Strangeways Here We Come

A RUSH AND A PUSH AND THE LAND IS OURS

Wandering off earth disguised as blind beggar
On bicycle of pumpkin and bone my ghost reclines
In séance wheels a voice mute and punctured.
One day poetry will die my love.
eBay will sell souls to the lowest bidder.

I STARTED SOMETHING I COULDN’T FINISH

Hapless rogue at end of rope
The boy hung traditional rights, still unable
Uncorked forbidden fruit astride oak.
Mind garrotted in the Gulag, found
The meaning of the universe to be

DEATH OF A DISCO DANCER

Murdered dancing to Abba
Oh Voulez-Vouz, DJ pointed who?
Bolt locks doors
Turn television volume to supersonic.
They don’t hear discordant rhythm of my life.

GIRLFRIEND IN A COMA

The coffin of her personality
Wreathed a madman around her neck, ambulance
Footsteps trod on her de rigueur dress, rigour fortis silence
Death Nurse hokey-cokey to life-support gramophone.
Finally, I kiss the lipstick from her mouth.

STOP ME IF YOU THINK YOU’VE HEARD THIS ONE BEFORE

Chopped my legs at the knees
To squeeze into empty bed, shrilled
Alarm cock only woke the anaesthetised gulls.
Tear the hair shirt from my breast
Let’s rehearse the arrival of the hearse…once again.

LAST NIGHT I DREAMT THAT SOMEBODY LOVED ME

Far from
Close enough
To love.
Close enough
To feel.

UNHAPPY BIRTHDAY

You place the late in valentine
Poor and lonely exist only in your rhyme,
I like your poetry but hate your poems.
Roar into your thirties like Eva Braun to Hitler
Always going back drunk to heil him.

PAINT A VULGAR PICTURE

Let mine eyes the parting take
i-player burnt an effigy of
Million grave soaked sales.
More than a town on music map;
The city delirium growing inside of me.

DEATH AT ONE’S ELBOW

If you go down to the house today
You better take care
‘cos spurned Teddy Boys
Are having a razor picnic.
Please come down to the basement later.

I WONT SHARE YOU

Meebrug bridge lights bruised our hips
Belgian ships braid harbours into anchor,
Painted Magritte memoirs on channel tunnel clocks.
I envied the birds who fed
On the crumbs of your brioche.



# Album cover. My personal collection