plastic people with plastic hearts

acting their thermoplastic parts

born of plastic from plastic tubes

fed from protuberant plastic boobs

with plastic hopes and plastic dreams

in love with plastic zippered seams

cleaning up their plastic mess

and plasticising happiness.

With pink and squidgy love they stick

plastic slow or plastic quick

they t...

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This is the tale of Old Seth

an engineman on the Chesapeake

rode from Richmond to Ohio

and back two times a week

lately confined in a twilight home

in Wannesboro he dwelt

just keeping to himself most times

the card that destiny dealt.

The doctors reck'ned he'd lost his mind

just sat there looking out,

somedays his eyes would screw right up

other times he'...

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To be highly recommended is

THE PRE - NATAL AGREEMENT

between this John Watkins

and that Jane Silkwood (for example)

in furtherance of a collaboration

of sperm and ovum to produce

intended progeny (the person)

and should such combination be

less than wholly satisfactory in its outcome

in terms of the desirability or productivity

in the fullness of time upon matur...

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The old familiar room relaxes

the slipper fits

the window lets your light out

to do its wandering

and pretence is unwrapped

and the spaceship sits

and this is home base

everything in place.

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On spinning spools

like plastic jewels

the reign of VHS and Betamax

was brief in human terms,

a peeping tom affair

of soporific ads and afro hair

Miami cops with force and flair

longshots of a famous bridge

or the spread of porn to drawing room

girls with small red scarves

the studs with DIY props and

office backdrops

the wallowing sound of the Fender ...

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here had been a garden once

now cats came to die invisibly

amongst the remnants of roses

the tumbled swathe of climbers

they lay in the dragging rave of weeds.

human needs had been here too

through the door now caved in

onto flagstones gashed by hobnails,

and a curtain still hung in a kind of grace

curseying at the nourishing light

life carried on by feel in...

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And in that time

all weapons were collected

and stockpiled into a mountain

and the mountain was worshipped

for no man would ever take up a weapon again.

And the sky was a womb

a rebirthing, the world uniting as one

awoken to love, and the sound was heard

of countless souls in harmony, and the mountain grew

and was worshipped

for on its flanks and peak

all...

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Whether 'twas nobler for a wandering minstrel

such as I to perform

The Birdie Song or Agadoo

to raise a living

or devote my life

to more cerebral forms of the art;

That is the question.

The answer to this is of course

academic.

Needs must

when earning the proverbial crust.

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Full English Brexit please

forget the baguette

bratwurst has never come first

for independence we constantly thirst

on a wave of euphoria

we resurrected Victoria

so full English breakfast for old time's sake

we never really liked being slaves.

still feel part of Europe?  don't despair

though our chances are scuppered

and the cupboard is bare.

The rom...

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I want to be like Elvis

find solace in a song

project myself in lurid capes

a wig and shades

and deep blue suedes.

Now that vinyl's back in town

i'll bring the record player down

spin the discs, hear the King

do the stance and everything

    I want to be like Elvis now

    i've waited for the New Messiah

    but he's dragging his heels or so it feels

 ...

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Sometimes they weave the open road but now

these urban contenders descend like pigeons

one first, then another

nussle up jostle for space

in marked off areas away from the rest

with impossible engines like dragon's teeth

hot from the chase, pulverising air

bonding against other worlds

they draw admiring glances

in their bloated suits

crustaceans of kevlar

stre...

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The desert sun looks up at me

with its perfect skin

like a child unsullied by thoughts

and sin

asking for nothing after the main course

of roast and crackling

bleached bones

wrenched accompaniments

all the trimmings.

I have nothing to add

as my spoon of delight

moon curves around the skin

sinking in

and a final soft puff of sweetness

and loss of ...

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The worshippers queued every day

at the simple sign: "live this way."

No-one seemed to notice

that the sign had been turned around

and the majority were simply led astray.

One man, curious discovered the truth

and watched the simple sincere mistake

that all humans tend to make.

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Do me a favour

take me while the feeling is fresh

close your eyes

don't think of flesh

just pretend the fire needs stoking

the poker's hot

you might think i'm joking

but we need to keep warm

us older folk

so close your eyes don't think of flesh

nobody's too perfect

to take a joke

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they gently softly bob on baby oil

the high spec yachts

demanding attention

in their maritime fonts

dipping their rounded

baby's bottoms whose

daddies have baptized with wealth

Come aboard you filthy rich!

bring your wine toast the bitch

toast these tasteless new horizons

on chinoiserie and marble ma cherie

wear your raybans deckshoes

Rolex to the wind

a...

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I lost a school friend this week to cancer

found out by chance on Facebook

we shared close times

in a band together

travelled on bikes when summers were young

challenged each other in photography

found out by chance on Facebook

while casually trawling

to find something mildly enthralling.

The statement came up ungarnished

amongst the litany of rants

dogs doing...

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Danvers paused, looked up at the sign

Induction Department

up the stairs

the backlit walls looking shyly back

with whispers of a call once dreaded

no doors save the one at the end

he saw

and the way the day imparted its secrets

to bring him here

like a mouse in a trap  

surrounded by death

a senseless history drawing him in

and the door silently opened.

