3267 - More poems about working and food

Still a bit knackered. Like to play guitar
In a while, not much else that I could do
But first, hang out my washing, and prepare
Some tea, I'm getting hungry, and so too
No doubt is Javi who is sitting there
On his phone. Heard him this morning, a few
Giveaway noises about half-past four
(In the morning), yes, he has that nightmare
Start to the day, shift starts at six, but you
And me would I think probably rather
Have a real nightmare in bed than have to
Get up that bloody early, it's not fair
Oh God, I'm really feeling this hunger
Better finish now. For reading, thank you!

3204 - Shat out of hell

A varied day, took it off work to go
To a driving awareness course up in
Bury, a four hour workshop that had no
Possibility of being late - a fine
Is what you get - and points - for arriving
Late, or for a no-show, or no ID
This harsh enforcement had me worrying
So much, albeit just subconsciously
That I woke from a nightmare, eight thirty
In which I couldn't pack in time, too slow
And couldn't find passport, before heading
To the airport for a flight home. Legacy
Of recent flights to / from Europe also...
Then - ska-tological comedian

3073 - Untitled cos I'm a lazy sod

This is yesterday, looks like I forgot
To write anything, maybe cos football
Was on in the evening, and was not hot
So I felt tired, cold, what with that withal
And with all that was not happening, I stalled
And could only think of heading for bed
In my head, so headed for my bed, falled
Onto my bedding, and soon was installed
Under the duvet, and there I was hot
Well, maybe not hot, but comfortable
In no time at all, I was so settled
That I slipped away where things are as not
As they are here but are better, unreal
Where wants and desires are all cheaply fed

About Wed 14 January

3018 - Dreams in a cold climate

Trying to write, but what to write about?
What's happened today, boring work day, see
The difficulty? Was tired, went without
Good night's sleep, too cold to doze off quickly
Took me til almost two to finally
Check out of Tuesday and into dreamland
Tried hard at work to be a busy bee
One worthy of Manchester's symbol found
In and around the Town Hall, and around
My arm in tattoo form too, looks quite cute
Beethoven's Eighth is playing now slowly
But now it's the last movement, and I'm bound
To finish this sonnet and hit the fret-
board of guitar for an hour, then TV!

3015 - Boom bang a bang

So tired today, below me or to side
A neighbour with the loudest boots is here
He or she (think it's he) started to stride
Noisily around, stomping on their floor
In the middle of Saturday night, for
Long enough to threaten my beauty sleep
And now this morning, the same din once more
Woke me around seven, I heard him keep
Not only stomping but bang, crash and bleep
(Rude words in my head). No way could I hide
Under the covers from this, guard my ears
And so, only six hours of precious kip
Under my pillow, I lay there and tried
To drop off again, but few dreams appeared

2817 - Airports of the mind

Feel a bit better, but still tickly throat
Woke after a weird disorienting dream
Dreamt I was with others in an airport
Then took a wrong turn, lost my things, mindscream
Found my way back to the main hall, I'd seen
The info desk, but it was all hopeless
Then I woke up thinking it must have been
Quite late, checked the new bedroom clock, and yes!
It's only eight a.m. The dream's distress
Turned to relaxation. Saturday sport
No need to go out. Writing is the theme
And main agenda item. I'll address
It this morning. Now I don't mean to gloat
But I'm writing well - got a write good scheme

2570 - Eat, drink and be very early to bed

So tired, not a lot of sleep got last night
Was tired, but somehow just couldn't drop off
Let's hope I'm like that if frozen with fright
Balanced on a cliff edge, not falling off
No matter how hard the wind blows. A tough
Day to get through, but did it. But do I
Have the strength to do ironing? You can stuff
That, the pile is huge. Need to close my eye
And begin dreaming life's a piece of pie
Or better still, a whole pie I can bite
Stayed clear of beer last night, and you can shove
The stuff tonight as well. Maybe some tea
That's all I'll drink, or milk, or juice tonight
With a handful of nuts can't wait to scoff!

2538 - Sweet dreams

Was buzzing today although not much sleep
Earlier to bed tonight, if I'm quick
Tomorrow night we're playing 3MT
A comedy sketch that might be the pick
Of the night, for some anyway, but slick
As well, I hope, that's important, you know
It's not easy even if the idea's sick
People see surfaces not what's below
If you deliver crap well, that can go
Down well, like cheesy chat-up lines some creep
Might come out with in a bar that might stick
Rather than a more individual show
Anyway, it should be well worth a peep
And now to bed, dreams never end their grip

Thur 13 February

2517 - Moz, LOL

A relaxing night is on the cards. I'll
Be good, read, go to bed early, and doze
Happily, unaware of the whole while
Going on around, while my dreamworld shows
Scenes set in the past, but which, heaven knows
Never actually happened. That reminds
Me of what I'm reading, and it's what those
Pesky workmates bought me. Somebody found
It in Waterstones maybe, and it's bound
To be my cup of tea, they thought. I smile
When I think how quick this is to bulldoze
Through after Dickens and big books all round
No, this is Morrissey's story, with piles
Of local streets I know mentioned. Go, Moz!

2475 - Amy, you're driving me crazy

I keep waking up halfway through the night
Why, when it's the darkest time of the year?
I sometimes do this in midsummer's light
When dawn comes early, but why, how now, sir?
I wake from a dream, my mind starts to stir
Last night I kept singing Amy Winehouse
In my head, of course, nothing you could hear
Apart from radio, all quiet as a mouse
TV reception's bad these days, I lose
The chance to watch most channels now, so might
Move to BT Sport, it should be cheaper
Than Sky broadband (with football as bonus)
Let's hope there's an end to my sleepless plight
I hate being tired, it's not clever or fair!

