CAKE

The icing on the cake
A weekend break
A slap in the face
That stings for hours
The kind I like
To take out at night
Backed in the corner
I know how to begin
A bittersweet cocktail
A kind note in the mail
Makes me think of you
But then I remember
Dream the keen dreams
Until you wake
Sweating
Regretting
And for a second forgetting
Until I see your beam
Unmistakable
Self assured
Like I should fall for that
Again
You'd bet on it
But this time
I'm smarter than I look
You're clever
But not that good
I've lost my appetite
The precious sweet tooth
I don't like icing anymore.

(9/1/00)
AND SO IT GOES

The false Spanish saviour
Is everything I make her
Can exist only in mind
When Northern accents
Leave me tongue tied
And painful sighs
Knock me sideways
I learn to laugh
At these reoccurring lessons
I'll make no mistake
And take in the scenery.

(23/8/99)
PIPES

Trapped in the void
Twisting and turning
Watching snaking pipes
Dance energetically
Contrasting my static
Self
Mind and body
Waiting for the call
Waiting for the next
Two minute challenge
Counting down the seconds
As I sink into
Eternal boredom
Wishing for a chaotic
Screen saver
Entertainment
For the interminable
Order.

(12/11/99)
THE SHREDDING CHALLENGE

Shredding is fun
Acting like a lunatic
As if I'm not really here
Tics and spins
Maniacal grins
My dancing mouse
Thrills me.
High off Tip-X
For what it's worth
Feeling weird
Burning up
Too much tea
Too big a cup.

(25/11/99)
ON A PLATE

You might want to tell me
Where the dark dreams lurk
And evil settles in
The sultry air.
You might want to show me
Where they dug in the dirt
And found no trace
Of their loved ones there.
You might want to hear
What they have to say
But I guess you'll have to save it
For a rainy day.
Somebody told me
They'd run away
But I know I saw them yesterday.
They couldn't speak
And their hands were tied
They just stared at me
And some did cry.
The stench of blood overwhelmed
They wanted for me to speak to them
But I couldn't say a thing
A pathetic silence
Sucking at the air
Embarrassment versus depths of despair
Until it was no longer in my hands
Some kicked in the legs
Some moved on
By those with the power
Those in charge
On a par with me
At my level
And in turning my back
Trying to look for
Apples in the trees
Birds in the sky
A hint of rain
Anything not to acknowledge my crime
My collusion and excuse of confusion
And soon it was quiet again
And I promised that in a while
I could carry on
Carry on
And carry on.
You might want to tell me
Where the devil hides today
Where evil gathers in the shadows
But I'll pretend not to hear
'Cos if you close your eyes and count to ten
You can make it disappear.

(22/2/00)
BALANCING ACT

Your soothing silence melts me
Deceiving those with your
Happy tones
Laughing at love songs
Secretly aching
Your stubborn refusal chills me

I'll keep it all together
Just this once
I know I've said it before
But now I have to again.

Live a little won't you
Smile for me can't you

He's swimming in his
Self appointed misery
She's dwelling in her
Glamorised poverty
They're playing with their
Forced ambition.

I'll keep it all together
Just this once
I know I've said it before
But now I have to again.

(27/2/00)
IMAGINARY CRIME SPREE

What made you change your mind?
What did you act upon?
You decided to go out to tonight
Took a gun, stole a car
The night you turned to crime.

How did you find it?
How did you cope?
When the lights went out?

Some day I promise I'll divulge
Some day we'll laugh again
We can even invite old friends
To help us soothe the pain.

What made you change your mind?
Hope it wasn't something I said
No one will ever predict
Where you go, who you're with
If they'll end up dead.

And now you cry 'cos you're alone
But you didn't even try
Don't turn your back on me you begged
It's your turn then, this time.

He'll pin the blame
If you give a hint
He can pin the blame with a clue.

How did you find it
How did you cope
When the lights went out?

Some day I promise I'll divulge
Some day we'll laugh again
We can even invite old friends
To help us soothe the pain.

Lay down the King, I do believe
This charade is a boring game
I threaten with the safety curtain
My position remains the same.

(29/2/00)
MAGAZINES

She crossed her legs
And I drew a breath
I nearly fell apart.

