hap i´m back!
and you can have a bath
f i am-

there´s a 20 per cent off
at the gas station-
bathe-you-dog!

did you ever hear of anything
so cheap.....
in these days of high prices

and higher profits..when
i was young i was a bit of
a radicle-happy..

we believed in people before
profits-but the in-fighting of
the left  

and the shift of the centre
to the right all pathed the
way for the discrepancy

between the rich and poor
greater than the victorian age
the billionaire..

i got on my bicycle
dissilussioned, i travelled
h:what about that bath...?

i

saturday,hap,off to
the doctor-to err is human
to forgive divine!

pope was one of my
favourites
when i was young

inspiration from a man
so afflicted
a brave soul..!

ii

a life of the daffodil
and the cold tap-
now where´s your lead?

i chewed f out of it
o look what have you done?!
i was bored..

iii

scene three-grumpy´s boots
on the couch
well,doctor, i am old and

feel nothing or angry for
no reason
i fear dying..

i will just fasten you here ,
hap,
while i return these-

won´t be long now,
you be good-
good boy..!

outside the library-
(hurry the apocalypse)
ah..the single half-hitch..!?

(a piece of cake-
black forrest but i
am quite unsophisticated)

And away and in!
past an electronic door
past the computer

past the surveillance cameras
past the latest fiction-newspapers
books for sale-50 p..

past the winding stair
past the coffee machine
past the screen

past the future
past a teacher and
laughing children

past the photocopier
past the librarian bending
in gardening

?
past grumpy boots?!
phew..

happy!?
what are you doing here ?!
bad dog!-he is collared

and lead away..
and out side..
mum...!

no,no-one is innocent
you can dream
you can twitch
but the lovely day

the performance
is  last night
today the long walk
the price to be paid..

down at the pickled gherkin,
grumpy chats with lugrubious ***
the doorman, and buys a raffle ticket..

happy sees his chance and in
past the exclamations!
past the snake skin and silver spur-

a blur of paw-the chase is on..
under the tables
under the chairs

a sleight pause for
a ham and cress
and past the slots

past the snug
around the waitress
past the dart board

past the band-
johny crash and the sad
past ernie

past the bar
past the kitchen
past the television

past the raffle prizes
and champagne
past the past-

the authorities gaining
but onto the dance floor
and clasps lovingly

around a cow-girls gyrating thigh
and some fancy footwork
where he is finally and rightly

collared-literally..amid acrimony
and apology
he is led away..

but for a swan song
he drops like a stone
to a puddle of larger

immovable but for a long
pink tongue
ambrosia..

scene three-
mum-he did it again?!
happy but a price to pay..

same time next week then,
doctor, come on hap!-
(well,i never paid so much
to feel so unhappy
but i was never married)
let´s catch the bus..!

(scene two-a modern day
odyssey past urban waste land
graffiti of fray
the grey canal of hades-
the rain and cloud..
bricks and cement-it is
our stop..)

hello!mum?! we´re back-!
o how did it go?!
i laid out your cowboy suit-
all in black-it is line dancing
down at the gherkin-
dinners in the micro!?
he is bad, but happy is worse..

grumpy looks askance,
but doc, what of love,
beauty and giving-
romance..

what of faith and generous
ity..?
-a  brotherhood of man!?
(use the tissue box,please..)

happy´s laugh circles
like starving vulture-
loving betrayal-
boy,what a maroon..

no,not in this life
you have the lowest
common denominator
that is the street-

perfect a merciless stare
-you will accept
nothing but it all-
it is your ball..

to the manner born
my son
your choice
your *****..

grumpy at the psychoanalysts
bares his soul and sole:
scene one-

well,mummy thought i was
a prince-
but i was a monster

now,now, i´m a monster
who thinks he´s a prince..
i feel pointless

is there redemption doc?!
from this vicious circle
(tick-tock..!)

happy, in a neighbouring
antechamber
peruses ******-november-

-one ear upon the door
notes in the margin-
not..in..this..life..fatso...

what have they done to our
song,ma..
well,if your young or
just full of beans then
it is the same as ever...

never mind about the button
never mind about new or ancient
this universe is just one long b-flat
new and stretching on

-grumpy boots has been smoking..
happy dog chases sea-gull
an ice cream is three bucks-
what do we care..

i never stayed at the ymca
-sat on the steps they looked
like they were going

to **** (me)-but hey that was america..
travelling in america was a laugh
looking back..

