3286 - Oh FFS

Need to get tickets if any are left
For the FFS gig, I'd like to see
Sparks and Franz Ferdinand combined. A deft
Talker, Louise, who I met Saturday
Is going, and although it's patently
Not as good as seeing a Sparks gig, I
Might enjoy this nonetheless, and I'll see
The Mael brothers again. Three years gone by
Since I saw them live, and it was a high
And Saturday, something I don't do oft
Watch a 'tribute' band - Absolute Bowie
Sounds potentially fun, fake oddity
Not done much today, just watched films and stuffed
My face! Well yesterday was mainly beer!

3262 - Shock defeat for the Grim Reaper

After work I went film-watching again
Been to three films at Home this month. Tonight
It was a film about Wilko Johnson
Not much about his music, but his fight
Against pancreatic cancer, giant
Tumour eventually being cut right out
In an operation, leaving him quite
Free of cancer, it seems. Saw him about
Three months ago at The Ritz - he was flout-
ing the idea of death, illness or pain
After tonight's film, they discussed the sight
We'd just seen, and Wilko's successful bout
With the Grim Reaper, Julien Temple sayin'
How much fun they had filming it. Good night!

3242 - Poor young soul

Straight after work I went to Home, the new
Trendy cinema, the new Cornerhouse
In Tony Wilson Place (ha ha!), and you
Know it's near the 'Hacienda' flats that house
The spawn of the rich, beards and lower face
With hairy covering, and the men too
Why did I go to Tony Wilson Place?
To see the film 'bout Amy You-Know-Who
It was fun watching clips when she would do
Her fun teenage stuff, but it seemed although
She was a top singer from those young years
With good friends, she needed weed and booze too
Everything else was bound to happen to
Her, talent notwithstanding, poor lil mouse

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
 

3138 - Floor talk

I went out last night soon after sonnet-
Writing, so just as well didn't waste time
Before I got the call. Had a good chat
With Dermot, just back from Milan, and time
Was one of our themes, as was films. Not rhyme
But comedy and comedians, funny
To take the piss out of some who still climb
On stage but never get a laugh. 'Bout three
When I hit the sack. Talkin' bout beddy-
Byes, was looking at new beds today at
Benson's For Beds near Old T, and think I'm
Settled on one I'd like for spare room, be
Easier to find a lodger, but first, got
To improve the flooring, make home from home

3103 - Manic Mancs in Munich

Brought Jo to my flat today to watch stuff
Mainly football stuff as usual these days
She's not been here for ages, she was much
Smaller the last time. YouTube made this noise
As we watched the film about '58's
Munich air disaster, spoilt it a bit
A film that highlighted contrasting fates
Of Edwards and Charlton. I won't visit
Munich Airport when I go there soon, it
Will be by train from Nuremberg. Got off
Lightly, Jo's mum collected her downstairs
In the car park belonging to these flats
So now the evening's my own, but I'm of
The expectation Lou may show his face...

3096 - Shopping and hunting

A fun day out with Josie - some shopping
With her birthday money - two pairs of boots
And a shirt - plus yet more gammon eating
And a look at the make-up racks in Boots
Popped into Vee's flat, terrorised by cat's
Manic attacks, but funny nonetheless
Took Jo back home, then back for some more chats
With Vee and Louis, who's moving out this
Weekend to flat hunt in London. Back there's
Where he hopes his future lies, job hunting
Also to come, the main hope they'll recruit
Him into films before too long - success
Beckons with his clever critic's writing
And other creative writing to boot

Sat 7 February

3077 - All that jazzy jersey

Today was Louis' birthday, but first I
Went into work, though it was very thin
Only four of us there. Hairdressers by
Shudehill at lunchtime. Daily Star reading
Matter - oh dear. Very pleased with token
From workmates for forty quid, T K Maxx
At which I bought two shirts and cardigan
Some nice new clothes to look good to the max
No time to rehearse comedy. Did ex-
ercises, then before long had to fly
Down town, ate at Vee's flat, had fried chicken
Then went and saw a film of man with sticks
Learning to be a great jazz drummer. Fly
Hands! It was 'Whiplash'... Cornerhouse closing...

Mon 19 January

3035 - No trouble

A cold day at home, glad I'm not out there
Got a film to watch, it's about Keith Moon
So might put that on. Is it a drama
Or documentary? Well, I'll find out soon
Could be a lead zeppelin, punctured balloon
Or maybe dramatic, like the man's life
Unlike Moon, I'm well on the bandwagon
I mean I'm off the loopy juice, I'm safe
From drunkenness, even though without wife
Or is that more likely with wife? Don't care
As long as I'm succeeding with this boon
Enjoying this lack of trouble and strife
No cause to blot it out, no, now I stare
At and appreciate it, grin like a loon

3010 - Interstellar interpretation

This evening I went to the cinema
To watch the new big film that's on the block
The motion picture was 'Interstellar'
Like 'Inception' it featured Father Clock
(Well, Father Time don't rhyme, don't mock, don't knock)
And like that other film, it entertained
With concepts and visuals that knock your block
Off, and the loud humming as engines strained
In outer space was something else, sustained
Throbbing that tested the loudspeakers far
Beyond the norm, that seemed to make seats rock
Nolan's sci-fi epics near strain the brain
But stop short of confusing, the idea
Both shown and told so audience can take stock