I read magazines
I watch bad TV
I save the letters you wrote
I can hear your voice late at night
It keeps me from my own
I listen to how others speak
I keep a diary in the week
I know how much is in my pocket
I keep a feather in my locket.

She tapped me on the shoulder
I melted into my chair
And I couldn't help but smile.

I read magazines
I know the real world
I know what's out there for me
I know boys and girls
Some I've met before
Some call me a bore
Some creep back in my sleep.

She laughed out loud
At someone else's joke
I quietly laughed as well.

She crossed her legs
And I went red
I knew my place that day.

(29/2/00)
SOBER SARAH

Night of the Sober Sarah
Sitting in her sober corner
Eating treacle biscuits
Sipping on a sparkling soda.

What will become of Sarah?
If she remains so sober?
Will she regain her faculties?
Or will she just grow older?

(29/2/00)
ALTERNATIVE WINDY CITY

Funny how
Now
I long to be
Twenty minutes
From everywhere

Funny how
It appears
Far too far
Out of reach
A scratchy memory
Never crisp enough
To grasp.

My desire
On the verge
Of despair

So on with the
Rose tinted specs
Out with all
Solid plans
Allow time
For glorious walking
In the
Weathered past
Walks, parks, rains
Breathless laughter
A tiny part of when
We didn't seem to care?
Living for the moment?
Twenty minutes
From everywhere.

(18/3/00)
SAND DREAMS

She always faces the sea
Won't turn around
To look at me
Quietly whispering
Her enchanting stories
Of other worlds
Her secret glory
Tiptoes amongst
Shells and rocks
Doesn't make a sound
Never stops
In time with the waves
Soaking up the spray
A wry smile on her face
Into the dunes
Amongst stray grass, untouched
Sits, always out to sea
Why won't you look at me?
She'll never look at me
And where the water
Merges with the sky
And this land seems too bright
Her lashes flicker with delight
I'll join her there
We'll stare tonight.

(30/4/00)
COMFORTABLE

With the tables turned
Silence irks beyond belief
And any amusement
Only frustration.
All this multiplied by that
Loathsome generation
One should strive to leave behind
They who neither
Reject or respect
They who fuel
Misinterpretations
Feed the gulfs
Turn backs on bridge building
Lingering only in
Laziness rather than a strive
Towards anything deeper
Willingness vanished
Refusals of comprehension
Seal the excuse of
"I don't understand."

(21/3/00)
FUNDAY

Walking down the street
Feeling like a freak
Everyone else looks good on a Sunday
The sun is shining
A pretty one is smiling
Just your average Funday

But something's not right
I can feel it inside
Everyone's looking at me
I know I gotta hide
Catch myself in the reflection of a shop window
Bags under my eyes
Face is pale
Hair messed up
No, I don't look well

The further I walk
The fainter I get
Sun's burning me now
My forehead is wet
Have to sit down
Catch my breath

This is definitely Sunday
Now I understand
I look down at my feet
Firmly on the ground
You're not special
You're no one smart
You have a shitty job
Drive a shitty car
You're all alone
In this scary world
No one knows who you are

In one swift move
I jumped to my feet
Turned on my heels
Ran down the street
Felt a sudden sense of clarity
Kept on running
Felt like I was free

The faster I went
The more I saw
This was Sunday all right
I could feel it I was sure
I saw someone smile
I saw someone wave
People slapped me on the back
As I passed on through
Had a spring in my step
And a grin on my face
I was turning things around
In this dull ol' place
And when I reached the boundary
Of this little town
I ploughed through the hedgerows
And I kept going
Nothing now would get in my way
'Cos nothing could on this sunny Sunday.

(26/3/00)
NO ONE KNOWS HOW MUCH I LIKE VOLCANOES

Couldn't cry at 'It's a Wonderful Life'
Or smile and dance at the same time
This is nothing
Nothing
Depends on you

Sitting here amongst grass cuttings
By the river, drinking
Sparkling water
I hate grass cuttings
I have hayfever but
I love the river
I love water

You know all that
Already?
You know it all?
You know it all!

