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

3205 - No quarter for Qatar (or Blatter)

A shocking start to the day in Zurich
Dawn raids on senior FIFA potentates
At a prestigious hotel by the lake
With possible fallout affecting states
Who may have won the World Cup-hosting race
Let's hope the US legal team, allied
With the Swiss, on whose soil these things took place
Will not at all be influenced or afraid
How long since level playing fields have been played
The impact on football could be epic
This corrupt balloon of gold must deflate
Blatter must be scythed with a sharp grass blade
The seized computers may reveal a slick
Of oil on the pitch that should seal some fates

3062 - Putting you in the picture

Pearl's birthday, her twenty-seventh. Early
On, at home, nearly lost all my photos
From 2014, I pressed the wrong key
And they vanished. Mentally I froze
Then found calm determination. Get those
Pictures back somehow, anyhow! I did
Eventually do it, thank God. Later, Jo's
Mum dropped her off at the station. Wanted
To get to Pearl's flat by four. Divided
The teams up different this time. Though closely
Fought, my team lost 'Articulate'... Voice rose
To a high pitch, not just mine! Then well-fed
At Evuna, Northern Quarter, eighty
Quid but good food (and wine!). Thanks, amigos!

2855 - Stokeford

Hey, I was nearly late, but just in time
To get on the bill at Evidently
A monthly poetry night at the Eagle Inn
Dermot can't make it, but Nic will, maybe
She's driving here from Stoke, five towns city
To the city of Salford, where this is
It's hard to find, tucked away tidily
In a side street like nobody's business
An old historic pub though, quite a place
I'm writing this before the fun begins
Later on I might become mentally
Incapable of authorship, might freeze
At the late night laptop. Don't give a damn
Now it's all done, cue the night. I'm ready!

2479 - The Sky is falling

Technical problems hopefully resolved
And a good saving by staying with Sky
By threatening to leave. They have now sold
Me a deal for landline and broadband by
Offering £7.50 a month. Why
Not switch landline to Sky then, save twenty
A month! Quite pleased now that things went awry
For three days to make that saving, hee hee!
Now internet's back on, can buy City
Tickets for Louis. About to turn cold
The weathermen are saying. They don't lie
But they're unreliable. BBC
Weather forecasts suck. Tomorrow the old
Comedy night's back at King's Arms. Laugh? Cry?

2395 - Arming for the King

A busy day at work, busy at home
When I got in, Louis was at my desk
He's borrowing my power pack - the one
He had is now kaput, it has gone west
He took his laptop to his room, as best
I could I used my time, thought up routine
For tomorrow night, ten subjects to jest
About down the King's Arms, though they're not mean
As an audience if you flop, though I've been
That only once there - I tried to become
A humorous story-teller. It was worse
Than simple jokes rattled off nice and clean
After that I played guitar, quite a strum
Now this, and some reading, and so to rest...

2502 - Phone alone

Another night in, saving and resting
Recharging batteries, blogging, playing
Guitar, watching TV, and preparing
For tomorrow's family gathering
Josie, Pearl, Louis and me are eating
And chatting in Manchester, enjoying
Each other's company, maybe shopping
But that's tomorrow. Meanwhile I'm changing
Phones from HTC Wildfire to Samsung
S3 Mini, and just now I'm hoping
I will have no more trouble accessing
Emails - just read them all - they were waiting
In Googlemail, so that was quite pleasing
Now for some hot guitar, then some chilling...

2474 - Night out, lights out

I've been out after work with four lasses
Angela, Emma, Julie, Tracey, me
I had steak and chips and a few glasses
Of beer, and all was well in the city
Some work issues discussed, not all agree
But that's what happens, people are people
And now I'm back home, tomorrow is the
Party, Nancy's do, I'll retire with all
My hopes intact, lots of rest, should feel full
Of beans when dressed as a nurse, in nurse's
Costume, hobnobbing with friends of Nancy
Meanwhile Louis is playing his football
Computer game on X-Box. Coventry's
Winning League One, unlike reality

2466 - Morning warning

Woke up at half-past four, like, oh my God!
It was so light and warm, thought it was six
Maybe, but when I saw the clock I had
A shock. Wide awake, a headful of thinks
Got up and went on Facebook in two ticks
Watched breakfast news, had to pass time until
The office was open at seven. Walks
Along the canal at that time are still
And quiet, no disturbance from cycle
Or jogger. My foot feels OK, all good
Except at work they rang, said I should fix
Some time to have it looked at in Eccles
Drop-in surgery, so I decided
A week's wait to get sore underfoot checked

2376 - Songs from the Med

It's been a long day, slept well, thankfully
Then off to work for the last time this week
(A short week at work, two days sick). Louis
Went out as I got home, so quick
I thought, now's my chance to play guitar licks
Which I did to prog, Jethro Tull and Led
And Ash, plus the cream of the Cream's best tracks
And in no time at all, the time had fled
I seemed a bit clunky, my right hand tried
But seemed a bit slow - but then, it must be
More than two weeks since I last played - been sick
And before that, on my travels, the Med
Area. Now we are watching telly
While I type this - maybe next, quick Facebook

