3054 - Dozy Boxing Day

This is a day late, I confess. Spent at
My mother's house in Greasby. Robin was
Here til 3pm, then he drove in that
Downpour which turned into a blizzard fast
Back to Lichfield for a pub gig. I spaced
Out a bit in the afternoon, think it
Was tiredness, but football updates helped pass
The time. Birmingham thumped 4-0, a great
Result for The Rams, anchored in third spot
Almost finished that novel - what was it?
Oh never mind, didn't give me a buzz
It's Viv Albertine's autobiog fate
Has decreed I read next, and now I've got
Two more good books as presents for Christmas!

Fri 26 Dec

2522 - News from New Street

Woke up when the alarm started to play
And I became more alarmed then when I
Couldn't turn the thing off! Piccadilly
Station in the rain, still dark, wet pants, my
Seat on the train to Birmingham, early
Too early. Once again, big rebuilding
Works in the centre of that large city
Short walk to Norfolk House for the meeting
About meters and how they're measuring
The flow of oil. Stayed awake all the day
Until the train home, when I shut some eye
But also read some Grahame Greene. Catching
The Metroshuttle, home in time to see
Some football in the evening with Louis

2091 - Pub grub

Out in the sun on Sunday - Birmingham
The place, that concrete wilderness, but by
The canal me and my girl, each with arm
Around the other, make the time pass by
Too fast - and after a while, we say bye
To the balcony, and inside we clasp
The time ever tighter, won't let it fly
But it will, a butterfly we can't grasp
We scour the terrain, searching for some grass
A few scrappy patches overlooked on
All sides by towering flats, hundreds of eyes
Back inside, to the pub sofa, surpass
Bar staff and regulars' expectations
And when it's time to go, it's time to cry

2068 - Warming up for action

My left arm's aching from all the texting!
For some reason, I text with my left hand
At work it goes on, and picture-taking
Too, sometimes in the loo, which I then send
To Katy, and she sends me the same when
She has a different colour top on her
And that's just at work. She works with children
And I of course work up in Manchester
We're working up to her visit, when we're
Gonna spend top quality time, kissing
And cuddling and... much more. We understand
Each other so well that touching is our
Way of talking sometimes. I'm not suffering
With a cold this week like in Birmingham

2039 - Easter tidings and ridings

Woke early - Katie's birthday - sent a text
Watched morning TV and I packed my bags
Cool but sunny Manchester where I walked
To Shudehill bus station, then tucked my legs
Into a tight space for five hours that dragged...
The Megabus hit Easter holiday
Traffic near Birmingham on the M6
And in London itself, making their way
Home for a few days' break. The cloud gave way
To sun, though chilly. From Victoria, next
Stop New Cross Gate by overground train - big
Journey through South-East London. You can see
Canary Wharf from here. Met Pearl, good chats
Back at her flat that's got the railway shakes

Thursday 5 April