3130 - One night

That was a fun night out with Helen, yes
But I'm still a single guy, don't think I
Am ready to settle down, not for years
If ever, so I'll continue to try
Ploughing my own furrow and say goodbye
As well as hello, though I still want fun
That's the main thing I want, don't want to cry
Or care too much, as I'm a sucker, one
Who can be led too far down the garden
Path, where thistles lie. Until then I guess
I'd rather run and hide and say I spy
It's all a laugh, not serious, no web spun
Will capture me, and so I must confess
I like the current situation, yes I'm sly

Fri 13 March

3122 - Relation blips

Back home from a few drinks and meal with Pearl
She looked thin and well though she's been stressed out
After our drinks we had an Asian meal
Only ten quid for two at Yasgar's - great
Value, and a great plate of grub to boot
Piled high, took me a while to eat it up
While catching up on her love life, she's cute
The way she falls for guys, she should wise up
Sad after the Portuguese housemate, drip
Drop of sad partings, journey north, mad swirl
Of mixed emotions, within and without
Good to see at least that she can now step
Out in nice shoes again, recovered foot
It's been a good catch-up with my big girl

2892 - Life training

It's late on Wednesday, out with P and J
To Wilmslow to see J in her school show
Then a Thai meal with both, then a delay
For the train back, a pint with P, Wilmslow
To pass the time, chatted during the slow
Trip back to Manchester and then a pint
In a beer joint in the NQ, and how
We caught up on stuff, discussed various points
In some ways she's ahead of me, a joint
Agreement that allure of faraway
Is attractive, the exotic, although
There's no guarantee, we both got to paint
With a broad brush, tomorrow, yesterday
Keep having fun til the end, never know...

Wed 16 July

2502 - Some people

Some people are just friendly, some are not
I can't be bothered if they're not, but I
Am forgiving if they change, I know what
A strain it can be to be friendly, why
Though, who knows, since it seems better to try
To get on than hop off the old love train
And fall prey to fear and suspicion, spy
Rather than engage, rather than use brain
Or empathy, out of the cocoon strain
As if we should all be the same, then plot
How to isolate the reject, bye bye
Happiness for the individual, fry
All your eggs in one pan, just one basket
Of humanity, caskets where dead souls lie

2385 - Spoilt for choice

It's been a cool relaxing Sunday here
Listened to George Shearing, Paco Pena
And Villa Lobos, Spanish-style guitar
Paco's flamenco blistering my ear
With speed, passion, technical savoire-faire
Meanwhile, I read deeply into 'Wild Swans'
Mao's era going from good to sinister
Also we watched two close-fought football games
Wondering now what to do. Should I lay hands
On my guitar once more, or should I hear
More music and read? A nice choice - I swear
Such luxury would be well out of bounds
In most marriages where free time is dear
And kids' needs are top of the agenda

2210 - Key to the strings of my heart

The dark nights are drawing in - wish I had
A drawing room to draw them in, but all
I've got is a tiny living room, bad
If you're a pianist, but I'm not. Haul
A baby grand up the stairs? Laughable
No, I need money, room, but I have space
Of one kind, reliably - personal
I'd hit the wrong key anyway, misplace
My fingers, even heart, which beats its pace
To a rock or dance tune. This is no fad
A guitar fits in here though, lovable
Partner, not quiet, not hard to replace
But a thing of beauty - we are solid
As a rock, we are cute, we rock and roll

2180 - Love you, hate your dog

Wet Bank Holiday weekend coming up
Something to look forward to then, all right
Starting tonight, nothing on telly, stuck
All by myself on this damp Friday night
Last night I spent time on the dating site
Left a nice, funny unreturned message
That's OK, just wait, women, and the slight
Will be returned when one of you manage
To send me a one-liner with a large
Emoticon or exclamation mark
Or kiss, expecting that this slight effort
Is all you need to make for me to forge
A long and adoring relationship
Well I got some news for you 'babes' - it ain't

2177 - Yesterday's man

Oops, I did it again, forgot to write
Dunno why really, was OK last night
The radio on in the background, quite quiet
With football commentary, Rams with a fight
On their hands at Bolton, and just not quite
Good enough to get a draw, though they hit
The post and deserved a penalty spot
Kick. What else was I doing? I had hit
Upon the scheme of dating - joined a site
And was looking at pictures - quite a lot
To look at. There were three I felt I might
Want to meet, so quite timidly I typed
Messages to them, the types who quite liked
Their lives now, but still felt, well, not quite right

2173 - Heated park

A walk over the green bridge in Salford
Connecting it to the Manchester side
I found Cornbrook tram station to then board
The tram to Bury, the aim to alight
At Heaton Park where I met Nancy, tried
To attend a variety night nearby
But it was not on this month, so we spied
A nearby pub and caught up, she and I
Chatting about our lives, both said we'd try
To spice up our lives, cos we can't afford
To go on waiting, we both can't abide
Boredom and want more. But we don't fancy
Each other, we're just friends. There's one that I'd
Go with, and others that I've yet to find...

