THERE ARE THINGS TO DO - LIKE GOING TO CAIRO,
SEEING THE STATUE OF JESUS IN RIO,
HE SAID TO ME: 'WHAT TOOK YOU SO LONG?
YOU HAD TO COME BEFORE YOU BECAME A CENTURION.'
THEN THERE WERE SOME PEOPLE TO SEE - OR MAYBE NOT,
IT'S EASY TO PRETEND ABOUT THOSE CONVENIENTLY FORGOT,
YOU CAN NOT FORGET - SOME THINGS STAY WITH YOU FOREVER,
IF YOU SAID THAT I WILL DENY YOU THREE TIMES - I WOULD SAY NEVER;
THEN I SAID THAT I WOULD PRAY FOR MY SOUL TO BE WHOLE,
THERE HAD TO BE COMPLETION - PART OF THE DEAL,
NO ONE WOULD KNOW JUST HOW I MIGHT FEEL,
MY OLD LIFE WOULD NEVER GO AWAY, SO THEY SAY
THAT IF YOU LIVE TO ONE HUNDRED YEARS OLD - YOU GET A FREE PARDON - STRANGELY FORGIVEN FOR EVERYTHING YOU
HAD DONE.

SOME PEOPLE MAY SAY: ' I DON'T CARE WHAT HAPPENS
TO ME,' BUT IRONICALLY - YOU MAY HAVE NO CHOICE,
I'VE JUST READ A MIND - BLOWING TREATISE -
THERE MAY BE NO ESCAPE - OUR BRAINS COULD BE
DOWNLOADED ON TO THE INTERNET AND WE WILL
CRUISE AROUND CYBERSPACE FOR ETERNITY - NEWS TO ME!!
MAYBE EVEN TRANSPOSED INTO NEW BODIES - WHEW!
HUMANS DUMPED? POST - HUMANS TRAVELLING -
WHAT IS THIS THAT SEEMS TO BE UNRAVELLING?
WHAT HAVE WE DONE? WHAT'S BEEN UNLEASHED?
I DON'T KNOW BUT I DON'T WANT TO BE A 'DUMPED' HUMAN,
SO MAYBE I'LL JOIN THE POST - NOT EVEN A GHOST,
'STAR WARS THE FORCE,' LOOKS TAME - IT'S NO LONGER A GAME,
IT LOOKS LIKE THAT WE'VE ARRIVED BEFORE WE EVEN CAME.

I OWE YOU AFTER ALL THAT'S BEEN SAID,
LIKE A LIBRARY BOOK - IT'S TAKEN AS READ,
NOW IN RETURN YOU HAVE TO PLEDGE YOUR SOUL,
REPLENISH, SET ALIGHT IN ORDER TO BE WHOLE;
SOME DEBTS CAN NEVER BE REPAID ALBEIT MAYBE
IF IT'S TAKEN IN KIND - YOU WONDER WHAT THAT IS?
I''LL TELL YOU: ONE DAY THE DEVIL ARRIVED AFTER
SOMEONE SAID - ' I'LL SELL MY SOUL FOR TUPPENCE,'
IT WAS AN EASY EXCHANGE - WITHIN YOUR RANGE,
DON'T THINK IT'S IMPOSSIBLE JUST BECAUSE IT'S STRANGE,
WHAT DID HE DO WITH YOUR PRIZE POSSESSION, PRAY?
YOU WERE CAST LIKE A FISH TO WHAT YOU FEARED MOST;
HOWEVER, HE TOO WAS DISCHARGED LIKE UNNECESSARY,
NO LONGER NEEDED, MY PET - NOW I'M IN YOUR DEBT.

