25 or 26 POEMS FROM A DAY IN MAY

$33.00 fine

For attending at court How do I pay it?

Keep the boys working Keep the girls too

The non-binary also

The working classes

Keep us in debt

Will you ever live to regret?

CHICKENS

My phone is low on battery Again

I write in it all day

Sometimes the words disappear Did I save it all

Or does someone else?

Can I get it back? I better print it Heed these words They’re true:

To have it in your hand is better

If you have one

It’s better than having two, or even three Digital copies

Like birds

In a bush

Catch them first

Or they’ll all get, and be; Lost

ON TIME

The time flies by It’s no surprise To me

It’s like a circle

I think

But I also rebel

Like Camus said

So others can go on And live

Maybe in a different way But always the same Life is like that

It always finds a way

Jurassic Park

If you look it up

A famous movie

I can’t watchd Because I’m afraid Of my watch

Even though, strangely On my wrist, right now Are two

One digital

One analogue Complimentary misfunctions Is why I needed two

Like a good relationship

It’s how I feel

When I’m with you

IN BED

My poems are worthless No value

To me

I write them down

To escape Memories

I’d like to watch a movie To sit still and listen

But I can’t

I’m manic with confusion

A hypocrite

And misunderstood I’ve been alone Too long

I spiralled down once

Or twices

Or thrices

It’ll happen again no doubt

Sometimes you can spiral upward too And undo

The situations

That were keeping you down

And causing tensions

Do this to avoid an explosion Of writing

And confusion

Manic delusions

Some people Say

I return with a nay

Old language, I agree Still can be used though Because you understood Even if it irked you

You heard it

In your head

From me to you

I wish I was in bed

.......

I need some food

Please bring me some Someone

Today I ate frozen peas Warmed with gas and fire That is about to expire

A final notice

You see

I have no money

Just books, and poems And song, and words Some guitars

And my brain, my words But little memory

Maybe I’m in a moment A manic episode

Some call it

But I think the opposite I think I’m free

It’s not the first time you see Muck around with doctors And you’ll see

I don’t recommend it

I must make that clear

Don’t follow me here

It’s lonely

And my shoulders are cold But I prepared this time The last was very

Sad

And painful

And this one isn’t so much Not like the first

Oh, what a thirst

My mind, it races

To so many places I’m not fit to work In a chair

And sit still

And follow directions

But I won’t go on the dole either

So what is to be done? Drink rum?

I’m too weak for even that I just write it down

I’ll recite it to the cat

Who will walk in And out

Some days

When he’s hungry Like me

Or after a fight When he needs help You see

I’m hungry too, Billy But you can go upstairs To get a feed

While I cannot

It would be too weird.

THE SILENT SONG

I have to write now

Because my computer won’t turn on I think I’m dying too

So here’s a song

It doesn’t have a tune No hooks

No show

Just words and silence In my song

It’s in my head You can hear it too If you listen Conversations Can be had

In silence

My song is for you. Listen to it if you like It plays

At night

And in the day All the time

It won’t go away.

Please stop me If you can

And then tell me How I can too

It can’t be done you see This song

Occurs naturally

It never stops

We’re a symphony.

You play the song too

If you choose

Come with me

And walk down the street with me We can sing it

All the time

To be kind

To those that are flustered And calm them down Help their pain

With the silent song

That didn’t say anything It didn’t know about

It isn’t a fraud

That’s not what it’s about.

THE WRITER

I don’t force my poems I didn’t write them They came to me From you

I am the writer

I didn’t choose it

You did

And named me

To do it for you

Because nobody else would.

People write on walls At night

Here

Sometimes

When then don’t have time To write it

Anywhere else

I’ve been arrested But don’t do it to them They were expressing For the community

When it’s sad

And when it’s happy When it’s frustrated And documented Everywhere you see

Although they didn’t pay for it

Please accept

That unlike the others

Who advertise for money

They weren’t trying to sell you anything.

They live inside you too Expressing for you

In the early morning Your frustrations

Your happiness’ Your day

And your night

I think it’s a delight

It resonates with me Please see that

And remember You’re a part Of it too

We all are Here

From all of us to you Although I only speak for me I think you might find

That if you think kind

You’ll understand

That it’s from you to us too We.

