I  WAS  WITH  YOU  WHEN  YOU  WERE  SMALL,
I'M  STILL SITTING  ON THE  BED  NOW YOU'RE TALL,
I  KNOW  ALL  YOUR  THOUGHTS, EVEN HOW  YOU  FEELED,
BUT  THERE  WAS  NOTHING  I  COULD  DO - MY LIPS ARE SEALED,
I  WISH  I  COULD  WALK  AND  TAKE  A  STROLL,
BUT  TO  LOOK  PRETTY  AND  SIT  HERE  IS  MY  ROLE,
I  COULD  GIVE  YOU  ADVICE, TELL  YOU  WHAT  TO  WEAR,
BUT YOU WOULDN'T TAKE IT EASY FROM A TEDDY BEAR,
IT WOULD BE CLEVER TO PUT MY THOUGHTS INTO YOUR MIND,
YOUR CHOICE OF ACTION WOULD NOT BE FAR BEHIND;
HOW YOU GREW, TRAVELLED THE WORLD SO FAR AWAY,
WHEN YOU RETURNED, I STILL HAD NOTHING TO SAY,
I'LL ALWAYS WATCH OVER YOU AS LONG AS YOU NEED ME,
WHEN YOU'RE FINALLY GONE - I'LL MISS YOU TERRIBLY.

THE COLOURS WERE GRAINY BROWN AS YOU WENT DOWN,
THERE WERE DARK MARKS ON THE BACK LIKE A HALFWAY FROWN,
THE HILLS UNDULATED WITH BEACONS FOR ALL TO SEE,
A REMINDER AND KEYNOTE SHOWING WHERE YOU WANTED TO BE;
PERHAPS THERE HAD BEEN NO RAIN FOR A LONG TIME,
BUT WHEN IT CAME, WAS LIKE A LONG LOST FRIEND OF MINE,
IN TORRENTS, WAITING FOR SO EVER IT COULD NEVER HAVE BEEN
LIKE THIS BUT WHOSE TO SAY WHEN YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU MISS;
YOU DON'T KNOW IF IT'S ENOUGH TO SATISFY YOUR THIRST,
AND WHEN DO YOU LAUGH - MAYBE ONLY WHEN IT HURTS,
ONLY WHEN IT'S NOT OVER, YOU RETURN TO THE BEGINNING,
IT'S ONLY REALLY GOOD, HELD IN LIMBO, WHEN YOU'RE NOT WINNING;
YOU WERE TOLD TO GO FOR IT - ACHIEVE A ZENITH BY ALL MEANS,
BUT WHEN YOU WERE DRY, YOU REALIZED IT WAS A FIGMENT OF YOUR DREAMS.

EVERYTHING HAS TO BE LOOKED AT, SQUEEZED AND PRODDED,
NO POINT IN BUYING IF IT LOOKS MISERABLE - SO MUCH TIME
IS SPENT - IT'S IMPORTANT IF YOU CAN SAVE A CENT,
SO MUCH FUSS -IT JUST HAS TO BE, 'FIT FOR PURPOSE,' DOESN'T IT?
THE COLOUR IS WRONG, THE FIT TOO LONG, WE BOUGHT IT FOR A SONG;
DON'T MENTION BIRTHDAY CARDS - SOMEONE'S READING EVERY WORD,
THE 'BROWSE' IS ON - IF YOU ASK A QUESTION, IT WON'T BE HEARD,
THIS IS TOO HARD, THIS IS TOO SOFT, THE CONTAINER IS DENTED,
WHEN WE'RE IN COSMETICS -THE DEODORANTS ARE TOO STRONGLY SCENTED,
THIS MUST BE OLD STOCK BUT I DON'T WANT TO LOOK AT ANOTHER WOK,
WE RETURN SOMETHING BECAUSE IT'S FADED - NOW I'M FEELING JADED,
FORGOT THE POINTS, FORGOT THE CARD - DON'T FORGET THE NEXT ONE'S FREE;
WE'RE IN THE LINE, IN THE QUEUE - HOW MUCH LONGER MUST WE WAIT,
I CAN'T HELP IT IF I'M PAST MY SELL - BY - DATE!

