Poetry - August 2023

Time To Say Goodbye

I wasn't looking forward to today
As it was the funeral of a close friend
It made me feel so upset on the inside
And I just wanted this day to be at an end
However I needed to be be strong
Because I was going be carrying the coffin
The weight of which was on my shoulders
As the crematorium and staff called me in
I was pleased to get that all off and all sorted
And was able sit down and reflect
As Life on Mars was being played in tribute
It made me feel somewhat circumspect
I wish I could have done more
But I knew also there was nothing I could do
It was a real case of being there
And making sure that I felt it too
We had some thoughts at reception
Of all the good memories that we had
And it made me think of those happy moments
And that didn't make me feel so sad
It was time to say goodbye
As the farewell to my friend was all done
I didn't want it to be so quick
But glad I was able to be together as one.

(Losing someone you're close to is hard. Having to have a service for cremation was also hard. But I got through it I think.)

Saturday Night Kick Offs

With every new television deal
It seems that there's football on more
But it's usual to have unusual times
And they get worse each deal I'm sure
So it is off to the Etihad for me tonight
With an eight o clock evening kick off
That isn't really fair on the away fans
And not for families with children from the off
It'll be a late finish and way past their bedtime
And that means more impact to the weekend
The TV companies don't care about the fans
They just want their share of profits their end.

(8pm Saturday evening kick offs are really not on, especially if you have away fans making a long trip - which is what happened recently when Manchester City played Newcastle United. Rubbish, really.)

You're Having A Giraffe!

All over Croydon have popped up
These rather nice giraffe statues
All standing very tall at eight feet
With their little cuteness and their cues
And nods to all sorts of local landmarks
Or an era of time like the 1980s
It was fun walking around the centre
Seeing how many of them I could see
Plenty of them were all adorable
And families were taking their kids round
So it was definitely good to see
That they ticked off each one they found
The trail was thirty large in all
And I did manage to collect every single one
But I do like a lot of these art trails
And definitely this one is a lot of fun.

(It was good to see the Croydon Stands Tall art trail and be able to see all the thirty large giraffes up close.)

Hero For A Night

For ninety minutes of your time
I'm worshipped by you and loved
I can do wrong, I play my guitar
I am your idol whom you adore
I am the one you'll stand up for
In the classroom situation
When people think you're weird
Just because you like me
I'm just like you underneath
With my slight features
And my feminine look
Even though I'm masculine
Tonight I'm your hero
Without you, I'm nothing
This is the first night of many for me
But for you it's a memory that lasts
The first time you saw me
The only time I saw you
I was your hero for a night
Tomorrow you're bruise pristine.

(Inspired by a night seeing Placebo many years ago.)

Summer Cat Haiku

Brian wants to play
He loves the sun and ball time
Can I go out please?

(Brian the cat adores the sunshine, especially if he can play ball too.)