This collection, written between 1970 and 2004, contains 33 poems on subjects as diverse as ' comments on building sites' to 'being eaten by a tiger'.
THIRTY ONE
There was a house, cor what a dive,
And a neighbour shouted, "Man alive!
What is this noise, this deep, deep beat,
That roars out over Dodson Street?"
His friend shouts back, "Don't worry son,
It's all those bums in thirty-one."
- my flat in waterloo, london -
DISTORTED ECHOES
Last week I bought a pig called Peter,
a present for my wife, but she didn't want it.
Last week Peter bought a pig for a present
but my wife, she didn't want it.
Peter bought she, a present for my pig
but last week I didn't want my wife.
Peter bought the wife a she pig
and last week it was a present.
Then the pig ate my wife.
Now there's a ******* present!
- drunk & disorderly -
TIGER - TIGER
The tiger's coming darling,
See the sights - the black-gold stripes,
The eyes that seem to stare and stare.
See the way it smells you darling,
Look, the grass is moving there,
Smell the musk - the cat like odour,
See the claws that tear and tear.
Feel the way it wants you darling,
As it pulls you limb from limb,
You'll not wander anymore,
Now that you are inside him.
- that’ll stop her fooling around -
A PECULIAR MAN
I like to walk in the woods at night
And sit by myself in the dark
I like to argue all the time
And stand on my head in the park
I like to dress in clothes so gay
And laugh and sing when I can
I like to do these things and more
'Cos I'm a peculiar man