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

2986 - Funky weekend

Hey folks, the weekend's through but it's still good
Cos I've breezed through with no booze through my face
I'm not surprised at all, I knew I would
No urges whatsoever, not a trace
Today I periodically cleaned the place
Louis' crumbs, they get everywhere, you know
I read P.G. Wodehouse at quite a pace
His short stories, got more books to follow
Also watched 'The Look of Love' 'bout Soho
Life in the 60s and 70s, rude
Perhaps, but lots of female flesh, retrace
Paul Raymond's controversial and boho
Jet set life, then watched footy. Buffet food
With Nancy this evening - none went to waste

2931 - Bucketheads

Woke up quite early, bit tired, thinking 'bout
The ice bucket challenge I had to do
Been nominated by Martina out
In Bratislava, very surprised too
There was research and purchases, I knew
Bought bucket from Sainsburys, but the ice
Would have to wait till the waking of Lou
Because I've no freezer, so went out twice
To the supermarket. It was a nice
Big bag of ice, nowhere to store it. Showed
Lou how to video on my phone, then cue
The embarrassing filming, with the eyes
Of neighbours maybe on us all about
Lots of reaction. Tomorrow - part two!

2853 - Football is poetry

Gearing up to watch England / Honduras
With Louis, it's England's last warm-up game
Before the World Cup in Brazil. The first
Thing I saw on TV this morning came
Unexpectedly but very welcome
The highlights of Mexico '70
The first tournament I remember, as
I was only 7 then, shocked to see
That England were the holders. How could we
Be? But on the sticker album front was
Bobby Moore with the old gold cup aflame
In the Wembley sun. Weird discovery
That. Today's football film's useful because
It gave me an idea for Monday's poem

2815 - Write-off

I'm bloody knackered, late night, no lie-in
Alarm set for 8:30, work calling
Had crumpets with Nance, we walked into town
Somehow worked til 5:30, finishing
Some draft guidance. Home. Shaved, then ironing
I cooked, and now this sonnet. Next, I'll watch
A film, Pitch Perfect. It's entertaining
I hope, or else I may before long catch
My eyes closing, plot-losing, which is such
A frustrating waste of time. I'll begin
Shortly, then hopefully there's no staying
Up late for me tonight. There'll be no scratch
Of pen on paper. Don't feel like struggling
To do creative stuff, no, no writing!

2804 - Nothing's easy

A quick sonnet and then I'll watch a film
I've had for two weeks but not actually seen
Yet - Frances Ha - being slightly overwhelmed
Trying to help Nancy get her rent in
From the tenant. Her relative is being
Most unhelpful in all this. But I said
I'd help so I must try. Good results in
The football, Liverpool all dressed in red
Are top and favourites to end at the head
Of the table, just like their fans have dreamed
Man U lost weakly to old Everton
Who look far better than when Moyesy led
Them! Finally they're an exciting team
PS - It's too late now to watch the film!

2574 - Play it cool, man

It's an extremely quiet Friday night
I've taken two hours to drink one bottle
While watching 'Shame' again, maybe it's quite
Hard to get into beer with no fags. Well
I've found that before. Just want to settle
Down and go to bed early, drift away
This winter's been warm, hot water bottle
Not needed, thank you. Twitter's calling me
But I'm not really in the mood today
You shouldn't feel this pressure to post, right?
It's Friday night, no-one's online, people
Have better things to do, right? So they say
At any rate, don't wanna play tonight
Just keepin' it cool, keepin' it real cool

2456 - Thoughts Direct

After I've done this, it's time then to play
My harmonica on its brand new stand
Having read more of 'Tom Jones' as each day
I race towards the not-so-far-off end
Also bought new clothes with minimum spend
At Sports Direct, where I just bought a coat
For winter, only twenty quid, oh, and
Five pairs of dark blue socks. Derby have beat
Bournemouth away, and are now just one point
From the Championship play-off. Please don't send
Rain to Rams' matches though, Steve won't get soaked
He'll stand under a brolly (the wally!)
Tonight there's a film about JFK
(His death, of course, which we don't understand...)

2440 - Horror of horrors

It continues to get colder each night
It's now the second week of November
Stay in, strum guitar, maybe I'll catch sight
Of an old film I've got in, which is 'The
Pit and the Pendulum' starring John Kerr
(Who he?) and Vincent Price in the lead role
It's an ancient Roger Corman horror
Film from the early 60s, film course gold
See if the plot by Edgar Allan Poe'll
Translate well to the small screen, will seem right
Probably not, unless I'm a drinker
But I'm cutting down now, trying not to spoil
Health and finance - if entertainment's slight
I might pick up my book and look elsewhere

2433 - Roll up (nothing to do with smoking)

Busy day at work, completely forgot
To call a whiteboard meeting, no-one else
Seemed to mind, or even to mention it
Too many big issues to sort out first
Been busy tonight too, or is that false
Well, publicising the show on Facebook
And posting our poster again of course
Is worthwhile, got some more to take a look
And to share it around. We're quite in luck
To have Dave T as such a good support
Posting about us, filming it for us
Soon we'll have good stuff we can use to book
Us some meaty and juicy well-paid slots
Well, paid, not well-paid, it's some recompense