THE S-SHAPED EYEBROWS SAID HELLOW AS YOU GO,
HANDS CLASPED WITH A SMILE FROM THE OLD SO-AND-SO,
THE MAN FROM THE 'CUCKOO'S NEST' WAS FINE AFTER ALL,
NO LOBOTOMY, NO CHIEF ANY MORE LEANING AGAINST THE WALL;
'SO, WHAT DO YOU DO TEL BOY?' HE ASKED ME OUT OF THE BLUE,
'I DO A BIT OF PART-TIME WORK AND DUCK AND DIVE LIKE YOU,'
HIS MOUTHED CREASED INTO THE FAMOUS GRIN AND SAID:
'YOU ALL THINK I'M A MILLIONAIRE AND HAVE A FAT-ASSED LIFE,
BUT I OWE TAX, HAVE PERSONAL PROBLEMS WHICH GIVE ME STRIFE,'
HE PAUSED, TO DELIVER ONE OF HIS FAMOUS LINES: 'DON'T WASTE A HARD-ON!'
I MUTTERED AND WHINED WHICH PROMPTED HIS RESPONSE:
'WHEN ARE GOING TO GET THAT BUG OUT OF YOUR ***!'
MY TURN TO GRIN, A FAVOURITE LINE WHETHER YOU LIKE IT OR NOT-
DEAREST JACK - I MEANT TO SAY HOW MUCH I LIKED HIM - BUT I FORGOT,

I  MET  HIM  WHEN  HE  WAS ONLY  EIGHTEEN MONTHS  OLD,
WITH  DARK  HAIR AND  EYES  THAT  LOOKED  SO  BOLD,
STAYING AT  HIS  GRANDPARENT'S HOUSE  FOR  AWHILE,
NOBODY KNEW THAT  HE  WOULD  BE  SO  TACTILE;
HE  GAVE  ME  HIS  TOYS AND  MYSTERIOUS  LOOK,
HE'D  TURN  OUT  GREAT NO MATTER HOW LONG IT TOOK;
MANY YEARS LATER WE SETTLED IN THE CONCERT HALL,
WE DIDN'T REALIZE THE EVENING WOULD BE SO MAGICAL,
HE STRODE ON TO THE STAGE WITH BLACK SPRINGY HAIR,
BOWED TO THE AUDIENCE AND SAT DOWN AT THE PIANO;
HE STARTED WITH RACHMANINOV CONCERT IN C MINOR,
AND THEN CONTINUED WITH CHOP'IN NOCTURNE OPUS 15,
GOD, IT WAS SO BEAUTIFUL, IT MADE YOU CRY - THE MELODY WOULD HANG,
I REMEMBERED THE SMALL BOY I MET CALLED YANG YANG.

IT WOULD BE NICE TO LIVE IN A FOREST - NO ONE ALONGSIDE,
OR ABOVE OR BELOW, NOW THE SPACES ARE WIDE,
NOW I HEAR NO TAPPING, ONLY THE WIND IN THE TREES,
TO ACHIEVE PEACE IS ONE OF LIFE'S MYSTERIES;
BOTH SIDES OF THE FENCE ARE MINE - NO DISPUTE,
IT'S WONDERFUL TO GO DOWN A DIFFERENT ROUTE,
NO MORE SILLY REMARKS, NO BLOCKED DRAINS,
NO STUPID ARGUMENTS EVERY TIME IT RAINS;
'DON'T YOU GET LONELY LIVING OUT THERE,' SOMEONE SAID,
'NO, WE DON'T,' WAS THE USUAL REPLY FOLLOWED BY A SIGH,
EVERYTHING WAS FINE, WE COULDN'T WISH FOR MORE,
DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT A NEIGHBOUR BEING A BORE,
DON'T HAVE TO THROW THE BALL BACK OVER THE FENCE,
IT'S AMAZING HOW MANY PEOPLE LACK COMMON SENSE.

