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.

IF THERE'S NOT MUCH TIME LEFT, IT MUST BE A SHORT STORY,
JUST ENOUGH TO INCLUDE LOVE, HEARTBREAK, GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY,
THE LOVE OF PEOPLE, HEARTBREAK IN BETWEEN - YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN,
NOW GEOGRAPHY DESCRIBES THE DUST DOWN THE ROAD, HISTORY - WHERE YOU'VE BEEN;
IN THE BEGINNING, GOD MADE ME AND YOU ( NOT YOU AND I ),
THE WEATHER WAS FAIR AND THE STARS WERE IN THE SKY,
THERE WERE NO SERPENTS, NO PROBLEMS WITH FORBIDDEN FRUIT,
EVERYTHING IN PLACE, BODIES WITHOUT BLEMISH, FACES KINDA CUTE,
THERE HAD TO BE AN OCCUPATION - MAYBE LAND TO BE PLOUGHED,
FOOD TO BE GROWN, HARVEST GATHERED AND IDLENESS NOT ALLOWED;
PROCREATION FROM DAY ONE AND AMAZINGLY NO BROTHERS ARGUING,
HOWEVER,NO PLASTIC PEOPLE - MINDS OF THEIR OWN, BARGAINING,
LOVING, LAUGHING, CRYING WITH PLEASURE IT WOULD SEEM,
IT WAS A SHAME THAT IT JUST TRANSPIRED TO BE A BEAUTIFUL DREAM.

IT WAS A PITY TO SPOIL A SUNNY DAY,
TAKE THE SUN OUT OF THE SKY SO THEY SAY,
THAT YOU CAN NOT QUELL A SPIRIT EASILY,
OR BELIEVE THAT YOUR LIFE DOESN'T RUN BEAUTIFULLY;
YOUR SOUL MAY BE LIFTED, WARMTH ON YOUR BACK,
THE RETURN OF SUMMER, NOTHING YOU MAY LACK,
DON'T LOOK HEAVENWARDS TO IMPROVE YOUR STATION,
IT'S RIGHT HERE WAITING TO GIVE YOU INSPIRATION,
LOVE IN THE WINTER, LOVE IN THE FALL,
SPRING LEAVES YOU CAREFREE - NO DISSENT AT ALL,
YOU MAY SEE NO LINING, NO SIGN OF REPRIEVE,
REMEMBER THE HOLIDAY YOU DIDN'T WANT TO LEAVE,
I'VE TAKEN THE WARM, BLOWN DOWN THE STORM,
THERE'S NO MORE SPACE FOR CLOUDS TO FORM.

THIS LIFE OF OURS - ALL IN OUR IVORY TOWERS,
IS ANYONE LISTENING TO OUR PRAYERS?
LET''S SAY, YES - THEY ARE; SO YOU SAY - SO WHY
IS NOTHING HAPPENING? IT IS HAPPENING -
IT HAPPENS EVERY DAY - THAT'S WHY WE PRAY;
I'M ONE DAY OLDER TODAY - STILL KEEPING ON,
PERHAPS WE SHOULD ASK SOMEONE ELSE,
THE SOLUTION TO OUR PROBLEMS - THE COUNCILLOR;
SHE ASKED ME: 'WHY DO YOU LOOK DOWN AND NOT
MEET ME EYE-TO-EYE,' I SAID THAT I WOULD TRY,
'ARE YOU HAPPY AT WORK?'
'NO, I AM NOT - PEOPLE IRK ME AND ANNOY ME,'
'ARE YOU IN A GOOD RELATIONSHIP?'
'NO, I AM NOT - NOTHING IS GOING RIGHT,'
'IS YOUR FAMILY OK,'
'NO, THEY ARE NOT - SEEMS TO BE A NEW PROBLEM EVERY DAY;'
'STOP - WHERE IS YOUR MINDSET, WHERE IS YOUR FOCUS,
LOOK WITHIN YOURSELF AND RIISE ABOVE THESE THINGS,
TELL YOURSELF YOU'RE HAPPY, GIVE YOURSELF LOVE,
WHETHER IT BE TRUE OR NOT IT'S ALL YOU'VE GOT
TO GIVE YOU STRENGTH AND TELL YOUR INNER SOUL;
WE'VE BEEN WHERE YOU ARE - YOU'RE YOUR OWN STAR,
THERE'S NO ONE LIKE YOU, NO ONE CAN TOUCH YOU,
YOU'LL BE AMAZED AT WHAT GOD'S GIVEN YOU - YOU NEVER KNEW - DON'T KEEP TELLING YOURSELF THAT THERE'S NOTHING I CAN DO - WRONG!! SO WRONG.
YOU TELL ME THAT 'I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT'S LIKE - I DO!
WHAT RIGHT HAVE I TO TELL YOU ANYTHING IF IT'S NOT TRUE?
GO ON, PROVE ME RIGHT - GET YOURSELF YOUR OWN LIFE.

