YOU SEE PEOPLE HOLDING BOXES WITH THEIR MEDALS INSIDE,
FOR SEVICES TO HUMANITY THEY'RE RECEIVED WITH PRIDE,
MOST OF US ARE ONLOOKERS TO SUCH A SPECIAL DAY,
BUT NOTHING IS BEYOND ALL INDIVIDUALS SO THEY SAY:
THAT IT WAS UNEXPECTED WHEN THE COMMUNIQUE' CAME,
SUMMONING ONE'S PRESENCE TO APPEAR BEFORE THE QUEEN,
I WONDERED WHAT SHE'D ASK ME - NOW I HAD TO BE SEEN
TO BE SOMEONE SPECIAL, SOMEONE TO REVERE, ASK ADVICE,
HOISTED INTO A LOFTY POSITION, STRANGELY MAY NOT BE NICE;
'MR. ANDREW, I'VE READ YOUR WORK - I DON'T UNDERSTAND ALL YOU SAY
BUT I'VE BEEN TOLD THAT WE MUST HONOUR A WRITER OF THE DAY,
I'D LIKE TO HEAR MORE, PLEASE EXPLAIN, JOIN ME FOR LUNCH ON FRIDAY;'
I'M HELD TO ACCOUNT, NO PLACE TO HIDE, DOWN ON MY KNEES,
THE SWORD BRUSHED MY SHOULDERS, NO MORE CIVIL LIBERTIES.

SHE WAS SMALL WITH A LARGE RED BOW IN HER HAIR,
IN A HURRY AND NO TIME TO STAND AND STARE,
I ASKED HER IF I COULD COME WITH HER NEXT TIME,
SHE SAID THAT SHE MUST ASK THE QUEEN - HERS NOT MINE;
WHEN WE WENT, WE WERE JUST IN TIME FOR A TEA PARTY,
MY FRIENDS WERE ALREADY THERE AND THE *** WAS EMPTY,
THERE WAS A MAD ONE, TWO KNAVES AND A SLEEPY ONE,
THE QUEEN SAID, 'BE QUIET,' BEFORE ANYTHING HAD BEGUN,
SLEEPY WAS NOT PAYING ATTENTION - 'OFF WITH HIS BED,'
SHE SAID AND BEGAN TO SCATTER PETALS IN SHADES OF RED,
'WHO IS THIS? SHE LOOKED AT ME DISTASTEFULLY,'
'IT'S JOHN, YOUR MAJESTY,' ALICE SAID WISTFULLY,
'YOU SHALL BE HAPPY IN MY COURT,' THE QUEEN SAID,
'OTHERWISE, I WILL TELL THEM: OFF WITH HIS HEAD!'

WHEN YOU DREAM - YOU CAN GO ANYWHERE, DISAPPEAR
THRO' LOCKED DOORS, MAKE A PILGRIM'S PROGRESS MORE OR LESS;
I FOUND YOU AMONGST YELLOW FLOWERS AND GREEN LEAVES,
THERE WAS NO DOUBT, ONLY FEAR WHICH A FOOL PERCEIVES;
AN IVORY TOWER, THE OCCASIONAL SHOWER COOLED THE AIR,
THE INFINITY POOL, A DISTANT PATH, MADE YOU WONDER WHERE
DESTINY WOULD TAKE US WITH NO HINDRANCE AND NO FUSS;
IT LED YOU TO WHAT HAD GONE BEFORE - MY MOTHER LEANT
AGAINST A DOOR, IT WAS DONE - SHE SAID THAT SHE KNEW WE'D COME,
EMBRACED AND SHOWED ME THINGS I'D MISSED, A BIRTHDAY
CAKE WAS ON THE LIST, A CATALOGUE OF TIME WHICH
WAS NO LONGER MINE, GONE FOREVER, OUT OF LINE
THE FIGURES DRIFTED AWAY - I CAN SEE THEM ALL ANOTHER DAY,
WE COLLECTED SOME HAPPY MEMORIES ON THE WAY.