THE RHETORIC IS FALLACIOUS, DOESN'T RING TRUE,
BUT SEEMS GENUINE WITH STRANGE REASONING TOO,
DECEPTIVELY PLAUSIBLE, THE EYEBROWS ARE RAISED,
NO MATTER WHAT YOU MIGHT SAY, HE'S NEVER FAZED;
WHEN PHAEDRUS CAME ALONG, HE SCURRIED AWAY,
HE KNEW THAT HE WOULD BE 'SHOT DOWN' ON THAT DAY,
HE STOOD BEFORE THE GREAT SCHOLARS - SOCRATES,
ARISTOTLE AND PLATO WHO TOLD HIM TO GET DOWN ON HIS KNEES,
WHAT SHALL WE DO WITH THIS MAN? EDUCATE ANEW,
OR LET HIM CARRY ON - WHAT WOULD BE YOUR VIEW?
BUT WHAT IS THIS - HE ROSE FROM THE BARREN GROUND,
HE LEFT HIS ACCUSERS MUTTERING, WITHOUT A SOUND,
NOTHING HAD CHANGED, EVEN WHEN DAY TURNED INTO NIGHT,
WHATEVER THEY SAID, HE KNEW THAT HE WAS RIGHT.

THEY SAY THAT WE'RE DREAMERS, MAYBE SCHEMERS,
COULD BE A HIDDEN AGENDA BUT I'LL LOVE YOU TENDER,
I'M DIVIDED INTO ONE OF A GROUP DRINKING WINE,
WHILE WE DISCUSS WHICH IS THE BEST STAR SIGN;
GEMINI IS TWO-FACED, TAURUS JUST A RAGING BULL,
SCORPIO HAS A STING IN THE TAIL AND FALLIBLE,
PISCES TURNED HIS BACK ON ME MYSTERIOUSLY,
WHILE ARIES GRINNED ALONG SO WONDERFULLY,
CAPRICORN COULDN'T MAKE HIS MIND UP SO WENT AWAY,
CANCER WAS TERMINAL AND ONLY SPOKE ABOUT THE WEATHER,
LEO HAD RED HAIR AND LOOKED AS THO' SHE DIDN'T CARE
ABOUT AQUARIUS TICKLING HER BEHIND, JUST DIDN'T MIND
WHEN LIBRA STARTED TO TREAD ON HER TOES AND
KNEW THAT WHEN IT CAME TO VIRGO - ANYTHING GOES

SOMEONE SAID 'THAT: 'I DON'T LIKE THE WAY YOU EAT,'
YOU'RE THE NICEST PERSON THAT I COULD WISH TO MEET,
NOW I HEAR PEOPLE ARGUING ABOUT SHOWER GEL,
ASHTRAYS, NOT ANSWERING THE PHONE AS WELL;
PATHETIC REALLY, EVEN THOUGH I LOVE YOU DEARLY,
WE SEEM TO GO THRO' ALL THIS NONSENSE YEARLY,
WHY DON'T WE EACH GET A ROOM ON OUR OWN,
THEN THERE WOULD BE NO MORE NEED TO MOAN,
NO MORE WORRIES ABOUT DRINKING AND SMOKING,
LIPSTICK ON YOUR TEETH - I WAS ONLY JOKING,
CLOTHES ALL OVER THE PLACE, A MASK UPON YOUR FACE,
IMPATIENCE WHEN WE CAN'T EVEN FIX A NECKLACE;
TO THINK THAT HALF OF US WILL NOT LAST TOGETHER,
TRIVIA BECOMES IMPORTANT - BEYOND ENDEAVOUR.

I  HAVE  NEPHEWS  AND  NIECES  WHOM  I  LOVE
TO  PIECES  -  ONE  PART  FOR  THE  SMILE,
ANOTHER  FOR  THEIR  STYLE,  MEANWHILE
THEY'LL  GO  THE  EXTRA  MILE  FOR  ME;
YOU  WISH  YOU  WERE  LIKE  THEM,  UNINHIBITED,
NO  WORRIES,  ACHIEVEMENTS  WHICH  ONLY  TIME  HURRIES;
WERE  YOU  POPULAR  AT  SCHOOL?  WERE  YOU  ONE
OF  THE  BOYS?  OR  GIRLS?  WERE  YOU  GOOD  LOOKING?
NOT  TOO  SKINNY,  NOT  TOO  FAT?  LANDED  NICELY
ON  THE  PE  MAT,  GOOD  AT  SPORTS,  WILLING  TO  SHARE
YOUR  LIQUORICE  ALL - SORTS?  AND  GOB  STOPPERS,
WARM  BREAD, FROZEN  ORANGE  ICE  WHICH  WAS  SO  NICE;
NOW  THE  COLOURED  PENCILS  OF  LIFE  ARE  LIKE  A  RAINBOW,
ONE  DAY  THEY'LL  BE  LIKE  ME, PRAISING  THEIR  OWN  FAMILY.

