DO  YOU  HAVE  A  GOOD  JOB,  HOUSE  AND  A  CAR,
MONEY  IN  THE ­ BANK  AND  TRAVEL  FROM  AFAR,
GENTLE,  KIND,  COMPASSIONATE,  C­ARING,  AFFECTIONATE,
UNDERSTANDING,  READY  FOR  A  FAMILY  AND ­ CONSIDERATE?
LOYAL,  PATIENT,  TOLERANT,  GIVE  ME  SOME  SECURI­TY,
LOVING,  REMEMBER  MY  BIRTDAY  AND  ANNIVERSARY??
STRONG,  T­OUGH,  FIT,  NON - SMOKER  AND  NOT  TOO  ROUGH?
IF  SO,  THAT'S  FINE BUT  FOUR  OUT  OF  TWENTY  FIVE  ISN'T  ENOUGH,
THE  FIRST  FOUR­  ARE  GOOD  BUT  THE  REST  ARE  MINE;
LET'S  TRY  HOBBIES - DO  YOU  LIKE  ANIMALS,  DOGS
AND  CATS,  CINEMA,  PICNICS,  CLOT­HES  AND  SILLY  HATS,
SPORT,  WALKING,  TALKING,  LAUGHING  IN  ­THE  RAIN
BEING  READY,  BEING  THERE  WHEN  I'M  IN  PAIN?
THINK­  ON  THESE  THINGS  BECAUSE  I  WONT  ASK  YOU  AGAIN.

YOU'RE  WIDER  NOW,  SHORTER,  BUT  THE  STORY'S
THE  SAME - YOU  WONDER  IF  THERE'S  ANY  GAIN
FROM  CLEARER  VISION  OR  IS  IT  STILL  INDECISION?
THERE  WAS  A  PLASMA  ON  THE  WALL  PLUS
ONE  IN  THE  HALL  WITH  NO  PROBLEM  AT  ALL,
I'M  GLAD  YOU'RE  SHARPER,  STANDING  OUT  FROM
THE  CROWD - WE  CAN  SEE  THAT  YOU'RE  WELL  ENDOWED,
IN  FACT,  ONE  DAY  THEY'LL  BE  NO  SCREEN  
AT  ALL - NEARLY  EVERYONE  WILL  BE  ON  CALL,
EXTRAS  STANDING  BY  READY  TO  JOIN  THE  'SKY';
I  DON'T  MIND - SOME  OF  US  MAY  BE  AN  
IMPROVEMENT,  ARROGANT,  IMPUDENT  AND  PETULANT,
NOBODY  REALLY  UNDERSTANDING  WHAT'S  MEANT
BY  A  FLAT  RATE - THAT'S  ALL YOU'LL GET  WHILE  YOU  WAIT.



;
'

WOULD  YOU  LIKE  TO  READ  MY  SECOND  NOVEL?
OF  COURSE - WHAT  HAPPENED  TO  THE  FIRST  ONE?
IT'S  GATHERING  DUST - ONE  DAY  I  MUST
PURSUE  ANOTHER  PUBLISHER  BUT  MEANWHILE
I'LL  LIVE  IN  THE  SUN,  AND  TRY  TO
GET  SO  MUCH  WRITING  DONE;  A  LONELY  
JOB - LOCKED  AWAY  FOR  SO  LONG,  OFTEN
THE  WORDS  ARE  WRONG - SO  RE - WRITE,
UNTIL  THE  TEXT  HAS  THE  RIGHT  BITE;
THEN - A  WALK  BY  THE  SEA,  THINKING
HOW  THINGS  COULD  BE - IN  THE  STORY
AND  FOR  REAL,  SOMETIMES  IT'S  THE  SAME  DEAL,
NO  MATTER,  LOVE  ON  PAPER'S  NOT  THE  SAME,
BUT  IF  IT'S  NOT  RIGHT - YOU  CAN  DO  IT  AGAIN!

