Sad Songs

Upside down
Inside the fibres,
Feathers and
Filaments
Of five fathers
Carrying wallflowers
Staring
As the white coats
And the blue bonnets
Bundle another
Mad cap, Andy cap
Into the
Backstreet -Bob-cat
Teddy-boys promenade
Their caravans
And polish
Steel strung chewing gum
Subways/doorways
Plasterboard cavities.
Stage plays
In the turned-up jeans
Of a daytime outlaw
Squatters growing roses
Reggae and rough shot
Tears in the beer
Crime in the wine
Sin in the gin
Wasters
Wankers
Wanna-bes
Are-bes
High rollers
Hookers
Heavies
Monkeys
And military men
Lost in great gloves
Thumping shadows
In rings and caves
And airport terminals
To empty seats
And tsunamis of
Street litter
Dear Drunkard
Carrier pigeon
His message of love
Smashed somewhere on the M4
Campfires
Piano fires
Fire fly fires
Of the heath and heart
Bell-ends clank and spurt
And fall over
The vespers, whispers, whiskers
In glasses, milk and alleyways
Crumbs,
Tit-bits and
Sods
In back rooms
With disco lights
On shiny heads
Wipe outs,
Black outs
Walk outs,
In outs
Fall outs
In that order
Something’s crashing
Smashing in my house
But it’s only
Another sad song.