MAKING BOMBS WHILE LISTENING TO LEONARD COHEN

Edgware to Morden; He's close enough to kiss you You say "You can't have my paper cos it's all that separates us". Badges on his handbag. Can you smell the fertilizer? Maybe he's the kind of tourist that travels in a decommissioned Helicopter Gunship. A wet fish in a fistfight. But a sucker for ballistics. Another college yearbook A waste of human resources. He's singing "Oyez Como Va" through a traffic cone and the dead eyed boy who's collecting his change Is the one who turns tricks in the car park. He's seen you and he recognises…you. Maybe you should hit him first. Maybe you should hit home first. Do you all like fireworks? No? We all love fireworks! We've got you running in circles like an idiot Baby, nothing can destroy our love. Cos It's hewn out of stone. But the storms can't weather it. And it's cold as ice, but it will never, ever, ever, melt. Maybe you should hit him first. Maybe you should strike out and you should do it out of love. Your kids love fireworks!


GLOW IN THE DARK

Billy was a man before he was a boy. Billy was a player before he was a toy. He's open sewer in an AC duct. He's a handbrake turn when the stick gets stuck. Chewing on a leatherman, Billy was the chief. But an alligator farm making baby teeth Made a mean old match; Billy T Beware Of the Rum-Tum-Tigger and his baby bear. Come on, Billy Billy, how about that? Billy get nimble on a hairy back. Just forget about soiling the family name, When your seersucker suit goes up in flames. You can find him in your heart find him in your head, growing like green in your daily bread. Digging up the trees in richmond park. Shouting at the ballerinas I GLOW IN THE DARK! Wing nut lover with a cinnmon splinter Sink another coin when he want to go mint her Clogging up the street with the shuffle and the prose Like a man when a man's exposed he's a Witch hunt snapping at your heels in the day but you get him home and he's alone when you are there open up the cupboard for a real surprise you'll find his mamas heart and his daddy's eyes come on, Billy Billy, how about that? Now you're a dead man on your back. Just forget about soiling the family girth, When they put your body in the Stockwell earth Well If Billy was a frog before he was a prince. Then Billy was a bull before he was mince-meat. Crawling up through the mud and grass Looking for a ballerina Never gonna get well til ya been sick. Never gonna get well til ya been sick Never gonna get well Till you have been so sick. Don't let him take you to the bottom of the well cos he's older than heaven and colder than hell.

YOUR HUMBLE SAVANT

Trust
is a word
but I'm here for you.
talking science exact.
I can translate,
be a go-between,
put fresh skin on your back.

Cos when you were young you realised you'd be a player not a toy.
When you were young you figured out you'd never make an alterboy.

Well bad dreams and a sore tummy are par for the course with this medication, William. It gave me nightmares about being locked in the bridal suite of the Hilton with Robert Duvall, and only a jug of Russian Spring Punch to use as an analgesic. Some people might imagine this scenario to be pleasant, but I assure you it wasn't. The point is William, one just has to get on with it; so now I'm afraid Mr arm does have to come out of mr sleeve and I don't want to see any more tears, do you understand?

Grown in a tank,
with the fish,
with our sons and our daughters.
Wings
get you high
But they don't
help you breathe underwater.

Get back to the fold, back in the pen, don't get ideas above your station.
We might provoke rebellion but it mustn't be your occupation.

I know they're large injections William, but you have to be stronger than the other boys. How many other seven year olds do you know that can swim in the canal with ratty because they're immune to Leptospirosis? And your friend Nigel can't break down a diet of pure tree bark into amino acids can he, hmmm? What if Daddy sends you to the congo - you wouldn't want to eat spiders would you? Now I'm not going to roll up your sleeve for you. We can do this the easy way or…

SCHRODINGER'S CAT

I watch you flirt with the guys who work in the human resources department but they're just paid to act like they care. They don't care at all. Sometimes I think about touching your legs.
Maybe you are better than pornography. I'd like to call you pet names, but you might conclude I'm a freak, or worse you'll think that I'm gay. Bugs. Paper butterflies in my belly.
Sometimes I think about buying you lunch.
Maybe it is better when just imagined.
I saw you reading a popular science book about physics.
Photocopy. Open up my mouth. Schrodinger's Catt, but I got it wrong.
Sometimes I think about baking you bread.
I hope we will get married and have children.

PETS

One more trip back to pick up bits and pieces.
Place your head in the palm of my hand.
You don't judge my going.
I don't struggle to recall your words.
I've disappointed you.

I know you.
Still creeping back when I'm asleep to beg for scraps.
All knotted, hair eyes and feet.
Sit still, calm down.
So much conversation for a single word.
Don't you think I know best?
I think you've earned your rest.