Dynamic,

Never

Desperate.

Ode to my aunt 12 January 2016 from The realisations of the connected man

The Tuesday sunbeams

Hit the unlacquered wood

Of the coffin from behind

The parade of mourners

That follow the bearers six

Among whom my cousin &

His son

Who is wearing stylish pointy brown shoes

Underneath a blue suit

Today

Is for burying mothers

& aunts & friends & fathers

Childhood photos

Portraying a brother & sister

Father & aunt

Seen by brothers & sisters

Grieving

Feeling the loss

Are interlaced with happy

Snapshots of mountain holidays

Completed by dog

Son & daughter speak &

I am watching myself a mere

Eight months ago

Today

Wearing the same stylish

Pointy brown shoes &

Blue suit

The three rainbows that I see today

Kiss my face

Bless the dead

Still my tears

Public Transport Rotterdam 16 March 1992 from The possibilities of the connected child

I’m sensitive to all the odours

Fragrances & smells that live &

Multiply the subway maze

The stench of perfume

Overwhelming a chained

Series of farts from a wild-

Bearded bald boozer with a

Plastic bag belling

Empty bottles

The suffocating warmth of

The carriages where temperatures are

Kept high until July to kill the bugs &

Drown the harder smells of

Puke & baby diapers

Bad breath &

Smoking passengers

A 15 minute trip can mean

Maroc cocaine or just

Tobacco any kind

Most unkind

Come summertime the

Heat & smells become

Unbearable – be the

Windows ope or not

I love my city’s

Tube the underground &

Aboveground lines

The peculiar smell of

Old men – above seventy –

A mix of piss & after shave

Cigars & cheap liquor

A dog with gas

The vomit of a drunk

The underground is full of it

Public Transport Rotterdam

Drawn 12 June 2013 from Love in all moments

City

Of Poetry

International

I am drawn

& cycle towards

The epicentre

Of the

Wordshake

Earthquake

I am an

Activist poet

& guerrilla style

Operation

I put up a

Dozen poems

Albeit

In the wrong place

Spontaneity before preparation

I convince myself

That the 24th

Annual Meeting of the European

Society of Paediatric and

Neonatal Intensive Care

(ESPNIC)

Needs poetry as

Much as the next

Guy &

Maybe even more

So

After a 30 minute

Wait in the lobby

I find out that the

Hub of words hummed

By poetry prophets

Is right across

The street in the

Theatre

So

I up & walk over

No more poem posters

In bag

& as I promise myself to

Return tomorrow

To put up some more

Poems on the

City’s walls

I walk in

Showing that I belong here

& display my

Two books

&

When the announcer

-akin to a department

Store promoting its

Latest sales over its

PA

With a preceding ding

Dong ding –

Informs that the readings

Are about to begin

I too go in

& tonight I am in

The presence of

Equals

Elke Erb & Roland Jooris

Reading poetry in

Rotterdam

I stand out from

The audience in that

I have taken a door

That leads to an unseated

Area & a lonely

Camera operator

Live streaming the event

To the world

I am a poet

I don’t need to pay

To shower myself with

The poems of my peers

Interval time

Another display of my books

At a table where I am

Accompanied mere minutes

Later by an anthropological

Student &

Two literature

Students

The anthropologist to be

Strikes up a conversation

With me &

She asks me about how I

Experienced the readings &

About where I live &

What I read &

Whether I will do a

Reading of my own

Work

Etc etc

A pleasant exchange

Chance meeting of

Spoken words

Vs the written ones

I am present

Right where I should be

For it is my

Duty to be

Out there

Interacting &

Observing &

Taking in &

Spitting out

When I am

Heading toward my

Trusted bike to

Head home I feel

The cooling drizzle

& see how the

Anti-gravitational pull

Of the fountain that

Is there on

Theatre Square

Is stronger

Than the opposite

One

The rain drops fall

Yet the water that

Spouts up from

Street level in the

Air a good six

Feet high

Draws this girl

Nearer

Interested

Wet

Warm

A pleasant smile

Upon her young face

York, 6 April 2009 from Painfully Honest

On board the

Pride of Rotterdam

The Europoort

Embarked &

Cabined

The pre

Easter

Holidays

Have begun &

I will

Initiate

It

With a Guinness

Or three

We enjoy an

Evening meal

Sprinkled over with

Small talk

Students walking

Past and

Past again

Dancing

And then

Morning comes

I’m home

Again

Welcome back

Is screamed by

All things

English

A recognition

Beyond repair

Hello Hull

Hello Yorkshire

The rows and

Rows of hedges

Dual carriageways

The A1079

Past the exit

For

Nunburnholme

The sun is touching

Me

Through the

Glass windows

Of the coach

With sign

Saying that

Seat belts must be worn

At all times

B&Bs along the

Road

And road signs

Warn for crossing

Deer

The morning York

Brings the

National Railway Museum

Where I am awed

By train saloons

Of royalty

Among which

The Duke of Sutherland’s

Self-contained

Coal furnaced 2818 Great Western

Fin de siecle 19C

Bolted

Edward VII’s

Bathroomed

Bathtubbed saloon

And the saloon of

Queen Victoria

Who handpicked the

Bird’s eye maple and a mixture of red,

White and blue and gold silk materials

My kids would have loved to see

The trains & all their

Pump and circumstance &

The pride in heritage

Afternoon York

Is for

The Shambles &

Cream teas

In a quaint and

Rustic tearoom

Is for the

York Minster

Where the Quarter Jacks

Hammer

Where Jeremy

Muldowney

Passionately preaches

The gospel of Cathedrals

Glass-stained windows

Choirboys playing football

Inside

Market scenes inside

Sings about the

Quire

In old Yorvik

Where the Foss

Meanders

Quietly

I have a

Constant

Incessant smile

You give 6 January 2009 from No Shame

You give yourself

Unashamedly

Strike your different poses

I take delight

Your eyes look at me

As if I’m your prey for the night

I let you

At times you look

Into me

Trying to find all the

Answers and explanations

To your hurt

I hold you

Your head near my

Chest

You hear my beating

Heart

Saying ba-boom ba-boom boom

Boom

Rhythm of life

My life

Of which you

Now

Have become a part

A major role

That brings pleasure

And companionship

And joy

I rejoice and

Renounce

Each time

A small beautiful

Gift

That I did not

See coming

Expecting no thing

Happy with each thing

Given by you

Troubled

Sweet passionate

Girl

Give yourself

To me and

You alike