3253 - You better you bed

The exciting moment is drawing near
With the arrival of my first lodger
Within the hour. Had a moment of fear
When I made his bed and I discovered
I'd not bought sheets, so went straight out to the
Home store (I think it's Dunne's) to buy them (white)
Now hopefully he'll be happy on there
A nice new double bed and bedding, quite
Unused by anyone ever. A slight
Pang of jealousy from me with my dear
Creaky old second-hand bed, with cover
And sheets showing their age. But soon I might
Be able to upgrade flat and bed. We're
Enjoying the dawn of a new era

3171 - Prague pilgrim's progress

Getting in the holiday zone of mind
Excitement builds. Today, getting my phone
Mended so I can charge it and still find
Power to post on Twitter. Having flown
To Prague, I'll want and need to have well shown
The sights I see, the folk I meet, also
In German places, beer and mountains grown
To gross proportions, only goats may go
To those high heights! My German learning's slow
I'm struggling to study the lingo, kind
Of lazy maybe, but distraction's blown
It away, along with 'Dragon Tattoo'
(The book), but I could catch up when flyin'
Or waitin' in stations for trains to come

3140 - Glory glory

Poor Josie's ill at home off school today
But good news cheered her up before too long
I got a call from Man United. They
Said she'd been selected to walk along
The Old Trafford tunnel, shyly clinging
To a United player's hand in hers
Then walking onto the pitch as roaring
Reaches a crescendo, Reds and City's
Rival fans outshouting each in chorus
It's the kind of experience kids pray
For, especially at that age. Dreams aren't wrong
She dreamed recently of meeting players
Now it's on the horizon, on Sunday
The 12th of April. Sing your football song!

3036 - Sounds rebound

At work this morning our team moved en masse
To different desks. That was quite exciting
At lunchtime I got a haircut at last
It's like my haircuts of old, some shaving
Around the neck and ears. Feels like going
Back in time... After work, went to see Vee
She's perking up after a depressing
Interlude. She fixed my phone cleverly
Even the sound's come back - I'm so happy
Good news then, I won't have to splash the cash
Upgrading, paying double, though thinking
An i-Phone would be nice. Maybe July
I'll get one then when my contract's up. That's
All the news from me today. I'm smiling!

2999 - Don't you rain on my new black shoes

Back home from seeing Jo, we caught a film
Needed to think of something exciting
And different to do, apart from the realm
Of the shopping mall, football ground, new things
Must be found to do, keep it fresh. Looking
Forward to next week's visit to Grandma
And Jo's excited about car travelling
In one of those white City Car Club cars
Bought new slip-on shoes, boot-shaped. Half a year
I've had no shoes that didn't leak. What balm
For my feet and what new stylish-looking
Image, wearing walking boots no longer
I'll try not to wear them when it rains. Calm
Weather is new shoe leather protecting

2970 - Old age rampage

Today saw a leaving do, retirement
Arrives for one more person, one more stage
In the journey reached, one more era spent
One more face that may never re-engage
With mine, one more time Father Time and age
Have worked their dubious charms, though should be said
Retirement has its good side, a new page
Opens, unpaid work, new friends, trips abroad
And this is where I'm envious - mortgage paid
Traditional roles, country lady and gent
But in future it could be all the rage
To live in the city, choose not to fade
In the same way, keep up the excitement
Chat, eat, drink, shop, walk, keep up the rampage

2948 - What a performance!

Warm night, just got back from Bridgewater Hall
Where I witnessed a most emotional scene
The Kinshasa Symphony Orchestra, all
There, playing alongside the Halle, been
There many times but I have never seen
Anything quite like that, tears in my eyes
Some beautiful ladies gliding between
The regulars, in African dresses
Being treated to sounds of Sibelius
Berlioz and Beethoven, with them mingled
Their own music, players and choir, all being
Too much to take, knowing the sheer duress
Of living in the Congo, somehow still
Achieving this. Beautiful human beings

2898 - Muggy Magyar

What a hot day, the last before my trip
And tomorrow's also going to be hot
I think therefore I am, no, I will, slip
Tomorrow morning into some clean shorts
And a thin t-shirt, for the shortish flight
To Budapest, capital of Hungary
There's the Danube, the Parliament, first sight
Of Castle Hill, the bustling streets I'll see
Once ruled by Soviet tanks, now they're all free
And in the EU, though tips, if I tip
Will be in forints - euros they do not
Use (very sensible)... Beer's cheap, hee hee
I'm so excited, that to get some kip
Tonight, beer's needed. An excuse I've got!

2894 - Dehydration City

I'm dehydrated, and it's a hot night
So hot today I wore a loose white shirt
Although it's Friday dress down day, I might
Have worn a t-shirt and jeans, but I hurt
With over-heating when I tried to put
My jeans on in the morning. Anyway
I walked to work, quite smart but cool, a chat
With a workman at the building site. They
Are all off on holiday at work. Hey -
Me too, next Wednesday, when I'll catch that flight
To Budapest, touch down at the airport
And find the hostel, hopefully quickly
Tomorrow, Shrewsbury pub crawl but quite
Unwell right now, bad cold and feeling shit

2369 - London will be calling

I'm writing this earlier than yesterday
I'm staying in, my bag's already packed
Tomorrow down to London with Josie
Just checked the train times, had to get them checked
Must get to Wilmslow in good time, not vexed
If the train's slightly late, which can happen
After typing this, I'll shave, so my neck's
Neat for the big day. My hair's had a trim
At the barber's, I went there at lunchtime
So now as dark comes I'm nearly ready
Might play guitar if there's time, but I'm spooked
As time's running out, yet time after time
Pearl does not get in touch, she always plays
This game of not answering each of my texts

2401 - Excite stage left

Woke up at four, somehow all excited
At the thought perhaps of some playing live
On Thursday night, or maybe excited
At seeing Tom and Tsareena alive
And chatting to them, and feeling active
Involved and purposeful, with comedy
And now maybe music taking shape with
Serendipitous synchronicity
Woke up at four, I say, or four-thirty
Read about Dylan for a while, but read
Myself awake still more. I had to leave
My bed at six-fifteen in time to see
The sky turn light blue from dark. Time to read
My song lyrics before work. What a life!