THORNBURY

So many people In the community I’ll go on,

and on

Please stop me

Energy bouncing everywhere The people and the animals Every day

At night when you sleep

I pull out my pens And write

I can’t sleep then

Only in the day

I feel all your energy and frustration Car horns, and brakes

Always up the street

At night though You slow down And dream

And I dream too With my eyes open Documenting

What I’ve seen

Yes I’m mad it’s true

But don’t misconstrue me I’m just like you.

TO RUE

Orange beanie

And a dog named rue And little pleasure

To see you

You run around With curiosity On your walk To the park

I love you little dog

But you hate my smoke

You liked it when we played though Hide and seek

NORTHCOTE DRYCLEANERS

I took my pants to the drycleaner I have shorter legs you see Than they make the pants

Off the rack

A smaller waist too

Northcote Drycleaners Look after me

When I need my pants To look and feel right When I wear them Day,

Or Night

Thank you, thank you It means a lot to me How you handled The situation

With grace

And pace

And certainty Professionalism

With a sewing machine And good employees

Please look after them They serve you well And the community

I wasn’t given any Penalty

When I was upset

You listened to me ramble Which I known to do

So from me to you

Thank you, thank you

It really helped me.

Up on High Street

I live in Thornbury

But I catch the tram to see you Because you look after me.

.......

My phone tells me what I like And I believe it

With an algorithm

That gives me things

I do like

I’m a cyborg now

The phone is an extension of me We didn’t even see it happen We don’t know what to look for Until it was already done

Well to the future Soon to be the past

..... WINGS

Don’t talk to me anymore about this I’m furious!

Wings were a great band

Certainly not useless

Paul was a Beatle

Some say the best

He herded those cats

And also wrote the second best

ELO were a different band

Go and listen to them all you like It’s not for me to say

But for now,

Make mine Wings

The band I am more familiar With.

THE INTERNET, A BOSS, AND A DAUGHTER WHO IS LOST

I’m mad

Absolutely mad

But the girl who just saw me Might think I’m free

Her mother hates me

We used to date

Her mother put a stop to it But didn’t know who I was

Now she sits in my seat Maybe getting yelled at By her own Mum

The jealous old cow

I don’t care

Where she is now

But I had to look at her yesterday As I drove past the place

Where she screamed at me Over and over again Senselessly

Now I see the fear

In her own daughter’s eyes Only briefly

She’s coy and full of surprise

She’ll hate reading this

But her mother won’t read it If she does

Say hello

From me

The guy who left a boss That was utterly useless And sick

And needed help

But would not listen

When I tried

I hope it’s a surprise

When you learn what I did for you all That you didn’t appreciate

You just sat on the internet

Making up lies

In images

No surprise

To me

But I hope it makes you feel good Even though I know it doesn’t.

THE SILVER PEN

A silver pen

Just for me

With now ink in it It’s just shiny

It’s still useful

To my mind

To look at it

And remember to be kind

Nothing is useless That is only foolish To think that way Is a waste.

MEANING

Everything has meaning Don’t think that it doesn’t Even when other people Try to tell you

It doesn’t

Listen to yourself You know the help That you need

To orient yourself.

We assign meaning

To everything we see Or hear, and touch

So surround yourself With the things

That make you feel like Who you are

But right now

Might like to be.

It’s called ontology

But don’t look it up

It was sanctimonious to Bring it up

Things are best said

When they’re simple

Don’t show of with words

You’ll just make people defensive

Say complex things simply Understand this, it’s the key Then know

When to stop.

...

Brake your chains

Leave them on the sidewalk I say this for me

Because my memory

Ain’t what it used to be

Run when you’re free Hide when you’re safe Fight when you have to But only self defence

Pile up sticks if you want to But do it for yourself

Don’t let people rule you You’re the boss of yourself

Run when you’re free Hide when you’re safe Fight when you have to But only self defence

I apologise

For giving advice when it wasn’t asked for Apologies again

Let’s open up the dance floor

Throw that paper

On the floor

Dance on the property developer Photographed looking unsure

He’s actually poor And greedy

Most likely needy But do you

Need him?

DRYCLEANING

Riding on tram

Adjacent to a younger man Staring out our phones

He has a skateboard

I have clothes

For drycleaning

A principle

Was missing

And needs to be fixed

I don’t know if you’ll get it People rarely do

The man has gone And I’m still on

I sit in his seat

Still warm

He moved his feet for me when I sat down Back to the driver

But now

I’m facing forward.

SLAVE

Safety withe master Freedom; terror Safety for the master Terror, for the master Who whips the slave With words

Which cave The confidence Of the slave

So they stay

Unconsciously

The embrace one another equally Just as stupid as each other When will we learn

From History

Never

It’s all we’ve learned

From it.

