3294 - Never stop

Despite still being short of sleep when I woke
At lunchtime left the office, headed out
To the other side of town, a long walk
Had a hilarious tiime having haircut
They know I'm a comedian, dominate
The attention of all three staff these days
Then after work, shopping for things to eat
And once home I did my exercises
Just about managed press-ups, what a feat
Javi was out, so I stayed on my feet
In the living room, played guitar, and broke
The record, I think, for skill, trying not
To look at the strings, with fingers of smoke
I played Sparks melodies. Poem rewrote

3217 - The Russian wind is coming

Not enough sleep last night, can't wait to get
In bed, no energy left. Watched two hours
Of a French film, will watch the rest the next
Time I get the time, between sun and showers
The sun's still up, but will it allow us
To finish before its gold light has gone
It's fairly chilly, Russian winds blow us
Or Arctic or Atlantic, where've they come
From, not sure. Tomorrow, presentation
At work, and a submission to submit
And later, a quiz in the pub, where pours
The beer once more, as it did last night. Fun
I suppose, but I think I must try yet
Once more to stop for a while, get focus
 

3181 - News from Nuremberg

I woke at 12, slept well and recovered

From last night's drinks with Julius. The weather

Is rainy today, so I decided

To look round the National Museum here

I saw most of its many rooms, took four

Hours, beginning with a guided tour that

Focused on certain objects, how monks were

Living there, never speaking. But she said

They found buried females too - funny, that

Maybe it wasn't so terribly bad!

I'm typing this in Five Reasons - that's the

Name of this Nuremberg hostel I'm at

It's getting dark, and I still need some food

Think I'll walk outside, find a cheap supper...

3163 - Strange days and nights

Too tired to think of anything at all
I thought maybe I'd even need some sleep
On the sofa at tea-time or I'd fail
To get through the evening, but no, I'm deep
Into it now, hanging by fingertips
Til a reasonable bedtime. The reason?
Went to bed at three a.m. after quips
At the King's Arms and Salford Arms again
That's bad enough when work follows the dawn
But I woke at six thirty! Nerves prevailed
Perhaps, worried that I might oversleep
And be real late for work, reputation
Suffering accordingly because of ale
And late night banter with comic people

3107 - Tireder than you

I'm really tired, this is almost the last
Thing I need to do today, following
Last night's late night in the Salford Arms, post-
Comedy event at the King's Arms. Think
An early night is called for! There's nothing
Particularly to do or to watch
It's still only eight, so I'm wondering
How to pass the time til ten, when I'll snatch
Some shut-eye. No sound can be quite a match
For the deep sleep I'm planning. I'll just coast
Along, drifting like a leaf, just flowing
Had lots of cake at work, thanks for that, Ange
But I'm not looking forward to breakfast
That bag of oats and bran tastes so boring!

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

3071 - Write-off

Louis is back after four days away
He's been staying at his Mum's flat in town
But he's asleep, maybe I shouldn't play
Guitar as I was going to, the sound
Might wake him. I'm surprised he's lying down
Right now, he must have worked real hard writing
While staying there, not just lazing around
If so, then from him I should be learning
A lesson in application, keeping
Going til the end of a project, stay
With it for a change, learn to keep ploughin'
On regardless, eyes on the prize, pushing
And hustling, but I hate that, can't obey
My own will. Drinking again. End of moan

3060 - Bury the hatchet

Quick, the football starts soon, must write this now
The heat's been on since afternoon to beat
The cold, I've read Viv Albertine's book, ploughed
Through most of the long second half of it
The post-Slits period. This morning the light
Of dawn was seen in a strange room after
A few hours' much-needed sleep, for last night
Was, of course, New Year's Eve. I strayed from the
Path of righteousness, sobriety a
Victim of circumstance more than a vow
To party like crazy, get my throat wet
With booze. It just happened, okay? No fear -
I'm straight back on the wagon. Last year bowed
Out nicely, now this year I must compete

3053 - Yes, it really is Christmaaaaas!

It's Christmaaaaas! Noddy's driving Santa's sleigh
I was awake til half-past one last night
Messaging on Facebook, joking away
Preventing my own sleep by the phone light
Miraculously, slept til light was bright
The light of dawn, that is, the phone recharged
Was used pretty soon for pictures that might
Raise smiles online. Then into Robin's large
Hired car, up the road, to a hill with gorge-
ous views of the Mersey and of the Dee
Estuaries, up that hill the wind had bite
Since then we've eaten and talked, not yet played
Scrabble, but there's still time. Juice in the fridge
Sweets, biscuits, chocolates. One more? I just might