YOU  CAN'T  STOP  ME - I'M  GOING  TO  PUBLISH
BY  WHATEVER  MEANS  POSSIBE - JUST  YOU  SEE,
IT'S  NOT  TOO  MUCH  TO  ASK - I  DON'T  WANT  FAME,
THERE'S  NO  ONE  LEFT  TO  BLAME  -  ONLY  ME;
I  WASTED  TIME - YOU'RE  NO  FRIEND  OF  MINE,
AND  WHEN  IT'S  DONE  I'LL  TELL  YOU  HOW  IT  WAS,
I'LL  TELL YOU  WHAT  YOU  HAVE  TO  DO - NEVER
MIND  RANDOM  HOUSE,  OLYMPIA  OR  ANY  OF  THEM,
SUCH  A  RELIEF  TO  DO  SOMETHING  BEFORE  I  GO,
BEFORE  TIME  RUNS  OUT,  BEFORE  MY  LAST  SHOUT;
EVEN  THEN  I  WILL  NOT  BE  FAZED  -  I  KNOW
IT  WAS  GOOD;  I  KNOW  MY  SOUL  WAS  POURED  OUT,
WHAT  HAVE  YOU  DONE - IS  THERE  ANYTHING  TO  CRY  ABOUT?
NO,  THERE  IS  NOT,  I'M  HOLDING  A  COPY  IN  MY  HAND.

EVERYTHING  IS  TAKEN  CARE  OF  YOU  SEE,
THE  UNKNOWN  SPIRIT  LOOKS  AFTER  DESTINY,
WHERE  AM  I  GOING,  WHAT'S  TO  BE  DONE  NOW?
THERE  ARE  ONLY  SOME  THINGS THAT  GOD  WILL ALLOW;
PART  OF  ME  WANTS YOU BACK BUT  YOU  CAN  NOT  COME,
THE  THOUGHT  OF  NOT  HOLDING  YOU  LEAVES  ME  NUMB,
WOULD  YOU  LIKE  TO  STAY  IN  THE  PHOTOGRAPH?
DOES  IT  HURT  JUST  SO  MUCH - ONLY  WHEN  I  LAUGH;
I'VE  WRITTEN  IT  DOWN,  NOTHING  WILL  GO  AWAY,
I  REMEMBER  THE  WORDS,  WARMTH,  LOVE,  EVERYDAY,
I  CAN  NOT  GRIEVE,  ONLY  PERCEIVE,  UNDERSTAND,
IT  WAS  YOUR  TIME,  GOD  DID  NOT  WANT  TO  MAKE  IT  MINE,
HE  MADE  US,  HE  SHAPED  US,  LIKE  YELLOW  GOLD,
FOR  ONCE  IN  MY  LIFE,  I  FINALLY  DO  AS  I'M  TOLD.

MODERN DAY SOCIETY FOSTERS NEW BREEDS,
WHICH SEEMS TO BE CONVENIENT TO YOUR NEEDS,
RESPECTING OTHER PEOPLE'S BELIEFS IS ALL VERY WELL,
TRUE OR FALSE IDEOLOGY - EVEN YOU CAN NOT TELL;
YOU LACK EXPERIENCE OF LIFE - AND, OF COURSE, DEATH,
YOU WILL NEVER KNOW ANYTHING UNTIL YOUR LAST BREATH,
EVEN THEN, YOU WOULD WISH US TO GO TO NOTHING,
CAN'T YOU GIVE YOURSELF A MORSEL OR AT LEAST SOMETHING?
SUCH A FATALIST - YOU WANT TO BE LEFT ALONE,
IRONICALLY YOU WON'T BE - UNTIL YOU DROP LIKE A STONE,
I COULD ASK YOU ABOUT ACCIDENTS AND DISASTERS,
BUT I WON'T - YOU'RE NOT CONCERNED ABOUT WHAT  MISFORTUNE INFERS,
YOU BRING THE WORDS UPON YOURSELF - A COP - OUT IS DERISORY,
IN MY OPINION, YOUR EXISTENCE IS NOT RANDOM - THAT'S AN IMPOSSIBILITY.