A DIFFERENT LIFE ON THE TAPE, NOT MINE
BUT SOMEONE ELSE THIS TIME; THE HOUSE
SMELLED DIFFERENT: LEATHER, TENDED FOLIAGE
AND FRAGRANT AIR IF YOU TURNED OVER A PAGE,
MY SHOES CLIP-CLOPPED ON THE FLOOR AND
AN IMAGE STOOD FRAMED WITHIN A DOOR,
CLOTHES WERE GOOD AND A VOICE BECKONED ME
FORWARD FOR DINNER, FOR COMFORT, FOR MANY
THINGS AND ALL THE WARMTH THAT A SMILE BRINGS,
HOW HAD I MISSED THIS BEFORE WHEN IT WAS
ONLY HIDDEN BEHIND A DOOR, NO MATTER -
I HAVE MY OWN SMILE, OWN PLANTS, OWN SEAT -
IN FACT I'M THE NICEST GUY YOU COULD WISH
TO MEET; BACK IN THE BOX I SEE ANOTHER TAPE.

HE WAS BACK, LIKE PHAEDRUS BUT NOT
OF THIS EARTH, RATHER TO HAVE SOME FUN
FOR WHAT IT WAS WORTH; I TOLD HIM TO
BEHAVE PROPERLY AND LEAVE THE TALKING
TO ME - EVEN THEN HIS POWER WAS GREATER
THAN IT APPEARED TO BE; AN EMPTY GLASS
BECAME FULL, SOMEONE'S WALLET SUDDENLY
HAD EXTRA NOTES AND A NEARBY DOG TURNED
IN CIRCLES WHEN IT REALIZED THAT NO TAIL
WAS VISIBLE; THE PUNTERS WERE ASTONISHED
WHEN A HORSE IN A TV RACE WHICH WAS
CLEARLY LOSING, SUDDENLY STRAIGHTENED IT'S
KNEES AND LEAPT FORWARD PAST THE OTHERS
TO WIN - PLEASE EXPLAIN, I DON'T KNOW WHERE TO BEGIN!

I LOVE THE SHARPSHOOTER - SHE PUTS EVERYTHING RIGHT,
IT'S SO GOOD SOMETIMES - SHE GIVES ME A FRIGHT,
FROM EXPERIENCE, IT SEEMS MUCH BETTER THAN MINE,
KEEPS YOU ON TRACK, STRANGELY KEEPS YOU IN LINE;
I TOOK ALL THIS ENLIGHTENMENT, HEAVEN - SENT,
AND THEN KNEW, DOWN THE ROCKY PATHS WHERE I WENT
WRONG SOMETIMES, WHERE I LEFT MY OLD MINDSET,
AND REALISED THAT WHAT YOU PUT IN IS WHAT YOU GET;
I WAS THE LAST CHILD - SHARPSHOOTER WAS THE FIRST,
I WAS SPOILED, MAYBE NO. 1 CAN BE BETTER VERSED,
CAN HAVE A SERENITY WHICH IS HARD TO MATCH,
DO YOU REALLY MEAN THAT, YES - THERE IS NO CATCH,
NOTHING HIDDEN, AS PLAIN AND BEAUTIFUL FOR ALL TO SEE,
I CONCEDE WITH MANY THINGS THAT SHE IS BETTER THAN ME!

MONK ADJUSTED MY TIE - I ASKED HIM WHY
EVERYTHING HAD TO BE STRAIGHT - HE SAID,
'WAIT, I'LL TELL YOU WHY THAT THE STARS
ARE ORDERED IN THE SKY AND BIRDS
NEED TWO WINGS WHEN THEY FLY, TO
PLACES ARRANGED BY GOD BEFOREHAND,
NORTH AND SOUTH BEFORE THEY LAND,
THOSE PICTURES ON THE WALL SHOULD NOT
MOVE AT ALL AND WHEN I MAKE LOVE,
SOMEONE'S WATCHING ME FROM ABOVE,
NOTHING IS RANDOM SO COME ON AND
BE A REGULAR GUY - THE TEARS DROP
EVENLY WHEN I CRY FOR THIS IS A MUST -
NEARLY EVERYTHING OUT THERE I NEED TO ADJUST.'

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?'