She asked what I could do for her
Will I be the one to make her purr?
Well I had to shrug
Feign bemusement
She doesn't know me and I'm not showing
Myself in my shining armour

Touch, but don't look
Speak, but won't hear
I have nothing to offer
While I am facts
While I am fiction
While I am fascinating contradictions
While I am behind these bars
For you to study
For you to learn
This is all for you
This masquerade
So pay up for your ticket
And be on your way.

(9/5/00)

Beyondthecoast

  • 2.
    CAKE The icing onthe cake A weekend break A slap in the face That stings for hours The kind I like To take out at night Backed in the corner I know how to begin A bittersweet cocktail A kind note in the mail Makes me think of you But then I remember Dream the keen dreams Until you wake Sweating Regretting And for a second forgetting Until I see your beam Unmistakable Self assured Like I should fall for that Again You'd bet on it But this time I'm smarter than I look You're clever But not that good I've lost my appetite The precious sweet tooth I don't like icing anymore. (9/1/00)
  • 3.
    AND SO ITGOES The false Spanish saviour Is everything I make her Can exist only in mind When Northern accents Leave me tongue tied And painful sighs Knock me sideways I learn to laugh At these reoccurring lessons I'll make no mistake And take in the scenery. (23/8/99)
  • 4.
    PIPES Trapped in thevoid Twisting and turning Watching snaking pipes Dance energetically Contrasting my static Self Mind and body Waiting for the call Waiting for the next Two minute challenge Counting down the seconds As I sink into Eternal boredom Wishing for a chaotic Screen saver Entertainment For the interminable Order. (12/11/99)
  • 5.
    THE SHREDDING CHALLENGE Shreddingis fun Acting like a lunatic As if I'm not really here Tics and spins Maniacal grins My dancing mouse Thrills me. High off Tip-X For what it's worth Feeling weird Burning up Too much tea Too big a cup. (25/11/99)
  • 6.
    ON A PLATE Youmight want to tell me Where the dark dreams lurk And evil settles in The sultry air. You might want to show me Where they dug in the dirt And found no trace Of their loved ones there. You might want to hear What they have to say But I guess you'll have to save it For a rainy day. Somebody told me They'd run away But I know I saw them yesterday. They couldn't speak And their hands were tied They just stared at me And some did cry. The stench of blood overwhelmed They wanted for me to speak to them But I couldn't say a thing A pathetic silence Sucking at the air Embarrassment versus depths of despair Until it was no longer in my hands Some kicked in the legs Some moved on By those with the power Those in charge On a par with me At my level And in turning my back Trying to look for Apples in the trees Birds in the sky A hint of rain Anything not to acknowledge my crime My collusion and excuse of confusion And soon it was quiet again And I promised that in a while I could carry on Carry on And carry on. You might want to tell me Where the devil hides today Where evil gathers in the shadows But I'll pretend not to hear 'Cos if you close your eyes and count to ten You can make it disappear. (22/2/00)
  • 7.
    BALANCING ACT Your soothingsilence melts me Deceiving those with your Happy tones Laughing at love songs Secretly aching Your stubborn refusal chills me I'll keep it all together Just this once I know I've said it before But now I have to again. Live a little won't you Smile for me can't you He's swimming in his Self appointed misery She's dwelling in her Glamorised poverty They're playing with their Forced ambition. I'll keep it all together Just this once I know I've said it before But now I have to again. (27/2/00)
  • 8.
    IMAGINARY CRIME SPREE Whatmade you change your mind? What did you act upon? You decided to go out to tonight Took a gun, stole a car The night you turned to crime. How did you find it? How did you cope? When the lights went out? Some day I promise I'll divulge Some day we'll laugh again We can even invite old friends To help us soothe the pain. What made you change your mind? Hope it wasn't something I said No one will ever predict Where you go, who you're with If they'll end up dead. And now you cry 'cos you're alone But you didn't even try Don't turn your back on me you begged It's your turn then, this time. He'll pin the blame If you give a hint He can pin the blame with a clue. How did you find it How did you cope When the lights went out? Some day I promise I'll divulge Some day we'll laugh again We can even invite old friends To help us soothe the pain. Lay down the King, I do believe This charade is a boring game I threaten with the safety curtain My position remains the same. (29/2/00)