from the get-go-one near miss
after another -hitch-hiking
sleeping in the woods..

i have never been so happy
to leave anywhere-
-grumpy boots with love..

grumpy and the dog
at the seaside-caption one-
a pair of bare feet-hairy and thin-

just look at all these tourists
coming here!
putting the prices up!

what kind of people like to pay
high prices?!
STRANGE PEOPLE!.. (that´s who)

is this our country or not?
money i suposse-
all is money..

love is..a cruise..and
i never been on one..
(a smiling face..)

i)

what you expect is seldom
what you get
but expectation is art

wishing into come
magical and dissapointment
is learning..

i thought like a poem or
cartoon-lily-this is the basic plot
two characters-grumpy boots

and happy dog-one suffers
permanetly from dissastifaction
while the other-complaining

of what he has and what he
never had-(we see only his boots)
and his misanthrope -

while the other-his discontent
general and specific-while the other
his ranting endless-

while the other-***** in the street
usually diarrhea
and his smiling face-the end..

a wee misplacement on the right-
a stretch put right
and into the box!

spinning on a dime
after deft a touch
(we held our breath)

a moment of pure zen!
the ball and net were one!
the silence of the gods-

the beauty of stone
o where have we been?
the love of albion..

in the last of time
rapture abounding-
glory glory-ollie watkins..!

i

what to say today
that has not been said
a million times before

i offer you the chalk..
you who are clever
and such beauty

like the spring flower
put forth-
your petals of

originality-prince of
harm!
let us hear yourn..

ii

i am a quick study-
i know before what
needs to be done

it rattles off my tongue
or i appraise silently
waiting..

don´t mention it
my son
to the manner born..

o the chips are in the pan
my friend,( lily is desparate dan)
none,are innocent-

the mayo held
the peas are not free
a razors edge..

vinegar at war
the pan is..
enough said..

some things are irreversible
(like underwear)
there is one way

and what is done is done..
ah,if it were so simple
live for the day!


o we don´t care
what of the future
and babble-babble..

long time dead
lily considered
(in the past tense)

what could happen
next?
some moments are so

full of dread and now-
three little letters-
open you mouth

keep it closed
a razor´s blade
catch zip..

i

how did it go with the alien
lily,alright,they were looking
for something different-
intelligence,i said the moon

ironically but not really..
well could be worse-
they might keep us in tanks
pointing out lunch..

ii

i imagine we will expect mercy..
anything interesting
to say-i got this in it´s
entirety from love is a dog

from hell by charles bukowski-
it is called light brown
(innocuous enough you might think..)
light brown

light brown stare
that dumb blank marvelous
light brown stare

i´ll take care of it

you need n´t carry me
anymore
with your cleopatra
movie star
tricks

do you realize
if i were an adding machine
i might break down
tabulating
how many times you´ve used
that light brown stare?

not that you´re not the best
with your light brown stare

some day some crazy  *******
is going to ****** you

and you´ll cry out my name
you´ll finally know
what you should have known

so very long ago..

iii

england were playing switzeland..

iv

i wished how i could write
like that-the economy..
not a wasted word but kind
of complex

and fearfully menacing..
still,i would not write of ******
that is not a good idea-
we went to penalties..

v

i will put the chips
in the pan
and mayonnaise the bread

write this:
open a can of peas-
long time dead..

i

after being sober for
nigh on forty year-let me say,
to wake of a morn and feel
not a bottle of *****-still,
a pleasure..

ii

i peruse the word or
pick some bagatella..
consider the philisophical
with a gentle breeze-
o time is real..!

iii

then, consume eggs and
do not puke..
inside my cranium not
a nuclear bomb-
half a life..

iv

time ago..
shaking like a leaf
where did the time go?
i don´t know..
some thief..without

v

prints-a few lines!
(and less a few ivories)
but still here,
listen,no-one is more surp-
rised..

i)

that is a supermarket
where we gather our sustenace
-a magical emporium of mirrors and
music-surveillance..

for we have many laws
both legal and moral-
thou shalt not steal!
bleep?

ii)

our technology is theft
and will bring an end
and there are those who say
about time-

we shall return to fire
we have paid our debt
lord..
that, is a fast food outlet..

iii)

but there are those who enjoy
the convenience
and running after wildebeest
not for them-

that building is the town hall
choices and democracy
peas or beans
to you and me-bleep..

iv

that´s a pub and there is
a hospital
there, the police station
a symbiotic call-

alcohol....!bleep?
one cheap narcotic readily
available and socially
acceptable-

causing mild euphoria
to depression and sometimes
violent behaviour-addiction
common place..

v

bleep!
frightening?
where-as marijuana
giving peace and well-being

possessing health-benefits
mental and physical is hunted
down like double parking on a
bank-holiday..bleep?

why?
mostly tax reasons.
bleep-tax..
ignorance-

vi

we would burn old ladies
that distribute herbs
bleep-words-power and money
and ***..bleep?

