We are all wearing borrowed clothes,
in much the same way I borrow from Rumi.
I came home after staring at nape of your neck
And drove a borrowed car on the streets-
that I rent from the government.

In this borrowed life it is nice to see
that some reflection of purity scintillate
from humanities borrowed time,
from this nape of neck that I borrowed.

Muses often times don't know that they are muses,
that they are physical embodiments of seraphim.
Maybe you knew that I was writing this in my head
as I swanned that beau idéal happens on buses.

O' innocent dwellers of silent sorrows, once swanned with brightest  lights within your chests, now wander with fire of grief in your souls.
If only I could find you, I would cup your burns in my palms, engulfed in your flames of mourning till my existence would become ashes.
In black and grey, I might find my serenity.

A church door's just another war to wage

Prolong the propaganda
volunteer
go to Rwanda
and see the truth that's written on the trees
see hard bitten soldiers cry
catch a famine in somewhere like Biafra
and watch as children die.

It's a lie to believe
and declarations make
me seethe

Your time is much too valuable to give it up in prayer
see it for yourself
if god was ever good
he isn't anymore
In fact he isn't there

I think he swanned off to the Caribbean with a companion
who we'll call Peter for convenience
and I'm not thinking of suggesting anything
that's
If there's anything or nothing to think about.

My prophets catch ferrets
wear flat caps
set rat traps,

There's
not much to pick and choose of them
but they're real men and not paintings in chapels
or pictures in galleries

I don't begrudge Luther his truth,
you see you have to see the other point of view
but it doesn't follow that you'll change yours.

I stuck to my chair.
James Stewart, Rear Window.
Curtain twitching.

Then Grace Kelly swanned in
In that unbelievable dress.
And Hitchcock made a cameo
As a fat man.

So I turned away from the window
And started watching you.

...(still in the manner of Ogden Nash)


This badger is large and of course, lives underground
He barks like a dog, and makes quite a sound
He’s got massive claws so I keep far away
But then, he doesn’t visit much down my way.

I recently saw him go after an eel
He walloped him hard and it made a loud squeal
Then next he tried to provoke a large cat
Which simply swanned off, well fancy that!

Old brock then went after a giant eagle owl
Well he’s not exactly your domestic fowl
The owl flew up with things left unsaid
But dropped a large message right on his head.

That badger, a glutton in more ways than one
Next tried to see off a massive white swan
Who just raised his wings in a mighty display
Old brock disappeared for the rest of the day.

Soon after the badger’s done his vanishing trick
All of the birds burst out fast and thick
And meeses and voles had their best time yet
Knowing old brock was asleep in his sett.

©Joe Wilson – An unfortunate badger…2015

Check your front doors, people
you wouldn't believe how fragile most front doors are
ours didn't even require calling out a locksmith or carpenter
there are two bolts from the inside, so we started bolting ourselves in
otherwise normal services resumed
no sign of Tom Senior, the frozen house-burglar
or any of the crooked family or **** Bobby
I spoke too soon
four days after door-kicking episode, knock on our front door
I answered, guess who
Its Mama Capone Chrisse from next door
Flaming red-hair in a wild hep on head, most unattractive face
pigeon-chested tapering down to small hip and legs
in ***** jean skirt and a faded black top
she's been wearing that ensemble from day one, nothing else
an indescribable whiff of sweat, dirt, tobacco and *****
quite a heady mix
Before I could say a word, she burst into tears
She's so sorry, she knew nothing about Tom's escapade
She and her children are starving, Bobby made Joan pregnant
she's worried Shelly might be going the same way
Tom Junior will be in Juvenile Detention in a week,
she's thrown Tom Senior out, all this was being washed down
with tears
Why did I not shut the door
why did I not say 'Please ******* right now
Alone as Mrs was at work being bullied
Mr Bleeding heart listened
Anyway can mama Capone borrow just five pounds till her
giro arrives day after tomorrow
So this time I decided not to thank God for not being them
and doing my bit for Charity,ah..ha..no more Hosey
Sorry, I do not have any money on me, sorry
I'm thinking 'what a cheek, do these people have no shame'
But you and your wife work, came the reply
I lifted an eyebrow
you have double income, you have a nice car
you have colour TV, you change designer wear like you own a shop, an you telling me you have no money
The lifting eyebrow went down like lightening
replaced by a narrowing of the eyes, I was not believing what I was hearing
She continued, we know you are some royalty, you are rich
Give me money now and you live in peace
we know you work nights and in during the day, you can come
and spend sometime with Joanne and me and Shelly, she's twelve
soon, bring some *****, we can all have a nice time
you handsome you know, we like you, Tom's gone
I'm taking all this in yet not hearing a word
you've heard flabbergasted, add gobsmacked to that
then sprinkle something called wonderment incredulity
I heard 'Get Lost' come out of a mouth then realized its my mouth
Mama Capone fixed me with steely dark eyes
You are greedy, you are a leech, you take food from baby's mouth
you parasite, you will see what will happen to you
You think you are better than us, you're a foreigner
a parasite, just you wait and see
All this was so ridiculous, I started laughing, I couldn't imagine it
I thought it was a big joke, I was laughing as Mama Capone
turned on her ***** slippers and swanned off
I shut the door, I sat down processing what had just happened
I heard loud banging from next door, loud, loud loud
I remembered I haven't slept yet and would be leaving for work
at half six
Bang, bang, bang, I don't think I was going to get any sleep now
Bang, bang, bang
"For whom the bell tolls"........