4411 - All in vein

Hello, here we are, it's late Thursday night
Been out with Helen and despite the rain
We enjoyed it, starting with one or two pints
At The Vine, then Turtle Bay, and then on
To Jimmy's, Newton Street, poetry pain
And pleasure, young crowd, and Gerry Potter
I'm pleased to say my efforts weren't in vain
I hit them with three sonnets, got laughter
They didn't know I'd been to Edinburgh
And survived the comedy tightrope, tight
More than this, this wasn't scary, my veins
Were more interested in boozing than the
Conventions of whatever these folks might
Expect, and I did OK. Can't explain....

4410 - Poetry of life

A busy evening, think I need to chill
Think I'll pop out soon and get me some booze
Chan's a bit of a boozer, a bottle
Of white wine in the kitchen, partly used
And previously, beer bottles were produced
That's good, I'll feel less guilty when I get
A bit drunk myself with little excuse
Except I want to, and my mind's got set
On that objective. After this is writ
I must first rehearse poetry, or a fool
I'll look tomorrow onstage at Jimmy's
At 'Speak' spoken word night. Need to time it
So that I don't overrun. Sonnets will
Appeal, I hope, three, which I'll introduce

4409 - Snap, crackle and shop

Disturbed night, lie-in, arrived late at my
Workplace, fairly busy, had to stay late
But despite that, went out shopping, to buy
A new shower rail, some boots, and a t-shirt
Wanted something new for Berlin. I might
Buy more after payday. Put the shower rail
Up, it was tricky, hope I got it right
It's up for now, but my efforts can fail
When trying to do what DIY entails
I think Chan must be too nervous to try
She popped out, probably for a shower at eight
At the JD Gym. Saves on water bills!
Played uke to some new stuff quite capably
Last task now, rehearse poems for Thursday night...

4352 - Jimmy Mackerel

Woke at five fifteen, another short night
So it'll be an early night, I think
Got to the office at 7, could write
My Creative Writing class, and finding
Some nice pictures to add the finishing
Touch with slides. I finished it just in time
Had soup, then set it up in the meeting
Room, presented it, and it went just fine
The exercises done, though without rhyme
No time for poetry, one hour is slight
For all that you could do, it's a mere blink
Good chat with Mutsa, then home for a strum
Mackerel for tea, more for tomorrow night
Now man jus' need to go to bed and ting

4087 - This is a reunion

Another long day at work - a union
Meeting, then soup for lunch. Popped out to buy
Some dragonfly tea, no less, and drank some
It's mint flavour, not made from dragonfly!!
Rather late in the day, finally turned my
Attention to preparing my pension
Talk tomorrow. Worked til seven. Still I
Have not yet prepared the presentation
And then, after that's done, I've said I'll come
To a poetry night a long way from
Here, in Liverpool. Promised to stop by
To see some old faces, even go on
Stage and read poetry. Reunion
With friends from an art form I've said goodbye

Tue 31 Oct

4023 - Roamania

I'm going to roam in Romania
I'm leaving, I'm not going to remain here
I must admit my roaming is a mania
But not on my phone, I only use wi-fi, yeah?
It will be good to escape from the rain here
And rumour has it, it's hot in Romania
In Romania there's quite a lot of Roma
They also like to roam in their caravania
Rome is in Italy, not in Romania
But who'd have thought it, when it sounds so samier
This poem / song is getting more insanier
But let's not moan like a Brexit Remainer
When in Romania, we won't be on the plain, yeah (no)
We'll be in Transylvania's high mountainia

3994 - Not yet dead poets society

A second trip to Las Iguanas in
Three days, this time with Jo, we were so full
After two courses of rich food eating
Walked round the Chapel Street area of Sal-
ford, then back to the centre, Piccadill-
y, took her back to Wilmslow, then wandered
Round Wilmslow's main park in the sun until
I caught the Didsbury train and then endured
The long walk to Withington and enjoyed
A (now) rare (for me) poetry evening
To raise dough for the poet John G Hall
Whose fallen on hard times, but he was buoyed
Up by the fun event, and late chatting
Over a few pints. Great stuff. Had a ball!

3957 - Up, down and away

Much cooler, though still warm, it's midsummer
Good chats with some colleagues, cheering me up
A bit, though still convinced that I'm under
A glass ceiling, with no room at the top
Just like the poetry and comedy scenes stop
My progress if they can, or don't support
Me positively. Last night at the Ape
And Apple, I was blatantly ignored
Although I think the host may just be short
Of memory cells, I'll be kind to the tosser
That's life though, but I go on, I won't flop
On the floor just yet. A great uke assault
To 70s rock classics. Do I dare
Check if I've been reviewed? Don't want to, but...

3609 - Radio radio

Knackered - those pricks in the flat next door they
Banged the wall a few times, probably drunk
And crashing into bed last night. Was way
Close to dropping off but repeated thunks
And thuds and bangs disturbed my goal to sink
Into a deep sleep. Awake half the night
Listening to the radio - made me think
About poetry - most of it is shite
By common consent. Only old stuff's quite
Liked, known or understood, like oldsters pay
Only to watch an orchestra that clunks
And scrapes its way thru aged classics. Blight
Of tiredness notwithstanding, a great play
On guitar tonight - played like a mad monk!

3493 - Poetry emotion

Wow, things are hot, played guitar, now listening
To Liverpool / United, the Scousers
Are currently on top, they are winning
One nil, a penalty. I have been there
In Liverpool twice in these last few days
Visiting my Mum at the weekend and
Last night, a poetry event that blazed
Next week me and Jo we will both attend
The second leg of this tie, it will end
Hopefully in United's favour, bring
Happiness to Little Jo. Could be worse
Football's been in the news, with Sunderland
Adam Johnson found guilty of grooming
Meanwhile, these North West rivals fight and curse

3492 - Live at the Jacaranda

Straight to Liverpool after work by train
Attended a poetry night at the
Jacaranda, hopefully I'll again
Go there, to the basement next time, there's a
Weekly comedy night at the place where
The Beatles did their first gig, that sounds good
To me, I could do it next week after
TWCNIS, no wait, that night's spoken for, should
Be a linguistic play in M/C, food
For thought for a would-be teacher, the brain
Needs feeding, but on for the week after
That. There's also a Jewish neighbourhood
Comedy night at the museum. Slain
By so much good stuff, happening here and there

3297 - Poem of poems

The last thing I need to do today 'cept
For eating my tea, is to write this now
So here I go, flex literary biceps
Although the main writing I've done is throw
A couple of poems by email, one to go
Into Kieren King's anthology of
Evidently poetry, based on show
He puts on monthly at the Eagle, bruv
Talking of pubs, last night we went to both
Tiger Lounge and Dry Bar. Tomorrow's set
Up nicely, pint with Dermot up in town
Then meal with Vee and Pearl, I'll huff and puff
To get there by nine, El Capo's select
As the venue, so Viva Mexico!

3296 - Get to bed!

Long day, I need to get to bed real quick
Got work tomorrow, nuff to make you sick
But before I retire, must do my schtick
Got a sonnet to do, my daily trick
Sometimes I wonder why I have this stick
To beat myself with, but it makes time tick
And after all this time, I've got so slick
Each day I recall every punch and kick
Each day I recall every friend or prick
Each line goes by, rhyme gets problematic
And tiredness grows, making the brain grow thick
I also feel the toilet call, rhythmic
Pulsating of the bladder, a caustic
Reminder that I have to stop, and quick

Wed 26 August