HAPPY PLACES
I’VE BEEN POKING AROUND THE
CATACOMBS OF MY MIND PALACE
FOR TOO LONG NOW
SHIFTING BOXES OF DUST AND MUCK
FINDING PLACES FOR BROKEN THINGS
TOO HEAVY TO THROW OUT OF LUCK
THIS ‘SYSIPHIAN’ TASK
THIS ILLUSION OF TIDYING
FUCK THIS
THERE’S PLENTY TO DO IN THE GARDEN
I CAN GET A SAUSAGE SANDWICH
FROM THE CAFE ON THE WHARF
REASONABLY PRICED WITH ACTUAL MEAT
NEVER MIND THOSE SAUSAGE FLAVOURED BREADSTICKS FROM ‘TONY’S’
ADMIRATION FOR THE SUNDAY TRAPEZIST
DEDICATION, TIME AND EFFORT
DEVELOPING A SKILL
ONLY USEFUL FOR AN EPIC FALL
REMINDING TIME TRAVEL MACHINE INVENTORS THAT BECAUSE THIS PLANET IS SPINNING AROUND THE SUN AT ABOUT 30KM/S AND OUR STAR IS PART OF A GALAXY SPINNING AT A LITTLE OVER HALF A MILLION MILES AN HOUR, IN TERMS OF OUR PLACE IN THE UNIVERSE WE ARE ABOUT FIFTY MILLION MILES AWAY FROM WHERE WE WERE A DAY AGO.
THE INSECURE OPTIMISM OF A HUNGRY PUPPY
SAT IN THE GARAGE WITH DAD
LISTENING TO THE ANSWER TO THE QUESTION
“WHERE DID YOU GET THAT FROM?!”
THE CORDLESS DRILL
THAT CAME IN A BAG WITH NO RECEIPT
AND NO CHARGER
THE BARE WIRE SOLUTIONS TO PROBLEMS
THE LATENT PARENTING
AS HE REMEMBERS TO REMIND HIS FORTY YEAR OLD SON THAT TOUCHING ELECTRICITY CAN BE BAD FOR YOU!
SO THAT’S WHERE I GET THAT FROM
WATCHING MUM IN A GALLERY
IN DEEP EXAMINATION
DOES IT DO WHAT IT SAYS ON THE TIN?
ASSESSMENT OF FORM, INTENT AND DELIVERY
AS IF IN CONVERSATION WITH THE CREATOR
SOMEWHERE FOUR HUNDRED YEARS BETWEEN THEN AND NOW
‘REMBRANT’ LETS OUT A SIGH OF RELIEF AND MOPS HIS BROW
“I’M GLAD YOU LIKE IT MAVIS”
SO THAT’S WHERE I GET THAT FROM
THE FIRST TIME I LED MY LITTLE BROTHER DOWN THE NIGHT GARDEN PATH
HE SWORE BLIND HE’D BEEN FAKED
I LOOKED HIM IN HIS EYES AND SAW THE TWINKLE REPLACED
WITH ‘DISNEY’ SIZED PISS HOLES IN THE SNOW
I TOLD ‘BAMBI’ TO ROLL HIS JAW TO AND FRO
SAW HIM FIND HIS TWINKLE IN HIS TOE
AND BOUND OF INTO A THUMPER OF A NIGHT
HE WAS FOUND LATER THE NEXT DAY IN THE KITCHEN OF A SHARED HOUSE IN BRIGHTON. HALF OF WHICH THAT HAD NOT BEEN CLEANED SINCE DOOR KEYS HAD EXCHANGED
THE OTHER HALF SCRUBBED SPOTLESS TO A STANDARD THAT ANY KILLER AT A CRIME SCENE WOULD BE PROUD OF
KETTLES AND TOASTERS NOW READY TO BE SOLD ON ‘EBAY’, IF ‘EBAY’ HAD BEEN A THING THEN
IF HE EVER FIGURES OUT WHERE HE GETS THAT FROM HE SHOULD LET SOMEONE KNOW
LOOKING THROUGH THE LENS OF A CAMERA WITH MY FINGER ON THE TRIGGER
THE CALM OF A PREDATOR HUNTING PREY
“Kill da ‘wabbit”
“Kill da ‘wabbit”
THROUGH THIS LITTLE HOLE
I AM GOD
AND I HAVE A TINY UNIVERSE TO CREATE
I AM RESPONSIBLE FOR EVERYTHING IN HERE
I CHOOSE WHEN TO PUSH THE BUTTON
MY ACTION WILL DETERMINE DINNER
GOING BALD
EASY
JUST DO IT
I NEVER CARED ABOUT MY HAIR WHEN I HAD IT, IT WOULD SEEM INCONGRUOUS TO CARE ABOUT NOT HAVING IT
AS A YOUNG MAN
I MADE A DEAL WITH MY HAIR
IF I GO BALD BEFORE I GO GREY
WOULD FRONT TO BACK BE O.K.?
TWENTY YEARS ON, THE FOLICLE GODS WERE TRUE TO THEIR WORD
I MADE THE SAME OFFER TO DEATH
NEVER HAD CANCER, HEARD BAD THINGS
I’VE BEEN BEATEN UNCONSCIOUS
DIDN’T SEE IT COMING
TWENTY SECONDS OF HEAD KICKS
LIGHTS OUT
LAST WORDS?
‘Alright, fine’
THE SHELTER OF A HOT SUMMER SHOWER
THE RELIEF ALL AROUND
THE PRESSURE DROP
FRESH SENSE
SENT FROM ABOVE
CLIMATE CHANGE IN ACTION
THERE TO TOUCH
A PARTY
A SURPRISE GUEST
A GIRL FROM COLLEGE, NOW A WOMAN
ALWAYS TOO GOOD FOR ME
ELEGANCE, POISE AND GRACE
A COOL GLASS OF WATER IN A DESERT OF FOOLS
COMFORT IN REASON WITH A TIME AND A PLACE FOR NAUGHTY
AND THAT TIME AND PLACE WAS, APPARENTLY, EIGHT YEARS AFTER LEAVING COLLEGE
TONIGHT
WE WERE FREE TO TINKER
WE WENT LOOKING FOR A PLACE TO RUB PINK PARTS
QUITE THE FAIL
AS IF THE BATHROOM WOULD EVER BE FREE
SO WE MADE NAUGHTY INNOCENT AND SHE SKIPPED OFF INTO THE SUNRISE
I’VE NEVER DREAMED OF WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN
NEVER GONE ON A QUEST
THESE SMALL BUT PERFECTLY FORMED RELATIONSHIPS
KEPT SAFELY FOR THE BEST
STILL