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?'

I LIFTED HER UP TO LOOK INSIDE - THERE
WERE PHOTOS OF WHEN HER MOTHER WAS A BRIDE,
UNCLES, AUNTS AND DISTANT COUSINS, ALL
IN ROWS, ALL WITH DUST, NOT CLEANED SINCE
LAST HOLIDAY WHEN OTHERS CAME TO LOOK -
SO MANY MORE TAKEN OUT OF THE BOOK;
IMPRISIONED - MAYBE THEY CAME OUT TO PLAY
AT NIGHT, ALWAYS LOOKED THE SAME, IMPOSSIBLE
TO AGE AND NEVER BOTHERED BY THE RAIN, WHEN
DAYLIGHT CAME THEY WERE ALL BACK AGAIN;
WE WILL BE BEHIND THE GLASS WHEN ALL
THINGS COME TO PASS, SOME EVEN NOW BUT
CAN NOT PLAY UNTIL SPIRIT HAS DEPARTED;
WHEN I PUT HER DOWN SHE WAS BROKEN- HEARTED.

IT'S WISE TO OBSERVE NO SNOOTY RESERVE,
BUT DON'T LET YOUR LIPS NURSE A HIDDEN ITCH,
AS THO' WORDS MIGHT COME FROM SOMEONE
WHOSE DUMB, DON'T THINK EVERYTHING IS
PUNITIVE, RATHER GRASP ANY NETTLE AND
TURN IT TO YOUR ADVANTAGE - TO COME
AWAY WITH A BONUS IS INCUMBENT
UPON US, JUST LIKE A CHESS GAME - THE
SLIGHTEST ADVANTAGE CAN WIN THE DAY
AND SURPRISE YOURSELF HOW LITTLE
YOU HAD TO PLAY; NO PERPLEXITY IS NEEDED,
NO FIXED EXPRESSION, RATHER SHOW SOME
OF YOUR SOUL AS THO' YOU KNOW WHERE IT'S AT,
RATHER THAN SUFFER THE ZIG-ZAG SMILE OF THE CAT!

WRITE YOUR OWN RESUME' - THEN I'LL SIGN IT,
MY MENTOR SAID TO ME, ALBEIT FLIPPANTLY,
SO I DID: PHD IN PHILOSOPHY, A FIRST
IN ENGLISH LIKE ALDUOS HUXLEY AND
PROFESSOR OF ORIENTAL STUDIES AT LONDON
UNIVERSITY; A NUMBER OF NOVELS, POETRY
AND WHITE PAPERS COMPLETED A BUSY LIFE,
NO TIME TO TAKE A WIFE, RATHER ARMED
WITH A KNIFE TO PUT INTO PEOPLE'S BACKS,
A REPUTATION MADE AFTER NUMEROUS ATTACKS,
KNOWLEDGE WAS PASSED ON, STUDENTS CAME
AND WENT, ANYWAY WHY SHOULD A PROFESSOR
NEED TO BE HEAVEN-SENT? THE LIFE WAS MINE,
NOT GOOD ENOUGH - MY MENTOR REFUSED TO SIGN.

MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS HEAR ME, I WILL
SUMMON YOU DISTANTLY FROM AFAR WHILE
I'M SITTING ON MY STAR AND WHILE YOUR
DRIVING IN YOUR CAR; HE WHO WINS 'PRAYERS'
AND WEARS THE MANTLE OF SERENITY, THE
BADGE OF DIVINITY AND THE CLOAK OF
RESPONSIBILITY; TURN AROUND TO FACE MECCA
AND THEN GIVE SUCCOUR TO ALLAH, THE
PROPHETS AND WHERE YOUR LIFE BEGAN - BY
GRACE OF POWER AND MIGHTY ISLAM; I
MADE A MISTAKE, PERHAPS I WAS WRONG AFTER
ALL - I DIDN'T ANSWER THE MUEZZIN'S CALL,
NO MATTER, NO NEED TO FEEL SO BEREFT -
AFTER ALL, TODAY, I STILL HAVE FOUR TIMES LEFT.

I'M FROM AYUTHIA IN THAILAND, MADE OF TEAK,
I HAVE SO MANY STORIES IF I COULD SPEAK,
I'VE SEEN YOU LAUGH AND HEARD YOU CRY
AND EVEN WATCHED YOU WAVE GOODBYE;
STANDING HERE ON THE TV, THERE'S NO
BETTER VIEW IT SEEMS TO ME, THAT MAYBE
I SHOUD WRITE A BOOK - DON'T FROWN NOW,
I KNOW THAT LOOK, KNOW YOUR MOODS, KNOW
WHEN ANGER EXUDES FROM HIDDEN PORES AND
PETULANCE SHOWS ITSELF FROM UNKNOWN STORES;
THERE HAVE BEEN THE GOOD TIMES BUT MY MOOD
IS FIXED, NO WAY OF SAYING - EMOTIONS MIXED,
JUST REMEBER THAT I'M HERE FOR YOU, BROUGHT
WITH LOVE - A GUIDING LIGHT FROM HEAVEN ABOVE.