2474 - Minging singing

Listening to Northern Soul as I type this
Northern Soul is easy and fast, dancing
Is what it's for, it makes you tap digits
While you type, and if you're quickly walking
(You can't walk slowly while you're listening)
Then you sing along while walking along
It makes you feel like a queen or a king
You feel good as you're singing to each song
Even if only in your head. It's wrong
To sing out loud, someone might take the piss
So you're a king in your imagining
If you sing in public, it goes Pete Tong
So only headphones and dreams must suffice
To make of you a soul Emperor Ming

2407 - Lucky strike

Well I woke up this morning real early
'Bout a half-past five, to be quite precise
Not too sure why, a vivid dream, maybe
Then as I lay there, mouth dry, not anxious
Got up for water, back down, realised
It was okay to have got drunk last night
See, today was a day off work - why? 'Cause
HMRC's on strike, cos of the plight
Of the poor civil servants you all hate
I would too if I wasn't one, hee hee
Just heard - at last  - yes - Maggie Thatcher dies
She left the UK in a right old state
Tonight, though, it's the Manchester derby
Unlike last year, City's a hopeless cause

2330 - After the ball-ache

It was party night late last night next door
Sounded like fun but none of them can sing
And the bass was cranked up, the playing poor
But they're good mates, bless 'em, they're doin' their thing
They should know when the X Factor's coming
To town, they should pop down to do clown pop
And hope they go down well when Lou's voting
They started at 3, about 5 they stopped
While they were playing around I did drop
Off and dreamed of loud live music, but for
Only a few minutes. Tried listening
To Radio Four over their noise, strange crop
Of loud and quiet, but which one was the bore?
Too tired for playing axe, exercising

2319 - An eye-popping night

Awake half the night with the radio on
I'd been out that night, drank pints of Guinness
No longer used to beer, a stimulant
Effect was produced by those pints, I guess
Though I went to bed by twelve, this unrest
Meant I ended up tired and late for work
I slept the first two and a half hours, passed
(As quite a few times before) in a walk
Or run through rural scenes, a dream that talked
Of suppressed impressions fourteen years on
From my days of fell running through forest
And hill. Suddenly from this I awoke
To hear the mad story of the woman
Whose boyfriend gouged both her eyes out, no less

2122 - My dream job

I don't like to write sonnets too early

In the afternoon there's nothing to say

But sat at work, time ticking so slowly

I must do something to keep sleep at bay

Snoring at my desk wouldn't be OK

In the old days we'd all have our own rooms

In which we'd snore safely late in the day

But open plan offices spelled the doom

Of secret snoozing and the desk-based dream

At least of those surreal visions that we

Are shown by our chaotic snooze-freed play

Of imagination. But there's still room

For daydreams, schemes, shopping lists, texting... See

And hear sights and sounds - sirens, kids at play

2025 - Dream on

A good night's sleep, but awoke with backache
Good dreams, though I've forgotten what they were
Sometimes forgotten dreams can reawake
In conversation, or when the idea
Is resurrected by something we hear
A Proustian memory-jogger, memory
Not of real life, but of the life in here
Internal, surreal, fantastical, the
Agglomeration of reality
And personal perception, our own take
Filtered through our own love and our own fear
Strange brew, strange view, even to we who see
This nightly movie through closed eyes, and make
It simultaneously while lying there

1907 - Softened drinker

A lot of drinking in these last few nights
And meanwhile every night I am disturbed
Waking at three or maybe four and quite
Unable to drop off again. Being served
Pints or knocking back cans is what I've learned
To reduce lately, so I'm unused to
The side-effects, and in a strange reverse
Of the expected, though sleep starts on cue
It doesn't stay long - wakefulness breaks through
In mid-dream, and music, recent delight
Or disappointment circles, won't disperse
Despite cumulative weariness. True -
I've had a few nights out but socialite
Times are on hold - time to save, stay sober

1800 - Train of thought

On the Newcastle to Manchester train
Meeting all done, tax not really taxing
There'll be no taxi home - walking again
Music ringing in my ears, me singing
In my head only, or they'd be thinking
Here comes a madman. (Don't want them to know!)
To immature fantasy I still cling
But it keeps me young, well I reckon so
Don't want to grow vegetables yet, no
Not got green fingers, but got a keen brain
Even if only for a few small things
And those small things are what I want to grow
Safely out of sight, there they will remain
Unless fate determines their revealing
Tue 9 Aug

1689 - I got stung

Once more the April sun lights up our day
No coat required, quite tired, the early light
Terminating nocturnal fantasy
Long day cheerfully banishing short night
One thing was on my mind - I couldn't wait
To get my new tattoo put on my arm
I'd chosen the Manchester bee in flight
A busy creature suited to the warm
While I was there a real bee - not a swarm
Thank God - flew into the tattoo shop. They
Caught it under a glass. Yes, it was quite
A coincidence. Bees sting, and the form
Of a bee on my arm did, certainly
As the needle took bite after harsh bite

1685 - Blood and water

In 1685 Judge George Jeffreys
Presided over Bloody Assizes
Monmouth and his rebels had fought James's
Accession to the throne after Charles's
Death in February, but in three years
Jeffreys would be in The Tower, dying
After the Glorious Revolution tears
Away the last of the Catholic kings
But that's three years away. Today, waking
At six, I worked on some new melody
Then went back to sleep, pleasant surprises
Turning out to be dreams, but still looking
Forward to the day. We went to Josie's
Favourite swimming pool, had fun and splashes