I CAN WITHSTAND ANYTHING THAT COMES,
I'VE HAD MY RATION, IF GOD'S DONE HIS SUMS,
ANY KIND OF STORM, POWER CUT OR BLACK,
SOMETIME'S YOU WONDER IF YOU'RE EVER COMING BACK;
I'VE BEEN SNOWBOUND AND WITHOUT ANY KIND OF SOUND,
WHAT'S IT LIKE WHEN YOU'RE DOWN TO YOUR LAST POUND,
SACKED, RETRENCHED, HUMILIATED AND IGNORED,
YOU THINK YOU'VE BEEN FORSAKEN BY MY SWEET LORD,
ONCE I COULDN'T EVEN SEE WHAT WAS IN FRONT OF ME,
HOW STRONG ARE YOU IF YOU LOSE YOUR HOUSE AND FAMILY,
I'M TIRED, CAN'T GO ON ANY MORE IT WOULD SEEM,
YOU LOSE FAITH, RESILIENCE - YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN;
BUT THERE'S ONE THING LEFT - COUNT A BLESSING AS YOU DO,
HOW LUCKY I AM TO HAVE SOMEONE WITH YOUR POINT OF VIEW.

PHAEDRUS WHERE ARE YOU NOW? WITH GREY LOCKS
AND LUCID MINDSET WHICH THE CRADLE ROCKS,
WE KNOW YOU, LISTEN TO YOUR TREATISE DREAM,
WHICH CAN NOT BE MET BY NOTHING AS IT SEEM;
PLATO MADE YOU CRAWL WITH TRUMPETS BLAZI NG,
LEFT YOU SPEECHLESS, STARING, ONLY GAZING
AT WHAT WAS NOT THERE, GONE LIKE A LOST SONG,
NOUGHT WAS THE SAME SINCE YOU CAME ALONG,
AN AGEING INCUBUS WITH LITTLE TO ACHIEVE,
YOU WOULD HAVE US ALL JUST WANTING TO BELIEVE,
THE SOPHISTS WERE ALWAYS RIGHT BUT YOU WERE WRONG,
ABOUT THINKING, ABOUT LIVING, ABOUT ANYTHING;
THE CLASS LEFT FOR THE DAY HAPPY AT DEPRESSION,
THERE WAS NOTHING BETTER THAN LISTENING TO YOUR LESSON.

THE DOWRY WAS FOR FUTURE WIFE AND LIFE,
IT DID NOT GUARANTEE SUCCESS FOR YOU AND ME,
I COULD GIVE YOU SOME ADVICE - IT WOULD BE NICE
TO KNOW WHEN THEIR THROWING SHOES AND RICE,
GOD WILL PROVIDE AND COVER IF YOU HELP YOURSELF,
DO NOT RELY ON DESTINY OR THE BEING OF ANOTHER;
YOU MUST RE-INVENT EVERY DAY AND THEN PRAY
THAT THERE'S SOMETHING POSITIVE TO SAY,
TAKE HEED OF PLEASURE AND LEISURE FOREVER,
NOT IN PASSING BUT TO BE DONE WITHOUT ASKING,
YOU HAVE BEEN GIVEN KEYS, SO USE THEM,
NOT JUST TO KEEP THINGS IN PLACE BUT TO OPEN
HEARTS AND MINDS AND CLEVERNESS THAT BINDS,
BE AHEAD, BECAUSE FORTUNE HAS MANY KINDS.

I'VE HEARD OF SHANGRILA - THEY SAY
THE HOTEL IS  NOT TOO FAR - JUST STROLL
IN, ORDER YOUR MEAL AND THEN I'LL
TELL YOU ABOUT THE DEAL : FIFTEEN
THOUSAND POUNDS FOR TEN PEOPLE,
SOUNDS A BIT STEEP AND I'LL ASSURE
YOU IT'S NOT AN ERROR - FROM SHARKS
FIN SOUP TO ABALONE, MUST BE BETTER
THAN HOME-ALONE OR IS IT? GROSS
OPULENCE FOR MOST OF US - ANY TRAVEL
PROBLEMS - WE'LL BUY THE BUS - A MERE
SNIP FOR MR. ABROMOVITCH - WE WOULDN'T
WANT TO QUEER HIS PITCH, PERHAPS IT'S
TIME TO PAUSE AWHILE, JUST TO SEE MY SICKLY SMILE.

SO MANY STEPS IN SHADOW, SO MANY
PEOPLE DOWN BELOW, SOME BISTRO SAYS
HELLO AND COSY CORNERS WON'T LET YOU GO,
CO'INTREAU AND COFFEE DOWNED EASILY;
A PRIEST FROM SACRE COEUR HAS AN EMPTY
CUP AND LOOKS AT ME WHEN I ENTER - HE
INVITES ME TO JOIN HIM, TO PROBE MY SOUL -
TO SEE IF I'M REALLY WHOLE, IN NO NEED
OF SAVING OR PROTECTING FROM THE DEVIL,
I ASSURE HIM THAT I'M FINE BUT STILL
WAITING FOR A SIGN FROM GOD - HE TELLS
ME THAT IT'S WITHIN ME AS HE STANDS UP
TO LEAVE AND ASKS WHY I DON'T BELIEVE,
I SAY I DO NOW BUT DON'T REALLY KNOW HOW.

I DREAMED OF BISCUITS WHILE LYING IN BED,
SOMETHING YOU CAN'T DO WHEN YOU'RE FINALLY DEAD,
I DREAMED THAT MAYBE I WOULDN'T WAKE UP,
BUT FIRST I HAD TO DEAL WITH AN OVERFLOWING CUP,
PERHAPS I'LL STAY HERE - NEITHER AWAKE OR DECEASED,
OF LONGING FOR EVERYTHING MY APPETITE HAS INCREASED,
YOU CAN'T TOUCH ME OR CHANGE MY MIND,
TO STAY IN THIS LIMBO I AM RESIGNED
TO MAKE THE BEST OF WHAT I'VE BEEN GIVEN,
I'M NOW IN MY OWN KIND OF HEAVEN, WHERE
I CAN CONJURE UP EVERY NEED BY
FLICKING THRO' FILES AND SELECTING MY FAVOURITE
SMILES; SOMEONE'S SHAKING MY SHOULDERS BUT
TO NO AVAIL- WHATEVER I WANT, I WILL NOT FAIL.

TEQUILA SLIPPED DOWN EASILY, A MYSTERY
WHO THE NEW MAN WAS BECAUSE HE CARRIED
AN AURA WITH HIM WHICH EVEN HEMMINGWAY
MIGHT HAVE BEEN INTERESTED IN; THIS HEAT WAS
EVEN TOO MUCH FOR CAMPESINOS BUT NO
BEAD OF SWEAT APPEARED ON HIS FACE,
AS HE FIXED HIS GAZE ON ME MYSTICALLY,
HE SAID THAT, 'YOU WON'T SEE ME AGAIN
BUT WHEN YOU GO OUTSIDE IN THE DUST,
YOU'LL CARRY ME WITH YOU AND I WILL
GUIDE WHAT YOU DO,' AMAZINGLY, I BELIEVED
HIM, FINISHED MY DRINK AND DON'T CARE WHAT
YOU THINK, IT WAS TRUE - NEW ENERGY
GRIPPED ME AND NOW WHERE I WANTED TO BE.