  • 9.
    MAGAZINES She crossed herlegs And I drew a breath I nearly fell apart. I read magazines I watch bad TV I save the letters you wrote I can hear your voice late at night It keeps me from my own I listen to how others speak I keep a diary in the week I know how much is in my pocket I keep a feather in my locket. She tapped me on the shoulder I melted into my chair And I couldn't help but smile. I read magazines I know the real world I know what's out there for me I know boys and girls Some I've met before Some call me a bore Some creep back in my sleep. She laughed out loud At someone else's joke I quietly laughed as well. She crossed her legs And I went red I knew my place that day. (29/2/00)
  • 10.
    SOBER SARAH Night ofthe Sober Sarah Sitting in her sober corner Eating treacle biscuits Sipping on a sparkling soda. What will become of Sarah? If she remains so sober? Will she regain her faculties? Or will she just grow older? (29/2/00)
  • 11.
    ALTERNATIVE WINDY CITY Funnyhow Now I long to be Twenty minutes From everywhere Funny how It appears Far too far Out of reach A scratchy memory Never crisp enough To grasp. My desire On the verge Of despair So on with the Rose tinted specs Out with all Solid plans Allow time For glorious walking In the Weathered past Walks, parks, rains Breathless laughter A tiny part of when We didn't seem to care? Living for the moment? Twenty minutes From everywhere. (18/3/00)
  • 12.
    SAND DREAMS She alwaysfaces the sea Won't turn around To look at me Quietly whispering Her enchanting stories Of other worlds Her secret glory Tiptoes amongst Shells and rocks Doesn't make a sound Never stops In time with the waves Soaking up the spray A wry smile on her face Into the dunes Amongst stray grass, untouched Sits, always out to sea Why won't you look at me? She'll never look at me And where the water Merges with the sky And this land seems too bright Her lashes flicker with delight I'll join her there We'll stare tonight. (30/4/00)
  • 13.
    COMFORTABLE With the tablesturned Silence irks beyond belief And any amusement Only frustration. All this multiplied by that Loathsome generation One should strive to leave behind They who neither Reject or respect They who fuel Misinterpretations Feed the gulfs Turn backs on bridge building Lingering only in Laziness rather than a strive Towards anything deeper Willingness vanished Refusals of comprehension Seal the excuse of "I don't understand." (21/3/00)
  • 14.
    FUNDAY Walking down thestreet Feeling like a freak Everyone else looks good on a Sunday The sun is shining A pretty one is smiling Just your average Funday But something's not right I can feel it inside Everyone's looking at me I know I gotta hide Catch myself in the reflection of a shop window Bags under my eyes Face is pale Hair messed up No, I don't look well The further I walk The fainter I get Sun's burning me now My forehead is wet Have to sit down Catch my breath This is definitely Sunday Now I understand I look down at my feet Firmly on the ground You're not special You're no one smart You have a shitty job Drive a shitty car You're all alone In this scary world No one knows who you are In one swift move I jumped to my feet Turned on my heels Ran down the street Felt a sudden sense of clarity Kept on running Felt like I was free The faster I went The more I saw This was Sunday all right I could feel it I was sure I saw someone smile I saw someone wave People slapped me on the back As I passed on through Had a spring in my step And a grin on my face I was turning things around In this dull ol' place And when I reached the boundary Of this little town I ploughed through the hedgerows
  • 15.
    And I keptgoing Nothing now would get in my way 'Cos nothing could on this sunny Sunday. (26/3/00)
  • 16.
    NO ONE KNOWSHOW MUCH I LIKE VOLCANOES Couldn't cry at 'It's a Wonderful Life' Or smile and dance at the same time This is nothing Nothing Depends on you Sitting here amongst grass cuttings By the river, drinking Sparkling water I hate grass cuttings I have hayfever but I love the river I love water You know all that Already? You know it all? You know it all! She asked what I could do for her Will I be the one to make her purr? Well I had to shrug Feign bemusement She doesn't know me and I'm not showing Myself in my shining armour Touch, but don't look Speak, but won't hear I have nothing to offer While I am facts While I am fiction While I am fascinating contradictions While I am behind these bars For you to study For you to learn This is all for you This masquerade So pay up for your ticket And be on your way. (9/5/00)