I CAN SEE THINGS WHICH YOU COULD NEVER SEE,
IT MUST BE A GIFT TO UNRAVEL A MYSTERY,
I KNOW WHAT YOU'RE THINKING, REPORT BACK TO MYSELF,
IF I DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER, THERE'S A BOOK ON THE SHELF;
I HAVE SECRET MEETINGS WITH MY ALTER - EGO -
CHASTISED, REBUKED, ADMONISHED, THE LAST TIME I LOOKED
AT A CATALOGUE OF MISTAKES, SOME REAL, SOME FAKES,
I HAVE EXPERIENCE, LEAN BACK WITH HANDS BEHIND MY HEAD,
ASK YOURSELF:  WHAT HAVE I DONE, AM I GOOD IN BED?
NOW, SPIES HAVE NO TIME FOR ANYTHING, DO AS THEY'RE TOLD,
NO KNICK-KNACKS - I KNEW ONE WHO CAME IN FROM THE COLD,
BY THE TIME HE RETURNED - HIS HOUSE HAD BEEN SOLD;
I'LL GIVE YOU INFORMATION, TELL YOU WHAT YOU WANT TO HEAR,
WHEN YOU REALLY NEED ME - I'LL ALWAYS BE NEAR.

WE WERE HEADING TOWARDS BEIJING AS I SIPPED MY DRINK,
I KNEW THAT THERE WAS SOMETHING WRONG FASTER THAN YOU THINK,
A YOUNG IRANIAN WAS STANDING UP BRANDISHING A KNIFE,
WHEN THAT HAPPENS - YOU IMMEDIATELY FEAR FOR YOUR LIFE;
ALSO AN OLDER MIDDLE EASTERN MAN WAS UP IN THE FRONT OF THE PLANE,
WE WERE CIMBING - I WONDERED IF I'D SEE MY FRIENDS AGAIN,
THE AIR SEEMED THIN BUT NO MASKS DROPPED FROM THE CEILING,
PEOPLE STRUGGLING FOR BREATH - EVEN THE MIDDLE EASTERN MAN WAS KNEELING,
THR PLANE SEEMED TO TURN AND STARTED TO DROP IN HEIGHT,
SO LOW OVER THE MAINLAND - YOU COULD SEE LIGHT,
THEN THERE WAS ANOTHER TURN AND WE BEGAN TO CLIMB,
SUDDENLY THE CO-PILOT APPEARED, SHOUTING: 'THERE'S
BEEN A CRIME,'
INTO HIS MOBILE PHONE BUT WOULD ANYONE HEAR HIM
SO FAR AWAY?
THOSE WHO COULD STILL BREATHE BEGAN TO PRAY.

I MET LEONARDO - 'SO, TERRY, YOU'RE NEARLY A WRITER,
I WAS AN INVENTOR, SCULPTER, ARTIST, MICHAELANGELO FIGHTER,
I THINK HE WON BUT HE DIDN'T PAINT THE LAST SUPPER
AND THE MONA LISA - I LEFT SOMETHING UNDERNEATH.'
'I BOW TO YOUR BRILLIANCE LEO, WERE YOU REALLY THE HEAD
OF THE MASONS AND THE ILLUMINATI? DID YOU HAVE BOYS IN YOUR BED?'
'NONE OF YOUR **** BUSINESS - YOU JUST STICK TO YOUR
HOMESPUN PHILOSOPHY AND TRY NOT TO BE SUCH A BORE,
YOU WANT SOME ADVICE? I'LL GIVE IT TO YOU WHETHER YOU
LIKE IT OR NOT: YOU'LL BE AMAZED AT THE THINGS YOU CAN'T DO,
YOU CAN'T ESCAPE THE JUDGEMENT OF GOD YOU POOR SOD,
YOU CAN'T EVEN WRITE, DON'T WORRY - I'LL GIVE YOU THE NOD,
I'M WATCHING, BEARD AN' ALL, I KNOW THAT YOU'LL MISS ME,
JUST REMEMBER THAT YOU WERE IN THE COMPANY OF LEONARDO DA VINCI.'

THERE ARE THINGS TO DO - LIKE GOING TO CAIRO,
SEEING THE STATUE OF JESUS IN RIO,
HE SAID TO ME: 'WHAT TOOK YOU SO LONG?
YOU HAD TO COME BEFORE YOU BECAME A CENTURION.'
THEN THERE WERE SOME PEOPLE TO SEE - OR MAYBE NOT,
IT'S EASY TO PRETEND ABOUT THOSE CONVENIENTLY FORGOT,
YOU CAN NOT FORGET - SOME THINGS STAY WITH YOU FOREVER,
IF YOU SAID THAT I WILL DENY YOU THREE TIMES - I WOULD SAY NEVER;
THEN I SAID THAT I WOULD PRAY FOR MY SOUL TO BE WHOLE,
THERE HAD TO BE COMPLETION - PART OF THE DEAL,
NO ONE WOULD KNOW JUST HOW I MIGHT FEEL,
MY OLD LIFE WOULD NEVER GO AWAY, SO THEY SAY
THAT IF YOU LIVE TO ONE HUNDRED YEARS OLD - YOU GET A FREE PARDON - STRANGELY FORGIVEN FOR EVERYTHING YOU
HAD DONE.