2336 - Ten years after

A good day, avoiding the worst weather
Though windy and quite cold, poor young Josie
Buttoned up her coat far as it let her
And off to Manchester to find birthday
Presents for her, as she's ten on Thursday
Can't afford a netbook, mini i-Pad
Even in Argos, too costly for me
So me and Tania will save, get a good
Small computer for Josie just around
Summertime. Strangely Josie's now cheaper
Choice was football boots (with studs). When will she
Really use them? In her garden, she said
I'm excited she's ten, youngest daughter
Third of three kids in my great family

2311 - Machine gun

Coffee, TV, washing machine, flat, world
Consciousness, eyes, skin, hair, lungs, heart, liver
News, death but not birth, hate not love, it's old
But new to each unknown new-born seer
The forgotten have forgot they were here
They lost out being first, there was less then
Now there's too much, will cost the next lot dear
The difference between computer and pen
Technology has outstripped the human
It's smarter than its users and its world
But it still needs its users to give a
Breath of real life, a breath full of poison
Garbage in, garbage out, plug can't be pulled
Machines are our slaves, driving us faster

2307 - Yesterday is gone

Yesterday's gone, a day I didn't post
Even though I was online most of it
I was wrapped up in Facebook, and the cost
To sonnetry is dear, I forgot it
Lots of exciting footy, nets being hit
Every few seconds, Norwich / Man City
Live on the radio that served to excite
Man United won, they have no pity
They seem destined to come top - how shitty
On Facebook I slagged Ferguson off most
And lots agreed, though one Red fan, nitwit
Defended him, but the nitty gritty
Of all his crimes were generally exposed
The consensus - he's a prat, and a twit

2301 - Ello Tosh, got a Toshiba?

Relaxing Sunday at home, well, apart
From a bit of shopping, got Mum's chocolates
Press-ups disappointing, only did eight
Four short of twelve which is my recent best
New tracks for mp3, selected lots
On this shit Toshiba laptop it took
Hours - even my old Dell would do these bits
Of audio ripping nice, simple and quick
But this Toshiba soundcard's gone to fuck
And the CD drive rejects a large part
Of my CD collection, meaning it's
Only my DVD player not too sick
To play CDs...! My music-lover's heart
Yearns for good sound, for bass that really bites

2290 - You've got to pick a picture or two

Got next year's wall calendar already
And a copy for Josie. It looks good
But the paper's a bit thin. It was free
So what d'you expect? Also, a t-shirt
Is on its way with my name on it, would
You believe? That was free too. Next I must
Order a photo album, pick a load
Of pictorial highlights of the year past
(50% off)... December, almost
Obligatory to look back quite fondly
And to create an album where you could
In future quickly skim through, see the most
Memorable moments, pix that are funny
And to have fun wondering what to include

2288 - City life and death

I was looking to see what's on tonight
And foolishly found City Life website
Though connected to the Evening News, quite
A lot of duff info on there - it's shite
I found gigs on through December and right
On into next year at the Iguana
That's a bar in Chorlton that closed about
Six months ago or more. Shame, it was a
Good venue for live gigs. And another
Error, it claimed - Trof Bar, comedy night
Not so when I rang them - it would be quiet
I'd have gone all that way in vain. Sandbar
Has something happening, but it is a blight
On the name of fun, like an iron kite

2241 - Disgusted discussion

Not done much tonight, just chores and Facebook
And hearing how Manchester City lost
In Amsterdam, the Light Blues came unstuck
No European glory, they are toast
Even more than last year, they seem non-plussed
I'm annoyed though that I've not played guitar
I should play every day to be the best
Instead I only play weekly or there-
Abouts - not good enough. Going to Rain Bar
Next week, new friends to meet, maybe with luck
It will be fun. Before that, Monday next
I'm at a prog triple bill gig - that's far
Out, man... So bored, may as well take a look
At Costa Del Street Crime. Tonight's discussed!

2197 - Tune in, turn on, pick nose

What a long day, and a busy evening
On the computer, ripping tracks from my
CDs - mainly prog rock - and then putting
Them on my new mp3 player. I
Can now hear lots of compo tracks any
Time I want. Some chat too as I did this
On the mobile and on Facebook. TV
Showed some interesting documentaries
On old folk getting drunk, getting well pissed
Then two progs about food, then I'm seeing
Police on the streets of Blackpool challenged by
Drug-taking bingers mad of eye and fist
Political satire, then examining
The bedroom and its secret history

2195 - Bug a boots

Got my new mp3 player, and its
On my head and in my head, so much now
To hear when I go out and about, but
It seems my laptop can't rip anymore
And won't even play anything loud - how
Friggin' annoying is that? Still, I've done
That, and bought some new jeans today, although
Even more than that I need boots! They've worn
Out, my current ones, and the store, Deichmann
Has run out of boots my size. Idiots!
T K Maxx had very few boots too. Too
Bad. Will have to hunt round Manchester town
Perhaps try Primark, relive last year's riots
Too many people grabbing things. Ouch! Oww!

2183 - Shelter from the storm

After two days out, staying in today
Horrible weather, not as bad as thought
Read 'Vanity Fair' (W. M. Thackeray)
Still nowhere near the end, but it has caught
My interest, by Gad, by Jove! Also sought
Out my Amy Winehouse CDs and then
Mark Ronson. While cooking, managed to draft
Some quick new lyrics, then back to the pan
Will work on this new song when I am done
Writing this sonnet. Can't seem to obey
My own wishes sometimes, my will is fraught
With fear and inertia. No dates have come
Yet. Too honest, was I? In that case they
Are typical love fools I won't support