IT'S  A  MYSTERY  WHY  THE  STARS  STAY  
IN  THE  SKY - IT'S  NOT  CLEAR  WHY
THEY  SHOULD  STATION  THEMSELVES  SO  HIGH,
PERHAPS  ONE  DAY  THEY  MAY  WAVE  GOODBYE;
NOW  WE  ONLY  HAVE  A  MOON  LEFT  AND  SOME
PLANETS  WITH  A  NAKED  FIRMAMENT,  WHICH
LET'S  YOU  CRY - EVEN  VENUS  GIVES  A  SIGH;
I  KNOW  THE  ANSWERS  NOW,  EVERYTHING
FELL  INTO  PLACE - IN  THE  BEGINNING,
THERE  WAS  NO  SPACE,  ONLY  A  PACKAGE
WHICH  HAD  TO  BE  ASSEMBLED  WITH
INSTRUCTIONS  ON  THE  BOX - WARNINGS
ABOUT  THIS  AND  THAT  LIKE  AN  EMPTY  SKY,
AND  WITH  THE  MAKER - YOU  MUST  COMPLY.

I  UNDERSTAND  NOTHING  AND  NOR  DO  YOU,
YOU  DO  NOT  KNOW  WHERE  YOU  CAME  FROM,
WHO  MADE  GOD  AND  EVEN  IF  THERE  IS  ONE,
YOU  DO  NOT  KNOW  WHAT  HAPPENS  AFTER  DEATH,
AND  NEVER  WILL  UNTIL  YOUR  LAST  BREATH,
EVEN  THEN  YOU  MAY  NEVER  KNOW,  WHY
THE  STARS  ARE  IN  THE  SKY - NO  MATTER
HOW  HARD  YOU  TRY;  I  DO  KNOW  THAT  I  AM
FALLIBLE - A  PRODUCT  OF  IMPERFECTION,
HOWEVER,  IT  MAY  BE  USEFUL  IF  MY  MEMORY
FAILS  TO  REMEMBER  YOU - MY  HEARING  AID
IS  TURNED  OFF  BUT  THE  CARD  MAY  BE  STORED  
FOREVER - I'M  HUMAN  AFTER  ALL,  COMPASSION
IS  WITHIN  MY  SOUL - NOT  KNOWING  MAKES  ME  WHOLE.

IT''S  AN  ILLUSION:  MISSED  DISTRIBUTION,
BUT  THE  EMOTON  IS  REAL  THE  WAY  I  FEEL,
RUE  BREY  IS  THE  SAME:  LADIES  MAKING  GAIN,
THERE'S  A  PYRAMID  NOW - MR. PEI  WONDERS
HOW  THE  LOCALS  THINK - THEY  DON'T  LIKE  IT,
TAKEN  IT 'DOWN'  BIT  BY  BIT. OH, WELL,
THE  LOUVRE  WAS  DIFFICULT  TO  IMPROVE;
SACRE' COUR  WAS  A  BLUR  IN  THE  RAIN,
BUT  GOOD  TO  BE  BACK  IN  MOMARTRE'  AGAIN,
THE  STUDIO  ETOILE  ROOM  HAD  A  LARGE  BED,
WITH  A  DIP  IN  THE  MIDDLE,  A  VIEW OF
THE  ARC  DE  TR'IOMPHE  FROM  A  BALCONY,
WHICH  WE  LOOKED  AT  EVENTUALLY,  THE  NAME
OF  THE  UNKNOWN  SOLDIER  REMAINS  A  MYSTERY.

THEY  GAVE  ME  A  PEN  AND  SOME  PAPER,
AND  SAID  DON'T  THINK  ABOUT  BEING  AM  ESCAPER,
PRIVILLEGES  ARE  LIMITED,  PERKS  ARE  FEW,
'KEEP  YOUR  NOSE  CLEAN,'  WHATEVER  YOU  DO,
I  MISS  ALCOHOL,  PLEASURES  OF  THE  FLESH,
BUT  NO  ONE  WILL  ASK  ME - ' DO  YOU  HAVE  A  LAST  WISH;
THE  DAYS  ARE  CROSSED OFF  WITH  LINES  ON  THE  WALL,
ON  REFLECTION - I  SHOULDN'T  BE  HERE  AT  ALL,
ONE  OF  THE  GUYS  IS  GOING  TO  THE  'CHAIR,'
WHERE  IS  IT  WRITTEN  THAT  ANYTHING  IS  FAIR,
YOU  CAN  MAKE  AN  APPEAL - LODGE  A  REQUEST,
BUT  IT'S  DOUBTFUL, BROTHER, IF  THE  LAW  KNOWS  BEST,
I'LL  BIDE  MY  TIME,  WAIT  FOR  THE  COMING  PAROLE,
NO  POINT  IN  ENDING UP 'BACK  IN  THE  HOLE.'

