Wednesday 20 April 2016

Monday 18 April 2016

LEMON CLUB


Lights luminous
in the Lemon Club
and ladies lie to Lee.
"No, we don't",
but he knows they do.
He is not fooled easily.

The last he sees
of the Lemon Club
is just beyond the lee,
and lemon lights
are still on bright
for ladies "with no fee".

Sunday 17 April 2016

TWIN FLAMES


Twin flames
not like Twin Towers -
not brandising a blame.
They weren't twin either - 
one higher than the other.

Both yellow, though,
and acrid smoke
was leaning,
and the feeling you got
was mutual, like twins.


Saturday 16 April 2016

THE RIVER NEVA


Got tickets
to the River Neva.
I might go
and see the ferries.
Paint them for me; paint them.
Paint them blue and paint them silver,
for I shall sing on the River Neva,
and laugh and dance and live again maybe.

Wednesday 13 April 2016

THE LAKE


The lake was only small
But we boated.
Not far to go ...

Back and forth
on the little lake
And watching the boat go.

Back and forth and go -
Using up the day
That won't return.

OWLS AT MIDNIGHT


A black angel stood at the back door
and whispered to me in bleak tone
I should keep out of the way
of owls at night time
and also their prey.

"Twit-woo, twit-woo..."
It was the
midnight
hour.

Tuesday 12 April 2016

WHAT IS THE COLOUR OF APRICOT?


The colour of apricot is warm
and like the jam you see in shops.
It's like a symphony.
It's like a symphony of gold
that you find you have forgotten
suddenly.

The colour of apricot is not raspberry.
It won't make you think of red in the night
and scream.
It's like peach, but more rounded somehow
like a fat woman you see on a beach
who really should ...

The colour of apricot is what it is -
like all the apricots you see in
Madame Paul's window.
But she is mean.  Don't go to her.
She'll give you apricots gone bad
and out the window.

Monday 11 April 2016

DOUBT IS THE VESTIBULE

"Doubt is the vestibule through which all must pass before they can enter the temple of wisdom." - Charles Caleb Colton

DOUBT IS THE VESTIBULE

Doubt is the vestibule,
and in the vestibule are many items -
hats, coats, and walking sticks.
The stick can help you stride through doubt.

Stride through doubt and up the stairs,
with, doubtless, many prayers
to reach all wisdom.
The stick can help you stride through doubt.

At the top is Colton's temple,
and from there look down the stairs
from whence you came ...
Discard the stick - you've reached your aim.

Monday 4 April 2016

GORSE


"When gorse is out of blossom,
kissing's out of fashion",
and the saying's true,
for gorse 'round here
grows at odd times,
but there's always some to view.

Bright yellow,
it stands between some rocks
towards the sparkling sea.

A Bayati is written in four lines.  All lines have the same number of syllables.  Lines 1, 2 and 4 rhyme, but 3 is free.

A BAYATI

life is a soulful song
whether it's short or long
there are many pitfalls
its turnings may be wrong


three knocks on my door
two are barely heard at all
a shoe - your footfall?

JOLLY SAILORS



Jolly sailors
with deep-throated laughter
and smoking foreign cigarettes,
rings of their smoke joining the damp air.

Jolly sailors
now going on long leave,
joining up with sweethearts
or ones they have yet to meet.

Jolly sailors,
or maybe not so jolly,
thinking of the far off sea,
and its treachery to men.

Sunday 3 April 2016

DOMINATING BATANGAS



Twins in a twin-set
are looking up at a sign -
"Dominating Batangas".
It means nothing to me.

The sign is peeling
and it's above a closed shop.
"Dominating Batangas"
is all there is to see.

The twins in a twin-set
have their arms crossed behind them.
They walk away from the sign
and leave it to be.

ARRIVING IN LONDON



I arrived in London,
but misted windows
showed me a strange Big Ben
without the time.
Its four faces loomed,
but white, them all.

I arrived in London,
and went straight to B & B,
but the woman wasn't kind -
quite sharp to me.
Her face was white
and not pleasant, not at all.

I arrived in London,
but soon was gone again ...
I remember Trafalgar Square
with pigeons - one was albino
and pecked my hand -
not nice at all.

Saturday 2 April 2016

From Wikipedia "Rhein II is a photograph made by a German visual artist in 1999.  In 2011, a print was auctioned for $4.3 million, making it the most expensive photograph ever sold."