IT WAS TIME, AS THO' DE'JA VU OCCURRED IT WAS ABSURD
THAT I NEEDED TO KEEP HOPING AND ENDED UP MOPING;
THEN I STRUCK GOLD - HAD TO GET USED TO DOING AS I WAS TOLD,
HAD TO GO HERE AND HAD TO GO THERE, MY WASHING
SUDDENLY TOOK ON A NW SHAPE WHEN I WASN'T LOOKING,
MY SNACK MEALS SUDDENLY BECAME AN OUTRAGEOUS POTPOURRI,
ASKED TO BE POLITE AND REMINDED OF CLEANING CONSTANTLY;
THE 'REMOTE' BECAME REMOTE AND MY COLOUR CHOICE HAD NO VOTE,
THINGS WENT MISSING AND COULD NO LONGER FIND MY FAVOURITE COAT,#
I FELT SUBMERGED AND WONDERED IF I COULD STAY AFLOAT;
MY HEALTH DETERIORATED FOR THE BETTER, VITAMINS WITH EVERY LETTER,
FRIENDS SAID THAT I LOOKED HAPPY AND DISTANT SINCE I MET HER;
THE DATE COULD NOT TELL YOU WHAT UNKNOWN FUSION MIGHT BRING,
BUT WHEN I THOUGHT ABOUT IT ALL - I WOULDN'T CHANGE A THING!

MaC WAS IN YEMEN, SYRIA, IRAQ, LIBYA AND AFGHANISTAN,
WHAT A MESS - IT MUST BE SORTED AS QUICK AS HE CAN,
HE HAD A MEETING WITH A MILITANT LEADER - 'WHO ARE YOU?'
'MY NAME IS MaCINTYRE - I REPRESENT GOD,
YOU CAN CALL ME A HERETIC, BLASPHEMER IF YOU WISH
BUT IN TWENTY FOUR HOURS THERE WILL BE NOTHING FROM YOUR SATELLITE DISH - THE CREATOR IS TIRED OF YOUR INSUBORDINATION,
YOU'VE HAD EVERY CHANCE BUT MESSED UP SINCE YOUR CREATION;
YOU WILL BE REDUCED TO ROBOTS - ONLY MEASURED CONTROL,
FREE - WILL IS FINISHED - WE HAVE POSSESSION OF YOUR SOUL,
THE SAME MISTAKES WILL NOT HAPPEN AGAIN, EVERYTHING
WILL BE TAKEN FROM YOU - THERE IS NOTHING LEFT FOR YOU TO DO;
IF WE EVER GIVE YOU FREE - WILL AGAIN, EVERY TIME YOU DISSENT,
YOU WILL BE 'CLICKED' - NOTHING OF THE OLD MINDSET WILL REMAIN.

WHERE DO YOU BEGIN - YOU BEGIN BY NEVER DOING THINGS AGAIN,
EASIER SAID THAN DONE BUT WHY SHOULD YOU GIVE OTHERS PAIN,
WHY NOT KEEP A LEVEL WHICH IS MANAGABLE AND ACCEPTABLE,
INSTEAD OF STUPID, IRRATIONAL, THOUGHTLESS AND REGRETTABLE;
FUELLED BY ALCOHOL, FOOLED INTO AN OWN-GOAL IS POOR,
AND TURNS YOU INTO A CRASHING BORE, NO ONE WANTS MORE;
I AM HERE WHEN SO MANY OTHERS ARE NO LONGER,
I CAN ONLY LEARN TO IMPROVE AND BECOME STRONGER,
LEARN FROM PEOPLE WHO ARE BETTER THAN ME -
ACCEPT THE ERROR OF MY WAYS ALBEIT RELUCTANTLY,
THE ANGELS ( NOT DEVILS! ) INSIDE OF ME GUIDE MY WAYS,
IF I'M LUCKY, THAT WILL CONTINUE FOR THE REST OF MY DAYS,
THEY TELL ME THAT THEY GIVE ME CHANCE AFTER CHANCE,
WHILE THEY WATCH ME STRUGGLE FROM A DISTANCE.

YOUR WONDERFUL LIFE WAS 'ONE MOMENT IN TIME,'
TURBULENT, DIFFICULT BUT BETTER THAN MINE,
THERE WERE DRUGS, BEATINGS AND TROUBLED RELATIONSHIPS,
LIFE'S GONE BUT NO DEVIL ON YOUR SHOULDER SITS;
YOU GAVE PLEASURE TO MILLIONS WITH YOUR MELODY,
AND TOLD US THAT: 'I WANT TO DANCE WITH SOMEBODY,'
YOU DID, BUT NOT THE BEST FOR YOUR PRECIOUS BREATH,HOW IRONIC THAT YOU SAID: 'HE ROMANCES ME TO DEATH,
YOU SAID THAT, 'I HAVE NOTHING,' BUT YOU HAD EVERYTHING,
WE KNEW THAT WHEN WE SAW YOU AND HEARD YOU SING;
SO WHEN YOU'RE STANDING IN THAT HEAVENLY QUEUE,
YOU SHOULD REMEMBER THAT, 'WE WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU,'
THE ENDING OF YOUR LIFE WAS REGRETTABLE,
BUT THEN YOU GAVE US: 'THE GREATEST LOVE OF ALL.'