2151 - Fireball XL5 Plus

About to watch the Olympic football
Kick off, Team GB versus Senegal
The torch is being carried, and it's all
Getting exciting now, a fireball
Meanwhile the list of things to do was tall
But I've done many, now I can relax
In preparation for their arrival
I've made the bed, and I've cleared out some books
Tomorrow, I drive a van with boxes
At the ready, down to my old Lichfield
When I'll collect two young girls and my girl
Friend, and we'll start new lives, we'll take the knocks
I'm excited beyond recent recall
Life starts anew, and it will be so full!

2109 - I don't have a dream

I'm more in love than ever, my mind is
More on my Katy than tomorrow night
At the gig, I'd rather forget that. Miss
Is ringing shortly, she's what makes me right
Wish she was here - I'd soon pull down her tights
But no, I should focus on other things
There must be other things that still excite
But they're not physical, it's that that brings
The most thrills per square inch, the most tinglings
The things that make you scrunch all your features
That must beat highest intellectual heights
Because they rarely pull all the heartstrings
As tightly, tying you up with a kiss
Prison can be better than the outside

1497 - Ten Ten Ten

Today is Ten Ten Ten: 10th October
And it deserves a ten for excitement
And even danger. Stranger days never -
Well, hardly ever - no, never happened
After posting last night's sonnet, I went
Out just for a five minute walk to draw
Out a little cash for the restaurant
In the hostel in Istanbul. My law
- Having bought carpets - was to spend no more
But on my short walk I met ("from Ankara")
Two guys who said, "Let's have a drink..." I went.
To cut a long story short, met a whore
In an expensive club; danced, drank with her.
Then, a hotel. By this is madness meant!

1425 - Greeced lightning

I shall arise and fly by Easyjet
To the isles of Greece; no, to the mainland
Greece is a place that I’ve not been to yet
Though a holiday in May had been planned
(Due to flight cancellation, abandoned)
Athens, here I come; hiya, hired car!
(On October the fifth). So this weekend
I’ll plan my itinerary. Not far
From Athens to Delphi, oracular
Centre of ancient wisdom. Then I’ll get
To the Peloponnese and western strands
Course you must see Corfu; Albania
As well, maybe. It shouldn’t be as wet
As it’s been here lately. It should be grand!

1421 - Autumn holiday

I’m wondering about my holiday
Later this year. Greece was where I was bound
Until the flight was cancelled back in May
So I decided to save a few pounds
And wait a few months till finance was sound
By September I should have itchy feet
And take-off should be achieved from the ground
So many places to choose from, like Crete
Driving round Lake Geneva: what a treat
Perhaps Reykjavik, Stockholm or Norway
Berlin’s U-Bahn has a real underground
Feel. The Côte d’Azur has places to eat
Leningrad (sorry, St Petersburg; they
Shouldn’t change names). I may see you around!

1358 - Fill my cup

A rousing second half there by England
Who slept at first against old Mexico
At Wembley, in the warm up match to send
Us toward South Africa with a glow
I’ve enjoyed watching it; now time to go
And get more beer, and listen to the sound
Of a favourite band from years ago
Who’ve colonised my head tonight. A pound
If you can guess who, but I did get round
To mentioning one of them once again
Six days ago, because six days ago
His death’s anniversary came around
Meanwhile, tonight’s game’s ending with England
Winning. The World Cup beckons. Here we go…

1312 - Springing along

A lovely sunny spring early evening
A perfect opportunity to run
Had no plans and so I got to thinking
Before my exercises had begun
And before I had put my dinner on
I’d love to drive on up to Heaton Park
Running on a sunny evening is fun
The Easter fair is still there, a good lark
For little kids. The park gates close at dark
That’s about eight now; it’s really looking
Good for regular runs when work is done
My leg muscles are stronger now; the spark
Of good health glows within, now subsiding
I look forward to getting my head down

1286 - Mad Mid March

A cold March day to chill the bones, but fun
Was had with Josie, leading a pony
Around a busy car park; folk looked on
With wide-eyed surprise outside Sainsbury’s!
Next, after that unexpected treat, we
Hopped in the car, with bike, and drove to Hale
For Josie to practice her cycling: the
Safe and quiet park pathways letting her sail
Along with no cars pounding past; just tails
Wagging upright as excited dogs ran
About, stopping and sniffing post and tree
After the swings, roundabout, monkey rails
I took Josie home. Tired as night came on
But guitar strum must precede the TV!
Sat 13 March

1256 - Hit by the north

I lose my way when I go to Wigan
And Bolton and Oldham, and such places
I drove there today and I found again
That I was lost in a sea of faces
Happy and smiling, showing no traces
Of loneliness; content and confident
They strut, and shut me out, but I face this
Uncaring, unfair scaring, scarred and bent
Under its weight, watching, waiting; I’m sent
Into this torment by my own demon
The only one who drives me on; places
His trust in me, though they all circumvent
Me in each circus tent; clown smiles, fake fun
Lovemaking on the run, heart-shaped spaces