3277 - Tattoo-va

My tattoos are healing nicely. After
Getting up, tore off the clingfilm and took
A shower, the bright dye running over
The bath and shower curtain, little brook
Of red ink down the plughole, with a suck
And a bubble. Back home now, just taking
It easy, in my vest to let air circ-
ulate on the tattoos with covering
Of Bepanthen to help with the healing
Process of these three brightly-coloured scars
They're not even that sore, so I'm in luck
Now what to do tonight, I'm wondering
Might get some beer in from Sainsburys super-
market and play guitar, then TV look

3266 - Rock this flat

Too tired to think of what to say after
Last night's late night, although I slept til nine
I still didn't get enough. But later
After work was done, guitar went just fine
Practising without looking's what I'm tryin'
And it's surprisingly easy, you know
To travel through a musical goldmine
While watching TV. Stopped wearing shades. No
Need, if I don't look, I don't need to show
The guitar in a dark light. I just stare
At the TV, or at the trees, and I'm
Hardly trying, it seems. Soon I will blow
Them away with my improvement, I'll scare
Them and myself with six-stringed moan and whine

3263 - Johnny B. Deade

Friday night in, a little bit of beer
Just wondering whether to get more bottles
Before a prog at ten that's on Beeb Four
About the death of rock n roll, the skulls
Of rock n rollers laugh at the feeble
Bores of today, their strings pulled by the Man
OK so was Elvis, original
He was, devoted to the blues back then
A frontier pioneer, or just a man
From the backwoods, where formed a new culture
That spread round the world with shakes and rattles
It's all down to business, all determined
By money men, not art, art keeps you poor
But I stick with it, cos I'm not fickle

3257 - Yesterday art gone

A day late writing this, was just too keen
When I got in last night to watch TV
There was a prog on Beeb 4 'bout the scene
In the 70s with David Bowie
Was out all day and most evening, busy
Hangin' out with my ex-wife, Vee, she's not
In the best shape, she's not all that healthy
But trying to improve her little lot
We had fun, a day out looking at art
The refurbished Whitworth Art Gallery
It's a nice size, bigger, but not obscene
Then afterwards we hung out at her flat
Had a few cans of Kronenbourg, that's been
The first drink since last Sunday - good for me!

About Sat 18 July

3255 - Dumb defeat

My computer's half-asleep, it's real slow
I think it's struggling, and it feels quite hot
Perhaps it's near its final time to go
Anyway, it's still working, so let's put
Some words down quickly, before it's 'kaput'
Listening to Sparks radio show on Beeb 6
Talking of the BBC, it has got
Criticised a lot lately, the critics
Focusing on shows like 'The Voice' - but Strict-
ly (the very popular dancing show)
Though also dumb, is defended a lot
Because it makes money, exports and shit
I like that there's no ads, but there are no
Guarantees, its status looks nearly lost

3237 - Make it hard

Completely forgot to do yesterday's
Sonnet diary. Well, remembered at one
Point, but then forgot again as I based
Myself in the moment, distracted from
A magazine, a TV show. Early on
I painted walls and window sills all white
Trying to cover discolouration
Brown stains and dirty fingerprints. It's nice
Now but not even. Guess I need advice
In decorating technique in this place
Played guitar, struggled at first, the volume
Was a bit quiet to hear the music, plus
I wore my Soviet hat and some dark shades
To make it harder like a performance

About Sun 28 June

3235 - Flaming flamenco

As predicted, I'm continuing to drink
Following last night's excess of booze
The sun still shines, it's rays have yet to sink
These summer nights are kind of an excuse
It invites partying, you cannot lose
But then so does the winter when it's dark
All seasons point at me like they accuse
But let's accept their dictates and their mark
It's useless to resist, it is mere talk
Life is being alive, no time to think
Just watched a great TV prog 'bout the blues
Not from the States, but Spain, flamenco rocks
Great gypsy passion, dancing, guitar, drink
And cigarettes, flame on, how can you lose?

3229 - They don't know what to do with their lives

I must admit I don't feel quite tip top
I should hopefully sleep quite well tonight
May have overdone it slightly, yep
Too much work and walking yesterday, quite
Knackered and slightly ill now. But despite
That, a drink or two, time to celebrate
Relaxing for a few hours now, a flight
Of fingers on my guitar, then acquaint
Myself with Big Brother, I was too late
Last night to see which housemate got the chop
Channel 5 doing its usual job to slight
The British working classes without jobs
Where are the jobs nowadays we create
For the less gifted, less rich? None in sight

3227 - Don't break the rules

It's hay fever season, almost mid-year
The summer solstice only days away
I love the late light evenings while they're here
Watching Big Brother, keeping blues at bay
Not drinking, my new plan is still okay
Which is to only drink two nights from three
At the weekend (from Friday to Sunday)
That's do-able, logical and thrifty
Must set rules that are realistic for me
Good advice in the office from Emma
Not to buy a new bed yet in case they
(The lodger) has their own, though it will be
Hard to get a heavy bed up the stairs
And into the flat. We'll see what they say

3225 - The One Day Late Show

Oops, one day late, I did so much last night
I didn't post a sonnet, clean forgot
The main reason was painting the walls white
In the spare room (I didn't start til 8)
Then played guitar, watched Big Brother til late
And went to bed with 'Mrs Dalloway'
By Virginia Woolf, depression and fate
Of a gloomy end looming large each day
As borne out by Ginny's watery way
Of ending it all, fed up of her plight
In real life (and death). Well, now that I've put
This belated entry online, today
Will be covered shortly, when I shall write
About Wednesday - that's today - not as hot

Tue 16 June

3220 - Get in!