I HEARD THAT MANY PEOPLE DON'T FINISH THE BOOK,
THAT INCLUDES 'FIFTY SHADES' AND OTHERS TOO -
STANGELY, MANY DON'T GET PAST THE PAGE NO, 272,
I LOOKED AT MY PAGE, NOT TOO BAD - WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?
IT'S IMPORTANT, EVEN THO' PEOPLE HAVE BOUGHT THE BOOK,
FOR FUTURE - PUBLISHING CONTRACTS ARE THERE WHEREVER
YOU LOOK;
SOMEBODY SAID THAT MINE SOUNDED GOOD FOR A FILM-
HANG ON GUYS, LET'S GET THE THING IN PRINT BEFORE WE TRY,
YOU WONDER, IF SOMETHING WAS REAL, IS IT BETTER?
I'M ASKED: 'DID THAT REALLY HAPPEN, ARE YOU SURE?'
WHAT DOES IT MATTER, WHO COULD WANT FOR MORE?
BUT THEN I WAS THERE, I HELD THE HEROINE
IN MY ARMS = DID YOU LOVE HER, NO, A VICTIM
OF CHARMS, THE SAME AS I TELL YOU ABOUT WAVING PALMS.

YOU'RE IN A ROOM SITTING IN A CHAIR DARKLY,
I REMEMBERED TERRY WAITE WHO WAS LOCKED IN A FRIDGE,
A SIX FOOT MAN IN SUCH A SMALL SPACE, LOST FACE
BY SUCH AN OUTRAGE, BUT THEN I TURNED OVER THE PAGE;
TODAY HE IS FINE BUT THE MEMORY CAN NEVER BE ERASED,
THE SPIRIT OF THE MAN, NO MATTER WHAT, COULD NOT BE FAZED,
I CAN NOT LOOK AT PHOTOS, ONLY WHAT'S STORED IN MEMORY
PROVIDES SOME RESPITE AND A CRACK ABOVE PROVIDES SOME LIGHT;
I THINK OF GREEN FIELDS, WIND BLOWING THE FLOWERS,
THERE'S NO KNOCK ON THE DOOR FOR HOURS AND HOURS,
THEN THEY COME TO ASK ME MORE QUESTIONS AND YET
I CAN NOT TELL THEM, THEY DON'T UNDERSTAND MY MINDSET,
I'M FINALLY LED OUTSIDE AND BUNDLED INTO A WAITING LORRY,
WHEN THEY PUSH ME OVER THE BORDER, I NO LONGER HAVE TO WORRY.

MY  WIFE  SAYS  THAT  I  LOOK  LIKE  A  MEERKAT,
LIGHT COLOURED MOUSTACHE, GLASSES AND QUIZZICAL LOOK,
TO GET TO THIS STAGE - YOU WOULDN'T KNOW HOW LONG IT TOOK,
I'M ALWAYS 'COMPARING THE MARKET.COM', LOOKING FOR DEALS,
TO SAVE MONEY, TO SAVE ANYTHING, ALWAYS APPEALS,
NOW INSURANCE IS ALWAYS A PAIN BUT EVERYONE
IS LOOKING FOR FINANCIAL GAIN, AGAIN AND AGAIN,
IF IT'S NOT MY CAR, IT'S THE HOUSE OR SOMETHING ELSE,
THE BOILER, HOME CONTENTS, ANYTHING THAT MAKES CENTS,
BUT I'VE GIVEN UP - EVEN THO' THESE ANIMALS MAY HAVE GOOD INTENTS,
I'VE TAKEN ALL THIS SAVED MONEY, HAVING A BALL,
IF SOMETHING BREAKS DOWN - I KNOW WHO TO CALL,
I DON'T WANT TO SEE YOUR BOW-TIE, THE IMAGE RANKLES,
JUST LEAVE ME ALONE, PLY YOUR TRADE ELSEWHERE - 'SIMPLES!'