THE STRIPES ON THE PROMENADE PAVING
CARRIED ON UP THE WALL - MADE YOU WONDER
IF ANYTHING WAS THERE AT ALL, ONLY
STREET BOYS, SENORITAS AND FAST FOOD
EATERS BEING WATCHED BY JESUS FROM
A SUGAR LOAF MOUNTAIN AND A NEARBY FOUNTAIN;
A BAR IN SHANTY TOWN HAD SWING DOORS
AND FACES THAT LOOKED AT YOU, ASKING-
WHY ARE YOU HERE? DID YOU COME TO STEAL
OUR BEER? GO BACK TO IPANEMA WHERE
YOU BELONG - DON'T COME HERE AND SPOIL
OUR SONG; DO YOU LIVE UNDER A LEAKING ROOF?
IF YOU DID, PERHAPS YOU WOULDN'T BE SO  ALOOF,
STAY IN NIRVANA, ON THE WHITE SAND OF COPACABANA.

THERE'S A ROAD THAT WINDS DOWN TO THE BAY,
WITH WOODEN HOUSES AND BALCONIES THAT SWAY,
THEY MOVE IN THE WIND AND SPEAK OF THE PAST,
TELL ABOUT SHADOWS AND WHO WAS THERE LAST,
PEOPLE HAVE CHANGED BUT THE VIEW IS THE SAME,
THE SAME SHIPLAP, THE SAME BEDROOMS, SAME PAIN
AS WHEN I WAS THERE RUNNING FINGERS
THROUGH YOUR HAIR, WAITING AT THE LAMPPOST
AND LEANING ON THE CAR, WATCHING THE BOATS
UNDER A STAR WHICH HAD ALWAYS BEEN THERE
SINCE GOD PLACED IT IN THE SKY, MADE
SUNSETS AND WATER AND VIEWS THAT MADE YOU SIGH;
SLANTING SIDEWALK, STEPS THAT TALK WHEN
YOU ASK THEM - THEY SAY, THERE'S A NEW  DOCK ON THE BAY.

IT WAS STEAMY HOT WITH FANS SWIRLING ABOVE,
THERE WAS NO TIME FOR THE MILITIA OR EVEN
TO MAKE LOVE, JUST CONTINUE WITH THE
PIPELINE DAY AFTER DAY, FROM ONE CLEARING
TO THE NEXT ACROSS VAST TRACTS OF LAND,
DUST TO DUST TAKEN OUT NOW GRAINS OF SAND,
LOCAL LABOUR BROWN AS TEAK DOES NOT
FLINCH WHEN I START TO SPEAK - JUST
WATCHFUL AND DOWNTRODDEN BUT WILLING TO
LEARN, MAYBE IN THE NEXT LIFE IT MIGHT BE
MY TURN TO FACE HUMILITY UNDER JUNGLE SKIES,
WHEN IT'S ALL OVER , WORK IS FINISHED AND CONVERSATION DIES;
'ON THE ROAD TO MANDALAY WHERE THE FLYING FISHES PLAY,
THE DAWN COMES UP LIKE THUNDER FROM CHINA ACROSS THE BAY.'

IT HAD TO COME OUT BUT WHAT WAS IT ALL ABOUT?
THERE WERE THOUGHTS OF INNER BEING AND WHAT
IT WAS LIKE SEEING WHEN EVERY ONE ELSE WAS BLIND,
IRREVERENT, SCATHING, ACID AND TOTALLY UNKIND;
BUT THE WORDS ARE UNSTOPPABLE, FLOWING LIKE
CONFETTI, RELENTLESS RHETORIC NO MATTER HOW PETTY,
THE CHARACTERS COME TO LIFE LIKE CARDBOARD
CUT-OUTS INTO ACTION WHICH THEY CAN'T CONTROL,
TO RESIST IS USELESS AS THEY TAKE OVER YOUR SOUL;
THE CRITICS SAID THAT THE WORDS TOUCHED ON
THE SPIRITUAL CORE OF LIFE, PEELED AWAY LAYERS
JUST LIKE A SURGEON'S KNIFE; SO AMAZE YOURSELF
AND ADD ANOTHER LITERARY MASTERPIECE TO YOUR SHELF,
BECAUSE IF YOU DON'T HAVE WORDS TO SPILL - SOMEONE ELSE WILL.

COME WITH ME, BROTHERS - I AM
LOOKING FOR FUTURE LOVERS : NOT
TOO SHORT AND NOT TOO TALL - I'VE
CONVENIENTLY FORGOTTEN MY ADOBE WALL;
MAKE MY BED AND WARM THE SHEETS,
I'LL SEE YOU WHERE THE ROAD MEETS
THE HORIZON AND LET ME SET EYES ON
THOSE DOUBTFUL BUMS - TAKE YOUR THIEVING
HANDS OFF MY DRUMS AND MAKE WAY FOR MY
VANS - YOU'RE ONE OF MY GREATEST FANS;
NOW RUN MY BATH AND DON'T DARE LAUGH
JUST BECAUSE YOU SEE TWINS ON MY PATH,
I'M GOING HOME WHERE THINGS ARE CARRIED AHEAD,
NO FAMINE NOW - I HAVE PLENTY OF BREAD.