I'll quickly write this, then play my guitar
Then watch Top of the Pops 1980
Not sure if I'll do much after that, for
It'll be getting late, and energy
And will-power running out. Still, I am free
To decide to do anything, nothing
That's not always a possibility
Want to stop drinks and smokes the remaining
Half of this month and beyond, and looking
For a new bed, but first task's buying a
Paint roller and white paint, brighten up the
Unused bedroom, then start advertising
For a tenant for it. Could be before
My September Balkan break, hopefully

3201 - The Pound of Music

My feet ache, as they did regularly
On my recent European holiday
The Eurovision Song Contest's on, they
Are about to vote. Really hope that they
Show some shots of Vienna, where I strayed
Just over a week ago! A great place
So many elegant streets, and much I'd
Like to have seen but didn't have time. Grace
And monumentality, grandeur, space
No, they're going to have an Austrian spree
But in song on stage. Oh well. It's OK
If I want Austrian images, could face
For first time ever, perhaps, just maybe
Watch 'The Sound of Music'! Could be worse, eh?

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!

3159 - Slowhead

I've felt lethargic all today, maybe
Because I drank a bit last night, but still
It was only four bottles. Watched TV
Some music progs, got my nostalgia fill
Not done much today, found some material
That I'd already written, a joke song
I can use on Tuesday night. Tried as well
As I could in my state to sing along
In my head and learn the lyrics. Morning
Will come tomorrow and on the settee
I'll spend another hour in rehearsal
For Tuesday and the Monday following
I've two songs to learn for that too. But the
Big thing tomorrow's naturally football...

3158 - If music be the food of jokes

It's Friday evening, I'm happy at home
Thought up some new jokes, looked through some old ones
Got some beer in, but as yet I've had none
Been busy being useful, election's
Providing some topical humour and
This will help me in my performances
I'm in the next two Saturdays, and bound
To make the most of creative chances
To practice and write new stuff, I fancy
Could be good if I do it while fresh - some
Real good stuff can be done quite early on
In the morning, straight after breakfastses
And now for relaxation, all too soon
Some music progs on Beeb 4  that look fun

3157 - The price isn't right

Another evening in, with no spending
Although I raised my eyebrows at the bill
In Sainsburys for a few items. Falling
Prices they say due to the price of oil?
Yet my bill seemed too high. But then I still
Saved by not going out. Most people that
Go out regularly don't drink, just swill
Out their chops with water or Cola Lite
I should do that myself when I go out
Instead I stay in to save on drinking
And don't even write much stuff, but it's brill
Lately for guitar practice, trying to get
Better. Now watching Question Time, thinking
Of a late night snack, my tummy to fill

3151 - Easter funnies

A quiet day at home, though trying quite hard
To do useful stuff. I worked on my act
Got some lyrics for my joke songs that should
Be good for 20th April, First Draft
Watched some TV, comedians from the past
Rik Mayall, Peter Sellers and Bob Hope
Fry and Laurie (on Wogan), lots of laughs
But now sadly I'm losing any hope
As I listen to Derby trying to grope
Their way back up to the top spots, but Lord!
They're behind at home to Watford. They've cracked
Partly due to injuries, they can't cope
With the pressure, it seems. Tomorrow would
Be a chance to learn some German. Mein Kraft!

3150 - Debate the debate

I've been watching the seven leaders show
Conservative, Labour, Lib Democrat
The Greens, Plaid Cymru, SNP, and no
Sorry, yes, UKIP (they've not done all that)
Shame the ratings for Natalie Bennett
Didn't seem that good. The reactions to
Her statements about foreign aid shows that
Short-term selfishness flourishes when you
Put it to the people. So better to
Keep wealth where it already is, and go
With older rich votes, youngsters they don't get
Anything, they've no influence, but you
Must wonder if they simply want to go
To the same levels of wealth. Yes to that!

3148 - I'm not only there for the beer

Off out shortly for a well-deserved pint
At the King's Arms comedy night, Salford
The weather's been bad, a night out I've pined
For these last two evenings, though not been bored
Kept myself busy, word up, word up, word
Started 'The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo'
Book (seen the film a while back) and it's weird
Very heavy going, interesting too
And a fitting read as I'm sitting through
The many episodes of 'The Bridge' - wind
My mind back to my own memory hoard
Of seeing Copenhagen and Malmo
And travelling the bridge by train, the sound
Crossed, two lands joined that once were far abroad

3143 - Ouch!

I've got a headache - it's dehydration
From last night's drinking, and a day staring
At a computer screen at work. So when
I've done this I'll waste no time in downing
Some paracetamol and ingesting
More drinks, but not coffee or booze of course
So pardon me if you think I'm rushing
This great important work of rhyming verse
But my head hurts and it's gaining in force
Oh damn, just realised something, oh damn
Won't have time to watch 'The Bridge' this evening
On Netflix, cos the debate's taking place
On Channel 4, to be precise, at nine
Cameron and Miliband being annoying...