3261 - Days of wine and PIN numbers

So tired today, didn't stay up THAT late
But woke up 7:15, that's early
For me. At my office desk, felt eyes start
To close, rescued by speaking to Julie
She said she'd bring some chocolate wine for me
Tomorrow, that's something that will be new
I mentioned the chocolate beer casually
And she said 'I'll bring chocolate wine for you!'
I said, 'Just for me, or for the whole crew?'
Angela said maybe on her palate
She might place a few drops quite gingerly
Meanwhile helped Javier deal with phone folk who
Were asking tricky questions all about
His debit card - needs new PIN number, see?

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

2495 - Day in, day out

Simple day at home, in between days out
Reading Charles Dickens' 'Little Dorrit'
Recuperating from New Year's Eve at
The somewhat tidied-up home of Janet
Enjoying the attentions of a cat
Or two - no pussy jokes, that would be shit
Drank Guinness, ate crisps and just had a chat
While the year changed numbers from this to that
Louis is in London and so my flat
Just has me in it, but it's not quite quiet
Playing a 90s compilation, hit
After hit from a decade that's now quite
A long way back in time. Thinking I might
Play guitar along to it in a bit

2398 - Jesus shave me

It's been quite intense hard work this evening
I took a work DVD home with me
It was an hour and a friggin' half long
But during it I had a shave and wee
Afterwards, did exercises, fifty
Press-ups seems the right figure, a hundred
Sit-ups, well, half-sit-ups, arguably
Some stretches, then guitar practice, quite hard
This time, but good practice, playing the parts
As best I could to Charles Trenet's singing
With a few Jean Sablon numbers swiftly
Following on. Maurice Chevalier's pants
He's next, but I'll simply be listening
Not playing, walking to work on Friday

2222 - 2 much

All the 2's, sonnet number 2 and 2
And 2 and 2, too many, I hope not
Too, toowit toowoo, to wit, I hope you
Think this is too witty and not true rot
Hope you're not too snotty, hope that that snot
Isn't clotting your nose too much, you can
Breathe easy, don't feel queasy, not a spot
Of bother bothers you, but noses ran
In your family. If you're a wise owl, scan
These lines, don't snort them, sort them out into
Rhythms and rhymes fourteen times. I forgot
What to say, what I did today, no plan
Other than playing, nothing else to do
And now once more I've filled this vacant slot

Fri 5 Oct

2218 - Latin and mathematics

October the eighth month - no, it's month ten
How can that be, doesn't octo mean eight
In the marvellous old tongue of Latin?
Someone somewhere ballsed up, they couldn't count
Anyway, autumn's in full russet flight
The heat is on, not outside but inside
The heating bills sadly are wont to mount
In the evening sky the sun won't abide
In open top cars we don't wanna ride
No, things are different now it's the autumn
The season of brown, heading towards white
Getting a new warm set of clothes to hide
From the cold in, like when we were children
Woollen gloves, duffle coat, white breath, fire grate

1833 - Memories of ten years ago

Ten years ago today, 9/11
We'd say the 11th of September
2001, 2011
Blurs into one, even looks similar
A day easier than most to remember
I was told about it while out shopping
Then heard the second tower collapse on my car
Radio. Then I remember watching
The highlights on a loop - also sitting
In that rented living room, also stunned
Were big friendly Nick and sexy Sarah
Good housemates mostly, from my life long gone
Changes take place, mostly for the better

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!

1234 - One, two, three, four

One, two, three, four, let’s hear a little more
About what’s going on in this whole world
Barack Obama, now he knows the score
The Yanks hate Commie healthcare schemes; no girl
Or boy from a poor family can call
On a good doctor. But the USA
Still send help to Haiti, ensuring all
The world can see their humanity, eh?
The camera pokes its nose in all the way
Into the earthquake victims’ distress. Poor
Haitians. We care, this week. Unemployment fell
In Britain; don’t know how. Few jobs today
Except low-paid ones. So - one, two, three, four
The number of this sonnet - that is all

1111 - Four ones

Four ones like four freedoms, freedom from fear
Four ones look like Four Oaks where I was born
Four ones, a fallen ladder costs you dear
Four ones, the forms of black teeth all forlorn

Four lines record sonnet one one one one
Four lines shaping its middle, rolls of fat
Four lines on my forehead show youth has gone
Four lines in your email have left me flat

Four decades and more of drawn-out impact
Four decades only I remember clear
Four decades of full consciousness and fact
Four decades and more of receding years

Four ones make four, but also much much more
A grand, a ton, eleven’s the full score
Sat 19 Sept