-the way we procreate
each culture has it´s take-
we were taught that the
children of god, adam and eve

in the garden of earthly delight
were innocent but not to eat of the
forbidden fruit-(reputably an apple
but subsequent speculation cast doubt-

more likely a fig or cherry moyet
in keeping with the climate)
but a serpent-(vilified ever since-)
tempted her- eve took a bite-(being a woman

when told not to do something..)
(and vilified ever since-)
and so they were cast out-
into this world of sin..

bleep?we were children-
(but the apples reputation
remains intact-)
we turned out odd..bleep..


each culture has it´s belief and
art-that is the museum-
they sell the best chips in town, there-
i had a war once over vinegar

bleep?no,you would n´t believe
it.. we will fight over anything..
which end of an egg to open
football or music..

vii

bleep?-why-
mostly bored-bleep?
-wearied by dulness or
sameness-

our system demands it-
it outwardley promotes individual
spirit but we are alike-if not
then it would n´t function..

(if someone is different then they
better have good reason..)
we spurn this similarity-
duality-

cultures that are similar
often war..
but if we did n´t demand
greasy hamburgers

made from noses and spleen
where would we be?..bleep..?
so,what about personnel anarchy..?
bleep..

viii

here, we have war between
the socialist-liberal and capitalism
individual-we will fight over anything..
we are warrior..

our brains create serotonin
that crush bone and  worry
later..we shake hand and give
a little kiss and make heart shapes

and grin inanely-
but for some reason we hate each
other-don´t know why..
bllep..yes,bllep..

ix

now, that is a bank-bleep..
you have to go?
ah,you are looking
for intelligent life form-

try the moon-bleep
up their symbol of
love and darkness
diana noble hunter..

the bird´s nest
we sent off into space
some time recent or

some demented caress..
and they wrote back-
dear lily,

we have the cosmos
of munificent beauty
we have eternal bliss

like a first kiss..
more tenticles
then you can shake

a stick at-but we have
nothing like this-pride
of place over

the mantle piece-
much thanks-see
you soon..

ii

i´ll have to show them
around i suppose
she is blase

meet and greet
i hope they don´t expect
too much..(look at the high street..)

i

why do we want to be
loved by strangers?
for a plate of stew
or is there more..

i mean, lily taps her
pipe-like this-
i write and send it off
into the ether..

for your delectation?
do i have owt to prove?
am i clever?
do i want love?

am i small again
pulling at some obscure
apron- string- pain
like a lost dove..

or do i just enjoy writing
after breakfast
in the sunny garden-
just butterfly stuff..

ii

creation a little piece
left over-some fluff
some mote of dust

just as the washing up
calls and time kicks
she  examines a twig..

i

did you ever find anything
exciting-she places a page
carefully on the table

and puts an orange on-
so the breeze won´t blow-
in the summer, we sit

in the garden with book
ice-tea and sweet grass..
the sparrows chat

in our tree-they say
life and eternity..
depends,what does she mean

by exciting?gold or a
meaning or peace..
some inner harmony-

do you know there is no rhyme
in orange?
froudroyant!

ii

in the sky the shadows
build and like they will
crash

another page under
the birds laugh
sweet grass...

i

do you know what i don´t like
lily asks looking into the void
i don´t know sprouts or freud-

people who stand in front of
mirrors-the vain-the rude-
no,a book that falls apart as

i am trying to read it..
page by page by page..
(o no don´t..)

