3221 - 'Good' and 'fun' don't mix

Is it the right thing to do, to cut down
On cigs and booze, although it's healthier
Does it mean I'm boring and old and brown
Tired, burned out, over the hill, washed up, square?
Boozing is partying, fun, debonair
Being good is like my parents, boring
What's the point of that, boredom's heard to bear
Aren't I allowed a Friday night's drinking?
Psychologically weak at resisting
Like English footballers in big games, found
Lily-livered, bashful and full of fear
As has happened before, just the thinking
About this on a Friday night is grounds
For rushing out to buy booze, just, once, more...?

3160 - Red letter day

A great day out with Jo at Old Trafford
Not only was it a vital derby
But she was a mascot for United
Held hands with Juan Mata, one of those she
Chose in the first place in her fantasy
Numbers were drawn from a hat in the end
She got number ten, we then thought Rooney!
She'll be at the front on TV, her hand
In hand with England's top player, the land
If not the world jealous! But hopes misled -
Instead it meant the tenth man stood in the
Excited queue of Red players, that band
Of men in the tunnel. 4-2 they scored
A great day for her, and of course for me!

3016 - Roy Hodgson's white and white army!

Did exercises after work today
Pleased about getting back in shape, oh yes
Then a good guitar session, like to play
As I get better and better, confess
I wonder though if I could ever say
I can play live, and play well, be a guest
On a bill. Probably not, anyway
Not if the past is a guide. Is that just
Negative, though? There's been the odd good day
Times when it went well, and of course when pushed
On stage, the nerves take over. There's no grey
Only black (bad) and white (good), saved or lost
After my practice, watched England away
And they won in Glasgow. Scots, be impressed!

2870 - Manic Tuesday

Frenetic afternoon, rushed from work to
Do shopping, then saw most of the England
Game, but we both decided we should view
The Italy / Uruguay conclusion
Since Suarez bit an Italian, and then
The U's scored luckily, knocked Italy
Out, another shock, like England, like Spain
(England, though, got the least points of those three)
Greece / Ivory Coast to come, write this quickly
Then guitar practice. Ain't got time to do
Comedy tonight, Bad Language must come
Also under the axe, tomorrow - see
I'm in Liverpool then, time won't allow
These two nights out, and rest is what I want

2868 - Beach balls

As for today, Sunday, a sunny day
I forgot my phone, was late arriving
At Josie's but we went out anyway
Headed as usual for Manchester, in
The big sandy pitch where they are showing
The World Cup matches, and some beach football
Today England's men gallantly trying
In the sand against Costa Rica, all
In vain, a 6-6 draw, but Jo enthralled
The nearest she's been to seeing guys play
Real-life football, and today she's asking
If we can see a United game. Small
Expense (not), maybe, maybe, maybe, may
Be able to watch a cup match (Carling)...

2865 - World Cup Fuck-Up

A day late - AGAIN! - it's habitual
In this World Cup furore, I forget
After a few beers, my duty to tell
The story of England's useless defeat
To plucky Uruguay, holes in the net
Of the Whites' defence, allowing Suarez
The Liverpool main man, to win his bet
Against colleagues like Gerrard and Henders-
on... I found it quite funny, quite a buzz
England's humiliation terrible
If you take it seriously. Best to get
Some laughs out of their failure, sure, because
They never had a chance, they always stall
On the big stage. I guess they always will...

About Thur 19 June, written on Fri 20 June

2862 - I drink to forget

A day late, I'm afraid, no time to write
Yesterday, when I went out just to tell
A story upstairs at Gullivers. Quite
Full of punks at a wake, beered up, but all
Seemingly happy enough. But meanwhile
Upstairs I told my tale of bike riding
To London in '93, when I fell
Over a railway bridge quite near Kidling-
ton, Oxfordshire. After that, had a drink
Or two more with Derm, he was quite polite
This time. Jez, Roland, Conor, Mark, a tall
Girl whose name I forgot but was talking
To me for a while, helped to pass the night
Got home, forgot poem, saw end of football

About yesterday, Mon 16 June

2861 - Play to the whistle

So what happened in last night's games? you ask
Well, in order, the U's lost to Costa
Then the Whites lost to the Blues, so the task
Of England now is to beat the U's or
Probably go home disappointed once more
I missed Ivory Coast / Japan, sat and snored
On the sofa after beer and wine, score
Two-one to IC. Switzerland / Ecuador
Today, two-one to the Swiss at the door
Of the final whistle. France / Honduras
Is next. Let's hope it won't be the first poor
Or goalless game so far. Argentina
Against Bosnia is the late one to catch
before bed and the working week once more

2860 - The white and the blue

The big day has arrived, England playing
In the World Cup, and they face Italy
That will be hard, it goes without saying
English fans must prepare for nil, not three
Points, one maybe, and some ignominy
Is on the cards. Hope Rooney gets sent off
(Again) and Welbeck gets injured. Why's he
Predicted to be in the team? Kick-off
Imminent for the game before, that's of
Interest, cos it's the same group. It's between
Uruguay and Costa Rica. Should be
A win for the light blues, the U's, they'll stuff
CR, though Suarez is benched. Then starting
At eleven, whites and dark blues. Worry!