RHEIN II - The Photograph

Set between two slabs of green
the slender Rhine is seen.
If she goes from left to right
is no one's surest known.

The sky is overcast above
and no birds there are seen.
I am an admirer, sure,
of green and then the green.
 

Thursday 24 March 2016

COOL EVENINGS


Cool evenings 
beget deep shadows
where are you now
among the statues

There is a black dog
that waits for you at home.
He is hungry for meat
as I am hungry for you

Some evening,
come out with your black dog.
Search for me ...
I'll be among the statues, crying.

Sunday 20 March 2016

IN THE HALL OF MIRRORS


In the hall of mirrors,
the bare backed girl
showed her back to us.

She was looking in three mirrors,
and Vanity was clapping
in her shoes.

In the hall of mirrors,
I was so embarrassed...
Girls should not be vain.

Saturday 12 March 2016

WHITE MITTENS


Fog came early to Nebraska,
And slender churches became hidden
Pastors came out of them with scarves -
Their children tight-dressed
 and with white mittens

Cars moved slowly,
Dipped beams constant; the radio turned on
The fog came early - unawares.

Saturday 5 March 2016

IMAGINATION



- A Nonet

Flying above, birds against azure 
are soaring to heaven, I think,
zigzagging through clear shore ways
of imagination,
artistically inspiring me,
cleverly
showing
me.

Thursday 3 March 2016

SEEN THROUGH THE SHOP WINDOW



In front of me were glacé cakes,
White, and arranged in diamond shapes.
The shop had mystery...
More cakes were appearing on the shelf.
What was this?  Glacé day?

In front, the owner in starched dress.
Her face was prim; she had no smile.
Her hands were working overtime.
More cakes were appearing on the shelf,
And all the cakes were white, the same.

MATCHBOX



Thin matches inside me
with red tops, despising safety.
They can't wait to emerge
and light your cigarettes.

They are bundled together,
and their red tops
are like an army
waiting for their call.

I have never counted them,
but I will do one day
and I'll have to do it soon,
before you light your cigarette.

Wednesday 2 March 2016

SEA MARGE



Along sea margin,
the Sea Marge extended,
and the boys of the house
played boisterously on shore.

They were seven brothers
and they tussled
and tried out tag
to the background of sea's roar.

They had a sister
but they would not let her
join their tousled fun...
She stayed in Sea Marge, lonely, looking on.

***

The Sea Marge is a hotel in Norfolk, England.

Tuesday 1 March 2016

PRUSSIAN BLUE



Dyeing, not dying is this flower
in the blue I have prepared for it -
a Prussian blue.
Think of all the Prussians
with their hard hats.

I make this flower swirl
and rings of Prussian blue
seep into the petals,
far away from hard hats
and Prussian boys.

Wednesday 24 February 2016

SEAGULLS



Going on a tram to Lattes*,
the tram rails winding this and that,
but first, Montpellier was seen.
Tall buildings, cream and white,
and the sight of seagulls
near bright sea.

Best day was to be had in Lattes,
and ice-cream from bow-fronted shop.
Eight euros then to pay...
Tall buildings, monochrome,
and the sight of seagulls 
near the sea.

The seagulls followed the tram back,
the tram rails winding this and that,
and then Montpellier re-seen.
Shops were shutting for the day
in tall buildings cream and white,
before the seagulls went away. 


******************************************

* pronounced Lat

Tuesday 23 February 2016

LIFTING TRAM RAILS IN 1940



Lifting tram rails in 1940,
he was aware of the Louvre...
was aware of a cameraman.
Now we see a black and white world,
where leaves on trees have shed their green,
and the sky is a wishy-washy grey...

We see the tram rails piled untidily,
and a bicycle boy on right
fearing he'll be late for school.
We see his and rail man's Paris of 1940
with years ahead of war in Europe,
and now bereft of trams.

I COUNT ROSES



The heart that bleeds is not my heart
for my heart will never bleed.
The song I sing is my only song.
The others are not mine.

The mountain here is what I climb
and it uses all resources,
and if I had a heart that bled,
I would not count the roses.

The roses are all fresh for you,
and you are all I wanted.
Oh god, my heart will never bleed.
It lives for ever, shan't it?
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