND THEN KNEW, DOWN THE ROCKY PATHS WHERE I WENT
WRONG SOMETIMES, WHERE I LEFT MY OLD MINDSET,
AND REALISED THAT WHAT YOU PUT IN IS WHAT YOU GET;
I WAS THE LAST CHILD - SHARPSHOOTER WAS THE FIRST,
I WAS SPOILED, MAYBE NO. 1 CAN BE BETTER VERSED,
CAN HAVE A SERENITY WHICH IS HARD TO MATCH,
DO YOU REALLY MEAN THAT, YES - THERE IS NO CATCH,
NOTHING HIDDEN, AS PLAIN AND BEAUTIFUL FOR ALL TO SEE,
I CONCEDE WITH MANY THINGS THAT SHE IS BETTER THAN ME!

MONK ADJUSTED MY TIE - I ASKED HIM WHY
EVERYTHING HAD TO BE STRAIGHT - HE SAID,
'WAIT, I'LL TELL YOU WHY THAT THE STARS
ARE ORDERED IN THE SKY AND BIRDS
NEED TWO WINGS WHEN THEY FLY, TO
PLACES ARRANGED BY GOD BEFOREHAND,
NORTH AND SOUTH BEFORE THEY LAND,
THOSE PICTURES ON THE WALL SHOULD NOT
MOVE AT ALL AND WHEN I MAKE LOVE,
SOMEONE'S WATCHING ME FROM ABOVE,
NOTHING IS RANDOM SO COME ON AND
BE A REGULAR GUY - THE TEARS DROP
EVENLY WHEN I CRY FOR THIS IS A MUST -
NEARLY EVERYTHING OUT THERE I NEED TO ADJUST.'