Peckham Rye Poem

The Peckham bus stops on Peckham Rye,
By the Peckham shops and the Peckham buys,
Stunning Peckham Rye colours,
Piercing Peckham Rye noise,
We march past Peckham Common,
Parked with Peckham Rye poise,
The power of the Peckham Rye senses,
Wallop me between the Peckham Rye eyes,
Pinch me on the Peckham Rye nose,
The Peckham beer goes up a gear,
Late-night Peckham begins to rear,
Peckham Rye buskers with Peckham Rye smiles,
Serenading Peckham bus stop,
No Woman, No Cry for miles,
Peckham Rye jeers and Peckham Rye loves,
Peckham Rye sings at the top of its lungs, 
Peckham Rye beats with life,
Struts with Peckham Rye pride,
I'll never forget that Peckham Rye sweat,
Number 78 from Tower Hill.  

An ode to boats.

Abrahamic Ark gives
P Diddy’s yacht
a bad name

See my Bawley boom
as it bobs along the Estuary
onto Brightlingsea

Versatile Cutter
Collectively calling
Many boats of the waves

Drifting in my Dhow
Delivering dragonfruit
Indian Ocean for company

Fall in love
With a fit Felucca
Fawned over by tourists

Climb aboard the
trusty, insanely British Nobby
Northern to the core

Paddle in my Peter Boat
Passenger led
Or a pub instead

Pontoon, punt
Power and pram
Skiff, sloop, surf and steam

Alphabetically speaking
Boats in reams
Cargoes of beauty

Vessels of duty
A loner’s lover
A romantic undercover

An ode to boats
Ode to the sea



Written for Shorelines Literature Festival 2013

The Egg Van Man

Driving around in my big truck full of eggs,

Requires skill and balance and sturdy legs,

Ballerina toes at the brakes,

Caressing the steering wheel,

At every corner I make,

Avoiding speed bumps and holes in the road,

All so I don't wobble my load,

I visualise the yolk in my mind's eye,

Put the air-con on so no-one fries,

Each journey is a test of my skill,

How many eggs can I manage not to kill?

It's not a job for everyone,

It calls for care and precision,

The last thing you want,

Is egg on your face,

After a head-on collision. 

Two Bobs in Love.

Shoulder on shoulder

Shoulder length hair

Should I kiss her here?

In the dark?

But with everyone else watching?

Two bobs

Bobbing along

With the same problems as us

I'll take you to the cliff.

Suddenly I see it,

My eyes click into narrow aperture,

A sharp focus takes over,

The room is insignificant,

The people are dots,

Dots on a geoboard,

Each dot the same,

Carelessly drinking,

They assume they'll do it all again,

Next week,

They make plans for tomorrow,

Because tomorrow they think they'll be here,

Selfishly whining,

Woe is them,

Shouting when they needn't be,

Making small talk,

When they don't want to be,

And I want to scream,

I want to physically take them,

To the edge of a cliff,

Show them the horizon,

Listen to the silence,

Look at the drop,

"That's death over there"; I'd say,

And I'd point,

I'd want them to nod profusely,

I'd want to see it in their eyes,

I just want them to understand,

That it's all gone in a second,

All of it,

And it can happen to any of us,

At any time,

So could they just, once in a while,

Notice that,

And stop drinking,

Stop whining, 

Stop shouting,

See the cliff,

Give me a nod,

Just so I know,

That we've both seen it,

We both know it's there.






    

    

    

   

Alliterated Christmas Poem

C-list sick-making celebrities turning on Christmas lights,

Troubled, terrified turkey's fearing for their life,

Box of broken, derelict decorations 

Dangle un-apologetically on pathetic plastic tree,

Same old saturated special sitcoms on the TV,

Socks and scarves and soaps and scented candles,

Double dinners, diabolical desserts and Dr bloody Who,

Realising repeatedly that you don't like mulled wine. 

Can you smell the rain?

It's made everything change,

The sky is sneering now,

Charcoal clouds bear down on us,

Threatening us,

Immense power fills the wind,

We feel like insignificant paper,

Rain continues to hit,

A machine-gun at our windows,

Dogs bark in chorus,

Breathe in and it smells instantly,

Of soggy beaches,

Abandoned sea-side,

Sinking Earth,

As gates swing wildly,

Branches waver with impending doom,

The sky covers its mouth,

Can you smell the rain?