DEAR FRIEND, HERE'S SOMETHING I PROMISED
I WOULD SEND - A CAVEAT FROM THE WORLD'S
END; THE WEATHER IS HOT, JUNGLE STEAMING -
OF COOLER CLIMES I MIGHT BE DREAMING,
MAYBE NOT - JUST IN BETWEEN COULD BE
LESS EXTREME, GRASPING AT A MOVING SHADOW
AT THE BOTTOM OF THE RAINBOW SO OUT
OF REACH - I'LL SETTLE FOR THIS CORAL BEACH,
WHITE POWDER BETWEEN THE TOES, WATCHING
SHIMMERING BLUE EBBS AND FLOWS;
FISHERS OF MEN OUT IN THE DAWN, DARK
BLUE SWIRLS, PURPLE MORN TO FORGET
WHAT'S GONE BEFORE; BUT ALWAYS REMEMBER
WHATEVER YOU DO - BY THE WAY - 'HOW ARE YOU?'

I LIFTED HER UP TO LOOK INSIDE - THERE
WERE PHOTOS OF WHEN HER MOTHER WAS A BRIDE,
UNCLES, AUNTS AND DISTANT COUSINS, ALL
IN ROWS, ALL WITH DUST, NOT CLEANED SINCE
LAST HOLIDAY WHEN OTHERS CAME TO LOOK -
SO MANY MORE TAKEN OUT OF THE BOOK;
IMPRISIONED - MAYBE THEY CAME OUT TO PLAY
AT NIGHT, ALWAYS LOOKED THE SAME, IMPOSSIBLE
TO AGE AND NEVER BOTHERED BY THE RAIN, WHEN
DAYLIGHT CAME THEY WERE ALL BACK AGAIN;
WE WILL BE BEHIND THE GLASS WHEN ALL
THINGS COME TO PASS, SOME EVEN NOW BUT
CAN NOT PLAY UNTIL SPIRIT HAS DEPARTED;
WHEN I PUT HER DOWN SHE WAS BROKEN- HEARTED.

IT'S WISE TO OBSERVE NO SNOOTY RESERVE,
BUT DON'T LET YOUR LIPS NURSE A HIDDEN ITCH,
AS THO' WORDS MIGHT COME FROM SOMEONE
WHOSE DUMB, DON'T THINK EVERYTHING IS
PUNITIVE, RATHER GRASP ANY NETTLE AND
TURN IT TO YOUR ADVANTAGE - TO COME
AWAY WITH A BONUS IS INCUMBENT
UPON US, JUST LIKE A CHESS GAME - THE
SLIGHTEST ADVANTAGE CAN WIN THE DAY
AND SURPRISE YOURSELF HOW LITTLE
YOU HAD TO PLAY; NO PERPLEXITY IS NEEDED,
NO FIXED EXPRESSION, RATHER SHOW SOME
OF YOUR SOUL AS THO' YOU KNOW WHERE IT'S AT,
RATHER THAN SUFFER THE ZIG-ZAG SMILE OF THE CAT!

WRITE YOUR OWN RESUME' - THEN I'LL SIGN IT,
MY MENTOR SAID TO ME, ALBEIT FLIPPANTLY,
SO I DID: PHD IN PHILOSOPHY, A FIRST
IN ENGLISH LIKE ALDUOS HUXLEY AND
PROFESSOR OF ORIENTAL STUDIES AT LONDON
UNIVERSITY; A NUMBER OF NOVELS, POETRY
AND WHITE PAPERS COMPLETED A BUSY LIFE,
NO TIME TO TAKE A WIFE, RATHER ARMED
WITH A KNIFE TO PUT INTO PEOPLE'S BACKS,
A REPUTATION MADE AFTER NUMEROUS ATTACKS,
KNOWLEDGE WAS PASSED ON, STUDENTS CAME
AND WENT, ANYWAY WHY SHOULD A PROFESSOR
NEED TO BE HEAVEN-SENT? THE LIFE WAS MINE,
NOT GOOD ENOUGH - MY MENTOR REFUSED TO SIGN.

MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS HEAR ME, I WILL
SUMMON YOU DISTANTLY FROM AFAR WHILE
I'M SITTING ON MY STAR AND WHILE YOUR
DRIVING IN YOUR CAR; HE WHO WINS 'PRAYERS'
AND WEARS THE MANTLE OF SERENITY, THE
BADGE OF DIVINITY AND THE CLOAK OF
RESPONSIBILITY; TURN AROUND TO FACE MECCA
AND THEN GIVE SUCCOUR TO ALLAH, THE
PROPHETS AND WHERE YOUR LIFE BEGAN - BY
GRACE OF POWER AND MIGHTY ISLAM; I
MADE A MISTAKE, PERHAPS I WAS WRONG AFTER
ALL - I DIDN'T ANSWER THE MUEZZIN'S CALL,
NO MATTER, NO NEED TO FEEL SO BEREFT -
AFTER ALL, TODAY, I STILL HAVE FOUR TIMES LEFT.