2166 - Looking for lust

Good to talk to Tania and Josie, they
Supported me, especially little Jo
Just to hear her voice, I feel sure that she
Will always be there for me, and me too
For her. We have fun. Looking forward to
A hot day with her tomorrow, the last
Day of the Olympics, the end of two
Tumultuous weeks. As summer'll soon be past
It would be nice perhaps to try to cast
Out my net soon to find a new love. They
May come, they may stay a while and then go
Perhaps I shouldn't care if they don't last
I should just plunge right in there anyway
And have some fun, have more highs and more lows

2163 - Love lies limp

Oh dear, what can the matter be, oh dear
Katy and kids have gone, no longer here
I got a text, one I'd started to fear
As I left work, and it all became clear
I'd had my head in the sand last few days
Saw the warnings, but even I'm amazed
Never thought after leaving home, the stay
Would be so short, are women all this crazed?
I know she's not happy with her boyfriend
She left him for me but she's back again
Is it just homesickness? It must be when
She'd said she was fed up of him back then
Dear, you've thrown it away, you'll be nothing
When loving me, you'd have been everything

2162 - Ram tattoo

A strange day, poor Katy got no sleep and
Then, after I went to work, I got a
Text from her, and off to the West Midlands
She goes, with kids, trouble with her mama
I've yet to find out what's happened with her
They're somewhere down there, or on the way back
I don't know. Meanwhile, my new tattoo's a
Derby Ram, on my upper left arm, black
Ink, quite small, signifying years of lack
Of football success, and a recent planned
Rendezvous with you know who! Now to the
Business of eating. I think there's a lack
Of decent food here, but there's Sainsburys brand
Frozen fish. But, dear Katy, where are ya?

2159 - Fun and frolics!

A hectic but fun morning - interview
For a job for Katy which went quite well
Meanwhile me and the kids found things to do
In a fun museum, called the People's
History Museum. Couldn't see all
The displays properly - it was too hectic
Racing around like mad things! Then a call
From Katy's mum made tension rise. A quick
Chat, then Katy rang her ex, both hearts ticked
As accusations flew. But though they flew
They're all about the past, and there's no will
To go back there again. The clock has tricked
And now there's so much more to see and how
It's time we rang the celebration bell!

2094 - Too much texting blues

My left arm and shoulder have been aching

This last week, wondering what is the reason

One possibility is the texting

The other is my guitar practice. Strum

Too long, and like anything done too long

Could be repetitive strain injury

However, I think it's texting. Gone on

For hours lately doing it - Katy

And others - Janet, Nancy. Hitting keys

Or screens with my fingertips tends to bring

Problems, it has done before when I've done

Lots of blogging. Years ago, that hurt me

So if I ease off texting, I'm hoping

Can still thrash my guitar like a good 'un

2093 - Sun and games

It's still hot and sunny, but it's cooling
In a day or two, the clouds are still thin
The blue sky's not going yet, it's hanging
Around up there, staying fair, this evening
The news is showing the North West getting
A glimpse of the Olympic torch relay
Around Britain. Up Snowdon, Chris Boning-
ton carried it to the peak. Anyway,
The Games are nearing, but first they must play
Football - the Euro's are back. God help Eng-
land's chances in that tournament! Goal line
Technology's not here yet. Better pray...
Time for guitar, then I will be ringing
Katy later, waiting for me to ring...

2086 - Sleep no more

My sleep was truncated in the morning
By a noisy neighbour below, I heard
Endless scraping, movement and brief banging
For hours, as I've heard before from that turd
From Poland or wherever. It's absurd
The way they stay up all night, yet still go
Out in the morning. Thank God I was spared
From working all day feeling so tired, though
I took the afternoon off, able to
Sun myself on the grass while studying
Arabic, then household chores, then a good
Old guitar practice, a shower, a meal, now
It's time to call on Katy - ring... ring...ring
Another long chat, now it's time for bed

Tue 22 May

2079 - Evening's end

I'm tired and hungry now, after the call
And before the call, I did Arabic
Homework for an hour. Listened to The Fall
And chatted to Katy for quite a bit
What else is there? No, that's just about it
A fun day at work, but felt tired later
At seven o'clock, the candle was lit
The one we chose on Saturday in the
Arndale Centre. It should be smellier
But the room looks nice when it lights the wall
Softly, yellow light and shadows that flit
With every enticing flaming flicker
Time for a late supper, then time to call
It a day, a new day...Don't come too quick

2076 - Blue sky baby

Today has been the loveliest of days
The blue sky, the sun, and Katy is here
Her looks and character deserve my praise
She's so nice and considerate and dear
We should soon be going out for a beer
The plan is start in Salford and then head
From pub to pub til we reach Manchester
Katy has not left me disappointed
We both had some fun on the new red bed
And I'm sure there's more to come. She can raise
My spirits and more besides with a mere
Look, a touch, a smile, a joke - what we've said
Today has made us feel that we'll always
Feel the same way wherever not just here

Sat 12 May

2073 - Snake in the grass

For you my eyes will be like microscopes
My hands will be surgical instruments
My mouth a hungry beggar, trying to cope
With all it can eat, a banquet immense
In size and richness. You'll have no defence
From my invading arms that snake all ways
Up and around, in and out. To the fence
To the bed, to my heart, you'll be tied, dazed
Disoriented, amorously amazed
You'll be a starstruck nun, I'll be the pope
Your robes will be thrown off in five seconds
Leaving you sighing and gasping in praise
Sleep denied, and of salvation no hope
We'll tumble head over heels, lovers, friends

2060 - Love and truth

Just been chatting to Katy secretly
Her man was out, seemingly a long time
It won't be long til she moves in with me
And her life will then have reason and rhyme
She's not happy there, and although, yes, I'm
Happy here, because single, not stuck with
Someone I dislike, but I've hoped to find
Some female company for years. We both
Get on so well, see eye to eye, it's worth
The risk, I fancy her, she fancies me
And so to turn that down would be a crime
Against myself and her, and that's the truth
Everyone wants love in their life really
Who cares whether bells do or do not chime