...

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He had reached an age of suspended animation

half sunk into white leather sofa

monogrammed slippers in russet

resting on a quality kilim received as a present

from an admiring Arab in Mornington Crescent

These were trappings of suspended animation

wine table at his side

row of pills prolonging the suspension

fresh from the gym fit for the present

robed like a multi ...

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The Old Kent Road

Roman Way

the Dover Road

running straight as a do or die

first step to success

on a monopoly board

coloured brown the dirty sod

at the end of town.

It is the road that hints of abroad

the road that stood the weight of the horde

of Romans on their foraging way

where Bricklayers Arms

terminus for railway goods

rubbed shoulders with

the...

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The decline of Woolworths was swift and sure

our local one went dark after Christmas

Santa took the goods away

with his airborne overview and sleigh.

The frontage remained like a broken tooth

patched with forthcoming paper events

the stainless steel doors locked and barred

its reputation feathered and tarred.

Then whispers went round of a new kid in town

an imp...

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The indefatigable Judge Rinder

has just jumped through a magic "winder"

he looks about and can't believe it

there's magic about

and he must weave it.

He represents his client base

in daytime TV's soft embrace

and now he sees his mirror image

in ballroom glitz's magic scrimmage

when the juries cast their vote

his casting down just another brief

all his mag...

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In the world of dogging

there must be variations on a theme

corruption in a blind man's dream

and where the shot semen 

casts its seed to the wind

that's where we'll find a semblance

of truths however unpalatable

where the seeds of sorrow

bring on another unforgiving tomorrow

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Voices in the dark

called me back

to visit the arcade

set in a neat

brick facade of shops

entrance flanked

by hairdressers and minicab office

no sign up

though it was a cafe

had been for years.

Stripped of pretension

no daylight entering in

though a copy of the Sun

gave life to the place

but no welcoming

smells of cooking

word had gone roun...

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They faced up to their commitments

stood up to the enemy

crouching to avoid the bullets

concealed themselves for now

heard the whistle.

The land was razed

histories pock marked

mud refined by blood

chins stroked in retrospect

assessments penned for the future.

politicians died natural deaths

and the soldiers came back

to where a home should have been.

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football grounds are deserted

libraries tightly shut

half light subsists

sadness stuck in a rut

but McDonalds comes to the rescue

it's just another day.

Clinics for the borderline insane

are holding open days again

swollen rivers are all in a rush

seeking a reasonable explanation for nature

domestic walls are checked for flecks of blood

its just another day.

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I'm weary of cynicism

so take me down

now to a cell to consider my thoughts

to work out the way the world really works

put me away

treat me bad

to save me punishing myself

and when i've found salvation

spread the word around

to save me from writing in excrement

on virgin walls

to everybody's detriment

an expression of reality

when the black mood cal...

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He was a pleasant enough fellow

proud of his top of the range guitar

fender copy

"keep music live" stuck on the case

de rigeur since music was a living

and amp squatting like a small dog

ready for action

tools in an arsenal of self - expression

a one - band man

arriving too early for decency

set up by the time the others arrived.

He came apparently by rec...

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The common cold is a common curse

that seldom leads to grave and hearse

or the attentions of a wayward nurse

and suitable ministrations

often passed on to foe or friend

before the symptoms start to mend

a casual greeting that will extend

its sphere of operations

the remedies come thick and fast

to pin this beauty to the mast

the choice of options c...

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Osborne said:

Get Carter and a sniper did just that

with a bullet in the back of his head

made sure that he was dead.

It didn't happen like that in the book

he was cut real bad and left to die

open ended like the wound unattended

in Scunthorpe by a brickworks

but that's often the way these plots can vary.

Now back to the film:

in Gateshead chiefly

where J...

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Jack Walton was his name

Jack by name and Jack by nature

Jack the lad in fact

and a very naughty boy was he

around the time of fifty-three

beyond redemption in the classroom

defiant and damned right from the start

Jekyll and Hyde a friend of sorts

unsmashable by deeds and thoughts

I could have lost my sight one day

when a metal tube he threw my way

his fa...

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He came at me with serious intent

out of the late sun

a whirling dervish

with vengeance

insect colours

like a yellowjacket with a sting

in his tail

tanklike I commanded the road

disturbing the arc of his progress

until, with his erect flag

and helmet pod

I heard the shout

looked down at his intensity

his rage and superiority

with frightened eyes.

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Enjoy November the fifth's caprices

with mulled wine and jolly fleeces

sparklers and rockets are the eyes of the night

and a hungry bonfire gathering height

it's a shame Guido Fawkes was hung drawn and quartered

but whatever floats our boat I say

whatever flies our kite.

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Lone Wolf

stirs his coffee

staring

to middle distance.

This new world of his

devoid of meaning

no line of resistance.

Stained by old habits

trained for movements

his mechanised character

spring compressed

Lone Wolf

with weary eyes

still sharp

used to hear the pin drop

now doors slamming

nerves fraying

uncertain dreams of prayin...

