"For the moment, she soaks up all that she can."

Fragile, unaligned, bristling flesh.
Thoughts that stutter and repeat, breaking upon release
Fully human. Organic. Vegetative.
I touch grass and uncut daffodils,
And feel no fear at expression. No fear of wrong turns.
Merely a desire to grow towards the sun -
A sun gaining warmth with each day.

On the Island that was known as Bermondsey
where the outlaws of the outlaw borough once roamed free and took liberties with the Nobility of the 'Liberty'
The City closed its eyes and didn't want to see the cutthroats and the harlots of old Bermondsey.

They don't have donkeys at  South Bermondsey or market stalls.
The pigeons find it easy to loiter
the thoroughfare now
fish and chip wrappings are considered passe.
I wonder if the girls should dress  in black
as a counter statement
against the new builds above Tesco.
A sort of mourning for these  changes.
What's left of community?
last shot down by mothers helpers.
Town planners,  gosh
nail and  execution executive

Sure it's a mystery tour,
the destination is unknown
but
my ticket's been clipped
and I've just slipped
into
the last available seat.

Thursday
and it's not too cold
my fellow travelers
all look old
and
I've been told
to keep my thoughts
to myself.

Even as the crow flies
it's a long way to go
but
one has got to show
willing
so I'm willing myself on.

the tour guide is silent
just along for the ride?


End of the line.

That's it
there is no more
I've minded the door
'til
I'm blue in the face
closed the gap and
shut my trap
keeping my thoughts
to myself.

Zone six which is out in the sticks
a long way from citizen centre.

Prisoners trapped behind prisoners trapped,
hanging on to the straps that hang from the ceilings
on trains to the city.

This is Bermondsey calling
Bermondsey calling,
I am
falling
can't stand it.

This way to Thursday
and the same day as
that day
which is my way of saying
all days look alike.

Musical chairs
he's playing musical
chairs and he's staring at me,
is
lunacy the new normality?

I'm almost but not quite
the prisoner trapped and
it's not right
but
entertainment
is key to
survival.

One hour later
no brighter.

No one wears spats
sports cravats
they all dress in black.

Hi
it's me and I'm back.

I rebel by wearing red socks
and pink shorts.

Lady sat next to me is
writing carefully
in a diary
I'm looking on
surreptitiously.

Blue lipstick
and he looks good in it.

Someone has a hacking cough
or it could be a jacket.

His Thermos flask
acts like a mask
hiding his face
keeping him cool.

Inscrutability is also a mask and
oriental lady wears it well.

I'm well on the way to that
faraway place
I have no mask
I face the day head on.

She's now picking her nose
I wonder if she'll put that in
her diary
and I think why me?
why do I see?
and then I think
why not me?

He continues the journey without you,
just being he finds no use in being.

I'm sure Nietzsche could teach me to progress,
but Freud has a line on me, a lien for me to see
him.

They tell me business is booming
in a backroom in Bermondsey
I go South and then I am sure
that
the rich do get richer and the poor
just so.

Mean streets make erstwhile friends
and
where ends become commonplace
chalked outlines
a tear filled face
friends are all that we need.

And of course mad Rasputin
was the one who put the
boot in,
but then
we always knew that he would.

bring back biology
*** in the dormitories
frogs to dissect
and learn all about babies.

( those four lines come courtesy
of a secondary modern
in a Victorian building
with delusions of grandeur)

The jubilee line
a
different take on a journey I make
because a change is as good as a
rest,
just doing my best to keep it fresh.

It's Friday and why not?
yes
I know it was Friday a week ago
but things have a way of repeating
on me.

It'd be nice to say that this was the
better way, but it's so bleedin' cold and I'm shivering
if the heating was on and turned up to a reasonable temperature
I'd feel better

and then I'm
at Greenwich,
the 02 must refer to
the Fahrenheit scale.

From
Canary Wharf and Bermondsey
I can almost see that London bridge
is not falling down it's only sinking
slightly
might be me and my poor eyesight
though.

Southwark then Waterloo
what do I do?
get off and wait underneath the clock?
taking stock of my situation and the weather and none whatsoever of the tick tock
I lock my sights on Bond street and the Central line
perhaps an interchange is as good as a rest too.

Haha
I missed out Westminster and Green park
easy to do in the dark when it's cold.

I opened my eyes to an announcement
the tannoy tells me Waterloo station is closed

I wasn't getting off there but I could have been
and might have been waiting forever underneath a clock and no one would ever know.

This is a nice line
a twin track to that
time when work wags
Its finger at me.


and that's it
no observations
on my fellow travellers,
possibly because the
carriage is empty,
but
I'm full of hope
and that's a good line
as well.

What, Wednesday?
no way,
surely
we had one last week.

I'm going to complain
not sure who to
but
that's what I'm going
to do.

Actually
I'm already on the jubilee
five fifteen
and I've never seen such
a motley crew
except on
' Captain Pugwash'
and they were just
cartoon characters.

It's cold
because it's nothing
without a mention of
the weather.

West Ham
like boiled ham
but
not as tasty.

And it's her again

woman with the candy floss hair
I'm wondering how it stays in place
she looks as if she doesn't care.

Canning Town
a bit uppity
needs a
dressing down
but
the vinyl man gets on
records under his arm
I want to say,
your day has gone
but
I don't.

North Greenwich,
not the American village
but close enough.

Lots more get on,
the tube moves on
I stay seated.

Canary Wharf,
do canaries tweet?
I'll find out on Twitter
later.

Canada water
not quite Canada
but the water
is nearly there.

People off,
maybe going canoeing
or going to work
I presume
which leaves me room
to stretch my legs.

I'd have to stretch my imagination
to imagine the next station,
yes it's,
Bermondsey
a wait and see place
south of the river.

Onwards
with John's words.

Next bridge
is London Bridge,
we're
getting  ready to cross over,
no!
not the great divide
just the Thames

Southwark?
never heard of it
although we stop for
a bit
to let people off.

Waterloo
under the clock
at two
at three
at four the policeman
says,
what are you waiting for?
I move along.

Westminster, a
den of thieves
a lot of chaos
I'm still
here.

Green park
greener now we've
had rain
and the next stop
is
Bond Street
I'm
nearly at work,
what, again?

Bermondsey,
the new Bermuda triangle,
Battersea too
and Bromley By Bow
what I want to know is why?

Things disappear all the time
like people,
some friends of mine
were people and
they disappeared,

somewhere between
Mile End and the West End
they vanished,

buildings as well
they disappear just the same,
even streets do and then
one day they turn up with a
different name and you don't know
them at all.

Perhaps we're at the edge of a black hole
and it's ******* us all in
changing the concept of where things begin
and more importantly
where they disappear to in the end.

I am of the mind that there's
a mindset set
and it's an invitation only game.

There are too many strands
and as the cat's cradle stands
it's likely to fall.

Y'all out there watching this
ringing your bell
singing your own song
but
you'll miss us
when we've gone.

Sat quietly
just
my iPhone and me
once more on the Jubilee,
she
and by she I mean
the girl sat next to me
is fidgeting
which is getting in under
my skin.

Adidas man with the green hair
and fake tan,
bearded boy drops his phone
it's a ploy
fidget girl picks it up
and the next thing I hear
is
' fancy a cup of tea?,
let's jump out at
Bermondsey'

and off they go.

I made that up,
Wednesday is a slow day
for
people watching.