Thur 25 Dec

3049 - You are my sunshine

This is the shortest day of the whole year
A day I like even though it's horrid
And dark, because you know the time's now near
When it'll get lighter again, take heed
Of this change for the better. In your bed
You'll see a slow earlier lightening
Maybe that's not in itself all that good
If that causes earlier awakening
I don't like darkness except for sleeping
Common sense says that's a time to be clear
Of danger and cold, home comforts enjoyed
Maybe it can be warmed with a short fling
Though that's hard for me to do without tears
So useless with people, easily led

3031 - Cold (it's)

Feel wide awake, and that's even despite
A day of presentations. Goes to show
That sometimes, if you don't stay up all night
Almost anything can be OK, so
That encourages me, I didn't slow
Or drop off to sleep as I sat and watched
Clear sky last night, a touch of frost. To go
Out last night wasn't appealing, and scotched
Plans to go out tonight too. There's a match
On (Sunderland v City) that I might
Watch with Louis. Before that, fingers flow
On the guitar for an hour or so, catch
The wind through the strings on its quick light flight
And edge that bit closer to goodness knows

3019 - Pop a doodle doo

The heat is on - that's a dramatic start
But it simply means that the heat is on
Literally in the flat. Shivers, depart!
Think tonight I'll just read my big book, fun
Indeed, a great tome on pop, lots of tune
References to check out on Spotify
Many of which are new to me, a boon
If ever there was one, big fish to fry
And then pour the contents real carefully
Into my ears. Louis gave me a start
When I went in his room to turn heat on
There he was asleep in bed. Wondered why
Then remembered he had stayed up til eight
Must have been watching the by-election

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

2979 - Opportunity drops

I had a good day, physically fit
After a good night's sleep, did lots of stuff
Including THREE new poems that I writ
Cos I meant to go out tonight, but fluffed
The opportunity, my powder puff
Work ethic failing me again, using
The England match as my excuse! Enough
Nights later this month though, and my showing
Up is now vital, even the playing
Music night this Wednesday. Now that I've quit
Drinking and smoking (for now), I should have
The clarity of mind, the free thinking
To go out and do more, cos I had writ
The material especially. Rise above!!

2969 - Lose the blues

Had a good play on the guitar tonight
Finding it easier to just play along
Quite quickly. Love making it up, no shite
Rehearsals as such, repetition dung
Always different each moment, though rock songs
And also r and b, they tend to make
It easy just to use blues progressions
I prefer those that don't, although mistakes
Can be made in less simple songs, but breaks
More new ground, forces the mind to think tight
And be on point, more's learned, not going wrong
And now what to do, bored now, I might take
Myself out to by drink, fill the gap night
Creates before bedtime, then snore-along

2835 - My regeneration

Absolutely cream-crackered-amundo
Not only do I still have a bad cold
Still? It just started a few hours ago!
But I woke at five-thirty, and I failed
To get back to sleep! No, my dozes tailed
Off in the broad daylight of my late spring room
I can expect more of this. The light trails
Into the flickering eyes and brain, a broom
Sweeping away, not cobwebs, it's too soon
For them, but regeneration - Oh no!
Cut off, cut off! Still, early to work, rolled
Up and surprised 'em. Thought they'd turned to loon
No doubt, when they saw me turn up, and sooooo
Damn early! Thank God, now this tale is told!

2490 - Cricket batty

Woke halfway through the night, heard the cricket
On the radio - the sport, not the insect -
England bowled Australia out, believe it
Or not, my sport reportage is correct
Went back to sleep after two hours had ticked
And slept til almost ten. Thank God the things
I left in the hired car had not been nicked
Two plump new pillows to give my sleep wings
And the new cardy Pearl bought, amazing
It is, with posh buttons. Then had to get
My new wireless router, had to collect
It from the postal depot. I'm looking
Forward to April in Paris, tickets
For Eurostar now bought. Bags almost packed!

2451 - Winding down from winding them up

Tired, after broken sleep and busy day
Endless emails, such hard work, and then some
Exciting though, the cutting edge, maybe
Of tax policy, or near as it comes
Now that I've eaten, and I've a full tum
Not sure if I can motivate myself
To do much preparation for my turn
On Friday week at King's Arms, where I'll help
Embryo variety night go quite well
With my musical style of comedy
Right now, the washing machine's nearly done
And I'm done in, is it best for my health
To read quietly in front of the TV
Rather than work on my act? I've got time...

2494 - Phoney phone war

I had a good sleep, yet feel quite jaded
Couldn't even choose a song I wanted
To sing tonight, although I'd intended
To go to an open mic night, but did
Not feel enthusiasm enough, had
A bored feeling, and so I decided
To stay home, save money, chill out, rested
For work and play tomorrow, week-ended
With comedy rehearsal completed
By drinks down the pub, health celebrated
HTC android phone contract's ended
Just as well, all its functions have faded
Must get a new one, O2 is favourite
To be new supplier, Three's not as good