Dinner with Donne and Shakespeare

around every corner
death lurks
unwanted

waiting
waiting

patience
is a virtue
for time
stands still
for no man
&
the bell always
tolls for thee

while
in reflection we
hope
&
hide

waiting
waiting

is it worth
the effort

is it worth
the pain

as time
slips slowly by
&
bones begin
their endless
aching

waiting
waiting

so alas
poor poet
we knew him
well

pen to paper
words scribbled
on the walls
of time
while
the gods
feast on wine
&
immortality

waiting
waiting

laughing
at our feeble
folly
as the end
descends
upon our stage
&
each actor
performs
their final
role

waiting
waiting
waiting

Thoughts at the urinal

there's
a tiny part
of me
that
still thinks
he's young
suave
&
sophisticated
he's
forever looking
at the young
women
talking
about getting
laid
or blown
maybe a quick
hand-job
under
the table
while
at the urinal
bar
he'll brag
with
all the other
wrinkly
pricks
about
how handsome
&
virile
he still
feels
&
of course
it's
all my fault
.....the
old age
&
everything

Buried treasure

in the bin
he dug up
2 empty coke cans
and
a plastic bottle
half full
of electrolyte juice
which he uncapped
and
guzzled
in the hot
midday sun
while
the city shoppers
grew bored with
their mobile phones
and
mp3 players

The pinnacle (for my son Nathan)

climbing
upward
beyond mediocrity
swallowed
by
ancient moments
of greatness
his
search
continues
thru
the daily grind
of ordinary
time
and
perpetual
re-invention

Someone's poisoned the reindeer

somewhere someone
is tellin’ their kids
that Santa
ain’t gonna’ fill
their stockin’s
full of goodies this year

mum & dad
have been laid off
due to unseen economic
circumstances
& the banks
are not really into
lendin’ poor people
a helpin’ hand coz
capitalism can’t cope
with compassion

somewhere someone
is tellin’ their kids
that life ain’t no bed
of roses
& the glass
ain’t half empty
or half full
it’s just fuckin’
downright dirty

Postmodern madness

all the streets
are running with the blood
& bones of lost innocence
& the children
are choking under a neon haze
while puppet politicians
prance around in Armani suits
& Calvin Klein underwear
now everywhere one looks
it’s all just labels
& blazing billboards
with the kids
dressed in deconstructed
pre-shrunk
pre-faded
pre-ripped
industrialized clothing
made in some sweat-shop factory
by sewing machine slaves
while idol images
of the postmodern condition
flood down from fashion heaven
as we dance to the sounds
of iPod tunes
& facebook friends

Picnic in the park

carrying stones
of loneliness
in her cheap
Woolworth’s handbag
she stumbles
& staggers
from park bench
to park bench
searching for meaning
...for a future
...for something remotely
related to love
& friendship

by the small pond
she sees Jesus
treading water
while holy humans
throw prayers of wanting
into his drowning arms
& crying children
demand attention

from her handbag
she unpacks her past
& spreads it
on the grass
for all to bare witness
before swallowing
the world’s misery
& dying
by the daffodils

In memory of all the dead whores

There are no lovers
on this side of midnight
& all the little virgins
wear their hair like Lady Gaga
while rain coated old men
dream dirty dreams
as their dicks jerk
in spasms of spastic pleasure

In the city streets
everyone’s sniffing ass or pussy
while the long arm of the law
sells dirty
sugar to the junkies
of disillusioned desires
& 15 year old school girls
contemplate a career
in stripping
or
Burger King

Down a dark alley someone’s daddy
buys a cheap blow-job
from some ageing whore
who’s forgotten the meaning of hope
& faith
because long ago
the world gave up on charity
& goodwill

The day the angels smiled (for Carol...my muse)

It was your laugh I wanted
to fuck first.
How it poured from your throat
like some divine dance
filling my ears
with the burden of passion.

It was your laugh I wanted
to fuck first.
To hold it gently
& thrust my whole being deep
inside until so exhausted
I would sleep for days.

It was your laugh I wanted
to fuck first.
To swallow it down way
in my soul
& let it drown all the darkness
that dwelt within me.

It was your laugh I wanted
to fuck first.
To bury seeds of anticipation
in it’s soil
& watch your love grow over me
like vines of Eden.

It was your laugh I wanted
to fuck first.