Failing Forwards

When eggs were in baskets
Too pissed to stand
I saw it in him.
Emotion, withheld.

Failing forwards,
Being a man.
Picking features
From the floor.

I saw his smile
The pleasure in it.
I saw the human
Behind the wall

The Walk to School

The Children are back
Walking to school
They see the rain
Dark, distant cloud

The hand held and
The hurried up
The wonderers,
Who don't get there

The rain soaked and
The wearers of coats
Walk the same path
To be lined up

The timid and
The bullying
Each shouted name
Become the same

Belle Isle

Darker clouds took the last rays of sun from Belle Isle
As we walked the long road to a city that ignores us
Past the brick and concrete constructions of our youth
House by house, to the car covered barrier in our minds

We swam all night in a human sea, drawn like flies,
to half drown in bright light, sirens and screams
surfacing on Sunday with no money to return
A spiralling southern staircase, our own hands and feet

Bread Cake Bramley

Bread cake Bramley
With a potato wedge smile
Half moon, loose and seasoned skin
White, stubby, beer bottle arms
With a black label tattoo
Butt end fingers,
ringed with nicotine
Pin hole, salt shaker eyes
Staring

A View from Armley Prison

There is a view from Armley prison
A heartland on which to reflect
A view of clear skies and towers
In spring, happy visiting faces,
every morning's missed
A view of grey, pissing rain
Autumn cloud and concealment
A cold distant Christmas
Tired, empty darkness
Bright morning

Our Time

This is our time in Belle Isle
Margarie and I, dawn quiet,
the clear up and shut up of youth

On Heights estate, the gunnels of
discarded bottles are open
In Middleton and on Cavalier Hill

We're like birds who've waited for the roost
nights of noise have given over
to the morning power brokers

We tap our sticks on no go areas
the enemy asleep 'til lunchtime
this is our time

Happy

A dog called happy
Hippies my uncle calls them
Then he won't turn up for tea