I  WILL  BE  WITH  YOU  ALWAYS - YOU  MUST  BELIEVE,
YOU  HAVE  NO  CHOICE  AS  I  LISTEN  TO  YOU  GRIEVE,
THE  ROSE  PETALS  HAVE  BEEN  WASHED UPON  THE  GROUND,
YOU  WILL  NOT  HEAR  ME  MAKE  ANY  FURTHER  SOUND;
THIS  IS  NOT  MAUDLIN - A PREOCCUPATION WITH  DEATH,
THE  PRAYERS  HAVE  BEEN  READ, EVERYTHING HAS BEEN SAID,
YOU HAVE GIVEN ME GREAT LOVE, ALL I EVER WANTED;
WHEN YOU FEEL  SOMETHING BRUSH AGAINST YOU - IT WILL BE ME,
JUST RAISE A HAND AND SQUEEZE THE ZEPHYR BREEZE GENTLY,
I WILL DANCE AROUND YOU AND SLOWLY RUFFLE YOUR HAIR,
YOU CAN'T SEE ME BECAUSE I SHALL NO LONGER BE THERE;
WHEN YOUR LIPS BECOME DRY, YOU WILL KNOW THAT I HAVE GONE AWAY,
DO NOT WORRY, LAUGH A LITTLE, BECAUSE I WILL RETURN ANOTHER DAY.

YOU WONDERED WHAT HEAVEN WAS LIKE - DID IT REALLY EXIST?
MY OLD FRIENDS ARE HERE - NOT OLD - THE SAME AS THEY
ALWAYS WERE - SORT OF TATTY AND DATED AS THOUGH THEY
HAD WAITED JUST FOR ME - JUST THE WAY IT WAS MEANT TO BE;
DROPPED INTO NIRVANA ON A BEACH WITH A PALM TREE
AND A TABLE, PERMANENTLY PLACED AND INTERFACED AS THOUGH
A PHOTOGRAPH HAD BEEN SNAPPED AND OUR TIME HAD BEEN OVERLAPPED;
'WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE? HAVE YOU BEEN INVITED? LET ME
SEE YOUR INVITATION - I DO NOT RECALL YOU WERE GOOD
ENOUGH -
MADE OF THE RIGHT STUFF - PROVE TO ME JUST HOW TOUGH IT WAS OUT THERE,
SO THAT YOU DESERVE TO SIT AT THIS TABLE AND CHAIR-
COMPLETE WITH PALM TREE AT SOMEWHERE THEY CALL LANGKAWI; '
NEVER MIND - WE ARE GENEROUS, ACCOMMODATING, YOU CAN NOT SEVER
THE TIES THAT BIND - BECAUSE COMPASSION AND LOVE ARE NOT FAR BEHIND.

LAUGH AT THE MAGIC - YOUR ATTITUDE IS TRAGIC,
IF YOU DON'T OFFER YOUR SOUL - YOU'LL NEVER BE WHOLE,
DAPPLED YELLOW, MAUVE, BLUE, GREY = GREEN, GHOSTS
WHERE THEY SHOULDN''T HAVE BEEN, ELVES
SPRITES, FORTUNES THAT COME AND GO - DO YOU
KNOW IF YOUR ABOVE OR BELOW THIS WORLD -
OR ON A LEDGE, NEITHER HERE NOR THERE -
WHAT IS IT ABOUT THAT YOU REALLY CARE?
THEY WERE WATCHING WHEN WE MADE LOVE,
THEY DANCED IN THE MOONLIGHT WITH MUSIC FROM
ABOVE, DOWN TO THE RIVER THEY WENT, DIPPED
AND SKIPPED ALL THE WAY BACK TO SEE
IF WE WERE STILL THERE, SPIRITS OFF LIMITS,
MERGED INTO ONE, WHEN WE LOOKED UP THEY WERE GONE.