THE SHADOW ON MY TEA CUP WAS STILL THE SAME,
YOUR BEAUTIFUL FACE HAD NOT CHANGED SINCE YOU CAME,
THE AFTERNOON SUN BISECTED THE CURTAINS,
FILTERED BREEZE HUNG AND THE TIME HAD MADE NO GAINS;
BUT MY MIND IS STILL THINKING HOW NICE IT WAS,
YOUR SMILE, YOUR MYSTIQUE AND I LOVED YOU BECAUSE,
THE GARDEN DOORS DID NOT MOVE TO HALT THE VIEW,
A RED BUTTERFLY HUNG AS THOUGH BORN ANEW,
I WONDERED IF I COULD REACH OUT, TOUCH YOUR HAND,
BUT ALL MY LIMBS WERE MOTIONLESS LIKE QUICKSAND,
HOLDIG ME, SCOLDING ME FOR DISTURBING THE STILL,
WOULD THIS EVER END OR JUST CONTINUE TILL,
THERE WAS NO EMOTION, TEARS OR CONSTANT PAIN,
THE SECOND-HAND ON THE CLOCK STARTED MOVING AGAIN.

THERE WAS A PARTY FOR THE RICH -
YOU REMEMBER LEWIS AND NICOLE - F1 HYPERBOLE,
THE RACE WAS OVER - ONLY ONE WINNER,
YOU WERE LUCKY IF YOU WERE INVITED TO DINNER;
YOU WERE LUCKY IF YOUR FERRARI WAS PARKED
IN THE DRIVE, LUCKY TO LIVE AT NUMBER FIVE HUNDRED;
BERNIE TRIED THE POOL, WATER AND QUICK GAME,
SO OLD - HE'LL NEVER BE THE SAME AGAIN,
JENSON BECAME JASON WHO WAS NOT AMUSED,
WORRIED, LIKE SOMEONE THAT HE MIGHT BE EXCUSED,
ALONSO WAS ONLY' SO SO' AND *****
JUSY WANTED TO GO, VETTEL COULD ONLY SAY; ' VOT THE HELL,' AND GLOCK WASN'T FEELING WELL,
YOU WERE LUCKY IF ANYONE ANSWERED THE BELL.

THERE IS ONLY ONE NEW YEAR ALTHOUGH OTHERS MAY DISAGREE,
TIME WAITS FOR NO MAN, ONE CALENDER, NO MYSTREY,
YOU CAN HAVE YOUR MAGIC IF YOU WISH, YOUR WAY, YOUR CULTURE,
ONLY GOD INVENTED THE SUN, MOON AND THE STARS TO BE SURE
THAT EVERY THING WAS IN ORDER, SPACED OUT AS IT WERE;
'THE DAYS ARE GETTING LONGER MY DEAR,' SOMEBODY ONCE SAID,
'THE EARTH IS TILTING ON IT'S AXIS,' BUT NOT TAKEN AS READ,
THERE IS RESOLUTION - EVERYTHING IS CLEAR ABOUT EACH NEW YEAR,
NO ONE CAN CHANGE IT ALTHOUGH YOU MAY WISH TO PUT YOUR CLOCK BACK OR FORWARD, IF YOUR RESTLESS - FEELING BORED;
HOW CAN YOU HAVE NO SEASONS - THERE MUST BE REASONS
IF YOU'RE NEAR THE EQUATOR - IT'S PART OF GOD'S LAW;
WHEN DECEMBER IS GONE, WE SHOULD DO WELL TO REMEMBER,
A GREATER POWER THAN US WILL CONTROL TIME FOREVER.

WILL IT BE THE SAME? WILL I STILL BE THE ONE
THAT GET'S THE BLAME? WILL I SHOOT MYSELF IN THE FOOT
AGAIN AND 'THROW THE BABY OUT WITH THE BATH WATER?'
IF YOU COULD DO IT ALL OVER AGAIN - WHAT WOULD YOU CHANGE?
ACCIDENTS COULD BE PREVENTED, FAILED MARRIAGES NOT INVENTED,
NO NICOTINE AND LITTLE ALCOHOL WOULD JUST BE ROUTINE,
NOW WATCH YOUR DIET - THINK TWICE BEFORE YOU TRY IT, DON'T FORGET
THE EXERCISE, LIMIT YOUR WEIGHT - IT'S YOUR BODY THAT YOU DON'T WANT TO HATE; FORGET ABOUT OBSESSION - THERE'S NO REASON FOR DEPRESSION AND IF YOU HAVE A FAMILY - HOLD ON TO WHAT YOU'VE GOT BECAUSE THERE'S NOTHING ELSE MORE LIKELY THAN NOT; THE HARDEST THING
OF ALL IS HAVING TO WITHSTAND SOME OF THE HUMAN RACE,
I DON'T LIKE YOUR PERSONA OR YOUR FACE,
BUT JUST THINK CAREFULLY - IS THIS RIGHT, BEFORE YOU PACK YOUR SUITCASE.

