Blurred vision refocused

angelic harps silenced

by rattling vans on uneven tarmac

hurtling buses between stops

chattering birds with their young studs

red-faced dears, grandmotherhood

grazing in the corner shop, not much left

one-armed man, newspaper under stump

ex-dog-walker without his dog

large girl never smiles, always walks by

leather jacket bloke, so does he

all have issues, common ground

Iron age man found on the common

barbarism began close to home

in the peat, in the loam

twittering birds, shitting dogs

old couples chatting time away

sitting on obituary benches

as kids laugh at the clucking ducks

Clenched fists, fucking noisy kids

pissing in the street, and me off

racists, must be from other places

some money round here, you know

ex-Posh and Becks, Alex and Kerry

and others who could actually write

their own autobiographies

lawyers, accountants

even me

now how did I get here

oh yes, by taxi