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They came in boats to Australia's shores

with dread and hope and trauma

an embarrassment to that settled land

then stripped of human dignity

the refugees were escorted away

to where the all embracing ocean

surrounded them with callous emotion

on hold but not have under canvas

the threads of a future to weave a home

and herded like Australian cattle

with...

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Euthanasia was dropped from the repertoire

several years ago

terminal facilitation was now the phrase

officially used

death by decree a fight you had to lose.

Danvers stood with the stiffening letter

the womb of

the envelope folded back, his bowels

took the brunt

of the clinical shock, his thoughts

sharply up against

 the stricture of faultless reason.

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They're digging the road up       again

last time it was a water main

this time it's gas replacement

from minor road to minor basement

they're moleing through the grass and dew

the traffic mounts

temporary lights

temperatures rise

and particulates.

They're digging up the road        again

strange vehicles stand back to back

men in red are visible for mile...

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The cave resonates with space

light bleeds in from a low sun

unseen from the interior

a blue disc is softly rising

claiming the coruscating horizon

on the even floor of the cave

freshness prevails

Williams - Fortesque is crouching

a meal is prepared

smoke spirals in slow tresses

caressing the high roof.

He hums an often traversed tune

learnt on Earth

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Where the comatose computers rest

on shelves, awaiting their rigorous test

their screens and towers are dust slumbering,

one blinks as if on watch

feeding tubes connected again

to the great bloodbank of internet

always on hand replenishing.

The one who knows their tricks

bad habits, faults

forgives them one and all

with remarkable good humour

thriving on ...

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Once when but a callow youth

from the library forsooth

I borrowed a book on the art of ju jitsu

with crude and basic plans of action

of assailants and defenders'

over reaction..

With these moves inside my head

to school I went with wary tread

until a boy quite lumpy and large

set upon my fuselage

stampeding, bull- like as I cowered

sweating and snorting

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Take a pinch of truth

add a good mix of bullshit

and fake sincerity

topped with passion for taste

shake vigorously

filter through the media

to make it palatable

spread onto a convenient newspaper

or roll out on the internet

and serve the public well.

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My heart told my head she must still be here

here in the house where her life had shaped me.

Yes she would never pass this way again

but my heart told my head that these

markers of a life, the reclining chair

radio, the familiar curtains,

piano I cut my future on

these transient things must be passed on

to the world outside.

My heart would burst though it must ...

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"I killed the monster!"

the hero said

but sad to say it wasn't real

it was just inside his head.

Then he smiled insanely

while the people clapped and sang

not knowing why death

should be so joyous

or why the rafters rang.

But any death is better than none

though it's just inside our heads

and better to claim a victory

than die upon our beds.

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Come back come back

Spring - heeled Jack

scare these lurid jokers.

Set about their masks and robes

with flames and red hot pokers.

With your arsenal of cloak and dagger

with derringdo and a gentleman's swagger

with Pistorius springs

and vampire wings

rescue us from these painted fools

expose their hocus pocus.

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Sex in a rowing boat

is something i've never tried,

even though

a couple of oars

are generally supplied.

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All night long on short wave radio

the operator's hand tapped morse code

like a woodpecker's beak

oblique, sustained with poise and nerve

call sign first then a launch

of identity into chaos

threading out skeining across

the curve of the earth.

Persistent, insistent

and after coffees brewed

the curling unattended cigarette grounded,

a sign of recognition ...

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The past re - threaded in a picture frame

sepia trail leading back to where

a vague sense of time in distress

pinned me there, seeping in 

through the emulsion from the wall behind,

behind the present

to where hands now dust unclaimed

waited to draw me through,

throught the mortar of the past,

father as a son, grandfather as father,

grand aunt as little girl at t...

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They don't ask much from us

these broad reservoirs

geometrically serving their purpose

but without fairy fringes of willow

nuzzling eddies, sun dappled secrets

they give as good as they get.

Purified,sanitized water supplied

and replenished,

great bowls of solace for the thirsty masses

and they have their curious visitors

most in amazement, reverence even

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A seeming half acre of rest spreads out

in Sofaworld, balm to the footsore,

a polite jungle of shapes, making the passage

of berthing time complacent where listless couples

check labels, passing between the Ambassador Suite

and the Grosvenor Sublime.

At the end of a day

Coffee tables nudge in

and footstools like crouching bears

 beef out the designated squares.

W...

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Below the ground a sound is stirring

dead people's thoughts re - occurring

they wonder why their lives were ended

with so much left unattended

and why they had to give up the ghost

ending up as rot or toast

but life goes on, so hush you souls

dwelling deep with worms and moles

the answer lies inside the soil

the results of endless earthly toil.

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Sandcastles

see how they flood with tears

moated

tides of man

hopes, fears

the same the world over

but there is so much sand in this bright land

and grit,

determination to split

and exploit a divided nation.

So let's play with bombs

instead of spades

look down like children,

let's be Gods!

Rip up the sand from our castles

in the air,

b...

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