2857 - World Cup warm-up

The World Cup starts tomorrow, just about
To watch a Match of the Day preview prog
I hope to God they don't make England out
To have any chance at all, or I'll gag
That would be a gag, gag as in a joke
If they say that, I'm sick of their failures
I hope the stadiums are finished, they spoke
Of last-minute construction in Manaus
And elsewhere, ubiquitous protesters
Complaining about how money's dished out
On stadiums, while poverty wraps its cloak
On the poor neighbourhoods, the favelas
At the end one nation will feel real proud
And the rest depressed on their homeward slog

2537 - Water, water, everywhere

It's late but it's gotta be done, so now
What can I say? Another boring day
At work, but my Mum texts, golly gee wow
Her hip op's been set for late February
And I'm down to help out, but we will see
When that may be, because things are hap'ning
Dates are going in this year's diary
And all of a sudden, seems like it's spring
Meanwhile, on the news, there's lots of flooding
Somerset, and Thames Valley, seems that now
The South East is affected, we'll all be
Drawn in, we'll have to pay, water seeping
Everywhere, Ancient Mariners somehow
Will have to, like ancestors, find a way

Wed 12 February

2500 - The late late show

Two thousand five hundred - what a milestone
That's how many daily sonnets I've done
Each one a fourteen line poem, each one
A summary of my day under sun
And moon, and very often it's been moon
What with lots of late nights and having fun
It could still be better, got to press on
If riches can't be mine, then some things can
And one of them is living in this land
Another's having a permanent band
Playing in my head. And there's my quick hands
Almost able to reproduce the sounds
In my head. And there's odd glimpses of fans
They pop up like mirages in the sand

2462 - Tom Brown's body lies a-moulderin' in the grave

Last night put together some comedy
But found out today that there were no slots
No work's ever wasted, no tragedy
That I won't do it tonight, won't go out
Quite like the solo routine 'what I wrote'
Watched 'Tom Brown's Schooldays'- not a good version
'Come Dine With Me' from Dublin on a plate
You can't beat the accents of old Ireland
Do dey moit nat be yer sloice of gammon
At least not going out means I can see
And cringe at England playing Brazil, not
Easy even at home, but there, with Wayne
Rooney our only star, it could be three
Nil to them, or worse. They'll knock off our spots

2458 - Upsetto over Netto

Just watched a boring game - England / Ireland
But at least all seemed happy, no trouble
New German-looking kit worn by England
New Irish kit too, kit sales free-for-all
Dull day, with a fair amount of rainfall
Walked by the old canal on the way in
But felt if I went home that way I'd fall
In, slipping on mud or wet grass. Climbing
Out of that canal would take some doing
And all my mp3 music lessened
To useless plastic mid muddy bubbles
Just rescued my bag from Sainsburys - leaving
It there in the basket was what happened
My Swedish Netto bag, you are my all...

2394 - Last chance hospital

Girl mauled to death by five dogs in Wigan
The UK Border Agency shut down
Those are the main news stories going on
Today round my way - what about your own?
At work, went on a two-day course, day one
Advanced Policy Development. We
Discussed current issues, healthcare among
Them - Stafford Hospital turned out to be
Because nurses felt they had a degree
So shouldn't have to clean patients or come
To their aid with food or drink. England shown
Like so many times before completely
Unable to kill off their opponent
Once more, drawing with Montenegro. Groan...

2342 - Moor moor moor

On a freezing but sunny February day
Too cold and windy for walking about
What better than hiring a car to stay
Warm and see the Pennine moors somewhere out
There through the moving windscreen as gusts shoot
Towards us but bounce off the glass and flags
Flutter perpendicularly and point
To Yorkshire, over those pale yellow crags
We'd found the road to Holmfirth with no snags
Via Oldham this time, an interesting new way
Instead of through Greenfield and Saddleworth
Just a straightish moortop road that just hugs
The hill's edge, passing cyclists who obey
The call of the wild wind with strength of youth

2287 - Lost city

Somewhere in the north-western wilderness
Is a lost city - because City lost
To United, at home - and so the less
Said the better. My own emotional cost
Is not that high. From the Midlands I crossed
To the North West so many moons ago
Today's blue moon will be powder blue dust
City folk will soon move on, tomorrow
Turning deaf ears to the red tide of woe
Blue Monday's usual lack of cheerfulness
Made worse by red sneers, like an evil ghost
Lurking by the water-cooler. Lift, go
Faster to third floor, an unwanted guest
Is sharing the ride - it's that smug red boss

2263 - It's dim up north

It's nice to have a night off, the first one
For nearly two weeks, though I must admit
I should be practising guitar and song
In just over a week there is a spot
As part of a new meet-up music night
I also need to research comedy
Nights, but they should preferably be right
In the heart of Manchester, right near me
Don't want to go to Oldham or Bury
And definitely not Bolton or Wigan
I need an audience that's educated
Fed up wasting my time with fat silly
People, the great unwashed of north England
There's now a physical and mental split

2234 - England, our England

Busy day at work, but short - I dashed home
To see the rearranged England football
Match, ate my tea, then wandered out again
To Bohemia, this half-finished place, all
Hidden beneath Castlefield's arches, walls
And bridges with trains on top, rumbling by
I met a few arty people there, cool
Evening, and just a coke with ice for me
Now I'm back and I've been having a sly
Read of bits of the Amy biog on
Amazon (written by Mitch) - it was full
Of her drug problems - why'd she have to die?
Still, she's immortal now, her kind of fame
Isn't easily won, and is fatal

2233 - A new sport - water football!

Oh dear, the rain has stopped the football match
In Warsaw between England and Poland
Luckily I've rented a film to watch
Oscar-nominated, 'The Descendants'
I could've gone out tonight - this is pants
Got beer in for nothing, I don't know why
All of a sudden I don't even want
To drink it. Staying in means staying dry
True for me and the footballers. I spy
Some guys throwing a ball on the wet grass
But it can't roll through deep puddles, it lands
Dead as a dodo. Wouldn't like to try
Passing it on that marinated pitch
The Polish match officials will get panned