I REMEMBER BEDFORD, THE RIVER AND ALL,
ROWING AWAY WITH OVERHANGS WAS MAGICAL,
PATCHES OF SHADE, DAPPLED, COVERING THE BLADE,
DUCKS WERE FEARFUL, THOUGHT THERE WAS A RAID;
THEN THERE WAS KEMPSTON, A MILESTONE FOR SURE,
NOT TO BE FORGOTTEN, OCCURRS, HAPPENS TO US ALL,
WHAT WOULD YOU CHANGE IF YOU RE-WROTE THE SCRIPT?
NOTHING, THAT'S THE WAY IT WAS UNDER A CRYSTAL BLUE SKY;
MAYBE MY MUM AND DAD TRAIPSED OVER A BRIDGE,
IT'S A BLUR - CAN'T REMEMBER WHETHER IT HAPPENED OR NOT,
LET'S SAY IT DID - THE SMALL BOY RUNNING FROM BEHIND,
STAY AWAY FROM THE EDGE - THEY WERE THE WORRYING KIND;
NOW MAYBE THRO' THE BLUR AS THOUGH THE RED SEA HAD PARTED,
WE COULD ALL END UP EXACTLY WHERE WE STARTED.

AS I APPROACHED THE DOOR, A FROG CROAKED AT ME,
THE NOVELTY THAT PEOPLE HAVE IS A REAL MYSTERY,
I THOUGHT THAT I WOULD PICK IT UP - PUT IT IN MY BAG,
MUST HAVE BEEN ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT YOU BUY FROM A MAG,
MY WIFE TOLD PEOPLE THAT TERRY WAS GOING TO NICK A FROG,
BUT IT WASN'T ON MY MIND WHILE I WAS WORKING LIKE A DOG,
THEY HEARD ME COMING - THERE WAS A MUFFLED CROAK FROM
A STRANGE BLOKE LIKE RIP VAN WINKLE WHO FINALLY WOKE;
MY BAG WAS FULL OF SUNFLOWERS, POTS LIKE SNAILS,
WINDMILLS, GARDEN LIGHTS AND MEERKATS WITH EXTENDED TAILS,
PLASTIC SIGNS TOLD ME TO KEEP OFF THE GRASS, CLOSE THE GATE,
IF YOU WANT ME TO COME TO THE DOOR - YOU'LL HAVE TO WAIT,
WHEN I GOT THE FROG BACK HOME, I PLACED IT BY THE DOOR,
IT JUMPED DOWN THE PATH AND CROAKED, 'I BELONG AT NUMBER FORTY FOUR!'

TAKE ME AWAY TO WHERE THE WEATHER'S WARM,
WHERE YOUR SPIRIT CAN FLY AND BE QUIETLY RE - BORN,
YOU HERE THE MUSIC, REMEMBER THE TIME, FLOODING
BACK LIKE THE SCENT OF EUCALYPTUS TREES AND GOOD WINE;
I HAD A LETTER FROM A FRIEND LIVING IN THE ANTIPODES,
HE SAID THAT HE WAS BUSY PREPARING HIS SUMMER WARDROBE,
I IMAGINED WHITE SHORTS WITH THE INEVITABLE GARISH TOP,
WHILE I WAS SHIVERING IN THE MOTHERLAND MORE LIKELY THAN NOT;
I HAD MY REVENGE - I SENT HIM A LETTER FROM AFRICA
SAYING THAT I'D SELECTED A LIGHT BLUE SUMMER SAFARI SUIT
IN POLYESTER - ALL I NEEDED WAS A PANAMA HAT AND A WHIP,
IT WAS WONDERFUL WITH THE ENSEMBLE COMPLETE WITH A STIFF UPPER LIP;
NOW WERE TRAVELLING FIRST CLASS - THE FORMER THINGS HAVE PASSED AWAY,
THEY ASK ME IF I'M STILL THE SAME - IT'S NOT POSSIBLE SO THEY SAY.