-hell hath no rage
like the state of my insides
(i won´t..)

ii

well.don´t read it then!?
what if it is something i have been
looking for..for years?

and what if someone has written in
the margin or under-lined words?
(tears are near)

telephone numbers
shopping list
test the pen..

iii

what if it smells of love
and the dedication reads:
to daddy from timothy

happy christmas-2 thousand,
kisses..
a plane ticket or train..

a flower or book mark
a bench in the park
that changes my life..

iv

you hear of books
changing people´s lives´..
perhaps,they fall apart

too..mine, was crime and
punishment-i was assaulted
by it-typical..

v

could have been worse-
her boyfriend was a boxer-
that guilt should be such

remorse..
and redemption through love
and faith..

vi

brings one to the stranglers
and a ticket given
a gecko on the wall

a butterfly on the glass
another light day
all the same..

i

i do not mock the sun
a war no-one or nothing
wins

i know as much as the
gecko
late of residence

on our wall-
upside down
charging at the

near invicible
and surrounded
by monsters..

ii

i have a hat and
the captain´s shoes
but that means nowt

i am in
i am blue
i am out..

if football or music is war
then,what hope is there?

if police are gangster
the ice-cream-man warrior..

a towel on a chair..
a colour..

a book to fire
history or

geography
hey,what is yours

is yours and
what is mine is mine-

trade-love and
hate-misunderstanding..

if..

consistant like a snake
begging for change
what is in the store-
war..

you want what´s mine
you want it all
it is just your way-
war

it is inevitable or
such
what a bore!-
war..

look at the past
look to the future
a dying bird-
war..

it is the truth
or lie
on it´s ****** way-
war..

now, i like to think i am
more sensible
(44 years have not been
in vain)

perhaps,a tad more cynical-
but not many,
stay the same-
though, there are those

who´s ethos and character
from conception to expiration
changed not one iota..
i do envy them..

ii

i thought,if you can´t
change your mind
then,what is it for..

i was in the captain´s shoes
looking in a new portal
through an open door..

i

today is the solstice
lily,what shall we do?
light a candle or two
join our minds

with the world-
the great festival of light!
together we are might!?
energy enfolds-

are we not one?
little bits
of the pantheistic universe..

ii

shoes were by down fall..
(anecdote alert)
they would n´t let me on

the plane-(are we not
to have a good time?)
thanks to the pilot..

i see myself at king´s cross
in t-shirt and shorts
the captain´s shoes..

minus two-
cold and broke
with-out a smoke..

i

writing a new day
some holy record
a begining-

picasso said-painting,
is just another way
of keeping a diary..

(what an unusual life
he must have lead-)
lily says:

the eyes have it..
in his glance
there is the unique..

ii

you could say
the same about charlie manson
-but that is madness

which beggers the question
where does genius end
and madness begin?

fancy dinner with them
i would n´t mind
never be the same..

iii

like a sardine in
some night mare
you are human

glancing ´tween
uncomprehending
and epiphany

there is a shrieking
and a silence
and that´s the same-

the devil and a saint
regard themselves
what do they see

in each others eyes-
poison and a cup of tea
for starters-

women and women
like them
freedom..

what has not been done
in thy name-
seven little letters..


a first reaction
that resonates through out
time-

are you insane?
let us not define
wine?

iv

one is a product
of it-wine and time
some crucial refrain

(perhaps a chemical
in the brain)
i was loved

i was hated
i was a child prodigal
my mother gave me

to pedophiles for a
bottle of *****
i was wunderkind

i had sight
i thought i did
i went to prison

i went to school..
i had the world
i had the street..

v

ambitious stuff,
she comments skeptically,
you are a small fish

dreaming you´re human on
a dinner date with two of
the most famous or infamous

names of the 20th century..
i think i overstretched..
just click your flippers

and ask for the cheque
wake up in the shoal
circle,baby,circle..

i

pleasantly duplicitous
-that is an oxymoron
eg-i ate the last of the

pizza because- the word
goes on and on-
there is no redemption

not in modern life
(or like barley sways
in the temperate winds..)

how is one to survive?
with-out the cunning
of a gentle high?

-the stomach sated
-the nerve held
to lie and be honest

and be nice..
and yet duplicitous
say this

mean that
mean that say this
you wish..


ii

you were a sea-horse
so does everybody
get over it..

i would pick magic mushrooms
and eat them as i went
happily along-

it is not advised but
how fine sat in the clouds
and rain

of so many colours
in my heart a song
that tasted sweet but

metallic..i would
go back-in my pockets
cow-pats and

sundry other stuff
a blade of grass
like god smiling..

ii

now, they use the psychedelic
component to treat alcoholism
and depression

we were ahead of them..
there was elation
just find her..

let me tell you what
happiness is
when a tooth stops
aching and like-
wise a heart..

feathers-
a nom de plume
light and sweet
a mystery

heavy or less..
look close
read the signs
are we not blessed..

feathers-
what is heaviest
a tonne of them
or a tonne of stone

or your heart or mine..
good question..
examine one minutely
and god you may see!