GOOD KARMA NETWORK

Good Karma Network

Admin: Kaz Kershaw

When I needed help

She didn’t show me the door

She shoved me straight through it And onto the street

In my mind

It went over and over

On repeat

Thank you Kaz Kershaw

I wish the best for you and your kid I hope you have good karma

I have none now

Because in good karma groups

As you told me

You’re only allowed to give

.....

No food, no energy

No energy to get food

Stare

Close eyes

Breathe

Prepare your mind

You must eat

You must make it happen

No matter who tries to stop you Food must be gotten.

...

How can I get some food?

Lie, cheat, or steal? No

There must be some other way A noble

One apparently

DAD

Your disregard for life Upsets me

And rejects me

You are a fool

And I am too

But I feel you are a bigger one Having more experience to draw from

You would say

But I have helped Everything I did

Was for your: insert here

Depending on the argument Or the one sided screaming I don’t want it encroaching Anymore

On

My dreaming

Good night, Father

Your son

Delight

No more fights

Because I have defeated you You just never realised it

You gave me the tools

To win at every cost

Now I am cursed

With the same disgusting frost

The chips on our shoulders Will they always exist there I suspect your might Unless I help you

See some light I don’t want to But I don’t think You have Anywhere else To turn to

And I love you. Just don’t use me.

I’m not a commodity

I can’t be bought, or sold Like At the auctions

You go to

Where I’ve never been With you

Why have you always been jealous of me? When you tried to provide for me?

Do you disgust yourself

Once, you told me

That no-one hates you more

That the person who stares back at you From the mirror

In the morning

Mum said I was a hard child to love She tries to change it now

That narrative

But I remember Those memories Never surrender

You never screamed at me For any other good reason Than

You had no idea

What you were doing

I understand that now

But am not able to forget it I must write it down

To move away from it

To free myself

From the chains

I was born with

That you seemed so proud of But could never explain to me When I asked

You just barked

With fear

And resentfulness

Did you feel

Stupid?

You made me feel dumb In front of every one

For your amusement But I’m here now

Don’t abuse it.

THE DEVIL & THE DEEP

In a way work is much like thr devil and the deep. The devil is in the details

And work is to be deep

And meaningful

To you

We cannot make the same close As those

Who came before us

And continue to ignore

We cannot wear the same clothes Made from exploitation

Ideas

That were given to us

By an ignorant Generation

We can wear a lot of things And those things already exist I believe

In this

Work is to be meaningful

Don’t wish for it

To be used to make someone else suffer Somewhere else

That you’ve not heard

About

Labour is cheap And abundant

And in some places Life is cheaper

Disgusting

Are there any questions That will talk to you

If you are honest

Truly

With yourself You are right

Follow your path

If you deviate

Don’t let it last

Follow your own advice

Even if you didn’t ask

For it, is so

In the deep below

The devil might live there We simply don’t know.

...

Are there any questions That will talk to you

If you are honest

Truly

With yourself You are right

Follow your path

If you deviate

Don’t let it last

Follow your own advice Even if you didn’t ask

For it, is so

In the deep below

The devil might live there We simply don’t know.

.....

Our energy Is circuitry Flowing From me To you And you to Me

Any Way That you Please

x

APPLE CIDER

Why should we give you something for free A young girl selling cider

When I asked for a cup

To take with me

Because I’ll buy this bottle

It’s expensive, but not the best She looked at me

Angrily

She asked the manager Who also shook her head

She looked back at me Shaved head

Diversity

Poor thing

I thought

She hasn’t even figured out How to rebel yet

Only the look

But filled with utterly

Pitiful

Mistaken

Responsibility of some kind

To the master? To the apple?

To the business? To the town?

All will let you down

You’ll get angry

And bitter

And want the world to be better You won’t remember

However

The small kindness

You could have shown me When I needed a cup of it

To drink

your apple cider

Responsibly

Wool

And yarn bombing Might be your thing But money is the evil

You didn’t give a thing

Why should anyone give anything for free? When in need?

When I came to your town?

I explained I’d make it renowned!

I have a voice

But she just stared at me

I smiled back

But you wouldn’t budge

You just judged

Why then Again?

Well, Indeed Dear, it’s called: Taking Responsibility.

Far be it from me

To name the company

But I planned to move there The exercise

That nobody realised

Was that I wanted a feel For the greed

In that town