IT WAS SUMMER - I CAN'T REMEBER WHICH DAY,
BUT THE EVENING WENT ON, MAYBE WEDNESDAY,
BALMY NIGHT, A BALLOON DRIFTED OVER AND HUNG,
AS THOUGH A SONG WAS FROZEN, NEVER TO BE SUNG;
KODOM SCURRIED AROUND, MOVING FREELY WITHOUT A SOUND,
LIKE A BREATH OF AIR, TRANSIENT, A THEATRE IN THE ROUND,
I THOUGHT OF LANZERAC BUT I DIDN'T NEED IT ANY MORE,
IT WAS GONE, STRANGELY BETTER LIKE OPENING A NEW DOOR;
SOME HINDI MUSIC TOOK YOU AWAY - JAGIT AND CHITRA
HAD SO MUCH TO SAY, FILLING ALL OF AN ENGLISH SUMMER'S DAY,
THEN THERE WAS FOOD - AN EXTRAVAGANZA FROM THE EAST,
IT GAVE YOU BON HOMIE, A SURPRISE YOU EXPECTED LEAST,
THAT WAS THE KEY, NO NEED TO ASK A CLEVER 'WHY'?
AS LAUGHTER TICKLED THE EDGES OF A FADING SKY.

THE  CHILDREN MADE ME IN AN ICY LANDSCAPE,
WITH HAT AND SCARF, GLOVES AND BUTTONS, LEFT TO GAPE,
I WANTED TO JOIN THEM - BECOME A HUMAN BEING,
ONLY THEN, WITH SOME PROPER COTHES,MY LIFE WOULD HAVE MEANING,
I COULD RUN THRO' ****-FROSTED BUSHES WITH GAY ABANDON,
RACE ON A SLEDGE, THROW SNOWBALLS, PLAY AT RANDOM;
PERHAPS MAKE LOVE LIKE THEY DO BEFORE I MELTED AWAY
BECAUSE I WILL NEVER COME AGAIN SO THEY SAY
THAT WINTER MAKES PEOPLE CUDDLE CLOSER TOGETHER,
SEEKING WARMTH AND CLOSENESS DURING SNOWY WEATHER,
MEANWHILE, I PEER THROUGH RIME- LADEN SPIDER'S WEBS,
PALE SUN ILLUMINATES ICY BOUGHS, STEAMING, TIME EBBS
BUT STANDS STILL SO THAT YOU CAN NOT HEAR A SNOWFLAKE FALL
ONLY SEE YOUR DESTINY AND WHITE MAJESTIC TREES STANDING TALL.

THERE WAS OTHER WORK TO DO - FOR ME AND YOU,
PEOPLE TO HELP, RESCUE FROM MAKING RASH DECISIONS,
TO LIFT THEM UP WHEN THEY'D FALLEN DOWN, TO MAKE SURE
THAT EVERYTHING WAS TICKING OVER NICELY AND IN PLACE;
YOU DON'T BELIEVE IN ANGELS - DO YOU BELIEVE IN LIFE?
YOU'RE HERE - NOT AN ACCIDENT - YOU'RE FOR ALL TIME,
YOU'RE SACROSANCT, BESPOKE - BUILT TO WITHSTAND ANYTHING;
TIME FOR THE WEEKLY MEETING AGAIN - 'WHAT HAVE WE
GOT TODAY? NORTH KOREA, IRAQ, AFGHANISTAN AND SYRIA,
WHEN WILL THEY EVER LEARN - I COULD DESTROY THEM ALL
AND MAKE THEM BURN - BUT THAT IS NOT THE ANSWER,
I CREATED THEM AND THEY WILL BE ACCOUNTABLE TO ME,
THEY CAN NOT CHEAT BY DYING - ONLY SUCCEED BY TRYING
TO BE AS THEY WERE INTENDED - REAL MEN - GO TELL THEM.'