Matinee Muse #2

WHAT IF…
what if
I told you
that love isn’t true

what if
I said that
the ocean ain’t blue

what if
you believed
me just for one day

what if
my freedom
took your life away

what if
tomorrow
was much like today

what if
it rains when
we go out to play

what if
I miss you
will you miss me too

what if
what if I
fall in love with you
260708

RWP #37

WHAT SAY YOU
When you’re lying in the gutter
Long way from heaven's crown
I hear every word you utter
What say you when you’re down?

Tell me which ways the Milky Way?
Where is the galaxy?
Can you even see the stars hey?
Why won’t you talk to me?

Somebody made a wish for you
That you would be there too
There’s nothing to get mad about
If you can twist and shout.

Tell me which ways the Milky Way?
Where is the galaxy?
Can you even see the stars hey?
Why won’t you talk to me?

He got right up and bounced right back
and headed for the road
still spaced out from the attack
and jumping like a toad.

Tell me which ways the Milky Way?
Where is the galaxy?
Can you even see the stars hey?
Why won’t you talk to me?

You just can’t keep a good clown down
No matter how you try
He’ll turn up in another town
to make somebody cry

Tell me which ways the Milky Way?
Where is the galaxy?
Can you even see the stars hey?
Why won’t you talk to me?

When you’re lying in the gutter
Long way from heaven's crown
I hear every word you utter
What say you when you’re down?

Repeat...

240708

Rockin' Chair Writers. Prompt #4.

The Rockin' Chair Writers prompt today was :
When you seek out entertainment to relax,
what gives you the most pleasure?
For me, that has to be my blue suede shoes..

BLUE SUEDE SHOES
Blue suede, blue suede, blue suede shoes.
He only wears blue suede shoes.

Red ones green ones pink won’t do.
She only wears blue suede shoes.

Big ones, bad ones, baseball boots.
They only wear blue suede shoes.

Fab fit, phat fit, flat flip-flops.
Fi only wears blue suede shoes.

Winkle Pickers in the news.
I only wear blue suede shoes.

Eat your heart out Elvis P.
We only wear blue suede shoes.
150708

TOP Prompt - FOREIGN LANDS

FOREIGN LANDS
There’s only one way in, the tour guide tells us, as we prepare to jump.
We didn’t think about how we would get out of these foreign lands then.

As the aeroplane disappears, we begin to realise where we are.
Surrounded by an angry mob with guns in a small jungle clearing.

Yagadee baskins alba Choggludities! Their leader screams at us.
What’s he saying? All our group ask the tour guide to interpret at once.

With a fresh smile on his face he replies, Welcome to Choggludities!
Relieved momentarily, we relax till the shouting starts again.

Yest emen claxstungbery! Byst chem nader ich icer!
The brigand continues threateningly, screaming and pointing his gun.

The tour guide starts to look worried now that the great oaf has stopped yelling.
You will enjoy yourself! He starts to interpret, then adds; but not here!

240708

RWP #36

Written for the Read Write Poem prompt.
Inspired by Rick Mobbs Portrait of Nanda.

NANDA
Watering eyes
Faithfully watching
Peeling garlic
Dreading Vladimir’s return

Falling asleep
Eyes open knife ready
Silver bullet handgun drawn
Dead men don’t bite
210708

Rockin' Chair Writers. Prompt #3.

Partly because of last weeks
Rockin' Chair Writers Prompt
the following little verse has been
on my mind this week.

THESE STREETS
(ARE PAVED WITH GOLD!)
The church bells are ringing
the choristers are singing
London is calling you
I know 'cos London's
calling out to me too!

'And, I've been told
that these streets
are paved with gold!
A gleaming stream
of much told unseen gold!

Red, yellow, green or blue
it dosen't matter who
your vote goes to.

'Cos, I've been told
that these streets
are paved with gold!
A gleaming stream
of much told unseen gold!

Since Richard Whittington
told the world about
the London scene
people plot + people scheme
to replicate his dream.

And, I've been told
that these streets
are paved with gold!
A gleaming stream
of much told unseen gold!

The church bells are ringing
the choristers are singing
London is calling you
I know 'cos London's
calling out to me too!
3107

TOP Prompt - My Ghazal (attempt).

KISS
Caroline sent me a little kiss, a school notepaper crisscross kiss.
Then she puckered up her lips like this, and blew me a whacking great kiss.

Though I know it was hardly a touch, my first time I thought it enough.
And there will be time later for stuff, whenever I date her, to kiss.

Not a crime to be loved the first time, but does she still want me to come?
I can’t tell well by her rule of thumb, if only she’d give me a kiss.

She smiled licking her sensuous lips, and came in the bedroom last night.
Behind the door I put out the light, and she gave the mirror a kiss.

Oh Caroline where did I go wrong, did I say something to offend?
I only want you to be my friend, so please don’t refuse me a kiss.
160708

RWP #35

HATE
THE HEAT
sun
after sun
and more sun
on the way tomorrow
but not here
here it
is

persisting
it down
with the proverbial
don’t you know anyhow
we’ve been waiting
since february
for

weather
like you’ve
got over there
but i don’t care
don’t you just
hate the
heat
140708

Rockin' Chair Writers. Prompt #2.

NO MATTER WHERE YOU WALK
Montmatre to Montparnasse
Sorbonne to Pigalle.
Fifth Avenue to Forty second street
and Broadway.
No matter where you walk
these streets sing
and those walls talk.
If this was Paris
or New York
these streets would sing
those walls would talk.
But this is England
and it hums and it hums.
London and its rubber drums
Manchester and her slums...
11596

SHINING SHOES

Shining shoes at Waterloo, his medals at his side.
Jon was born in Salford in Eighteen ninety-five.

His Daddy came from Ireland a digger of the ditch -

The Ship Canal to Manchester -
that kept that city rich.

His Mammy was a mill lass in Ancoats Lancashire

She worked long days for little pay -
nothing much to cheer.
Jon's Grandpa was a Bargee -
on The Bridgewater

carting coals from Worsley to dirty Manchester.

By Nineteen ten, Jon’s schooling done –
an apprenticeship that was no fun …

from early morn to after dark
at an engineer's in Trafford Park.

At eighteen he went to France
to fight the German might.

Jon lost all his pals there but he came back alright!

He's got one leg to stand on
but man can't live on pride

shining shoes for farthings his medals at his side.

AS 1991

Glossary:

Waterloo is a railway station in London.

A Bargee lived and worked on the canal barges.

The Bridgewater is the oldest proper canal in England.

Ancoats is an area of Manchester where many cotton mills stand.

Trafford Park had many factories.

Farthings are old money, four farthings = one penny.

The Medals are from the first world war 1914-1918.

Brians prompt #1 "GOOD" & Farewell to Writers Island (for now)

Brian has put a poetry prompt on his blog,
he says: write about something, someone, someplace that represents Good in your life.
My responce is below.
Wanna have a go? clink-the-link-Here.

THE GOOD SPORTS
I know where all
the good sports
live in Salford.
Bobby's got an
MG BGT.
Simon drives a
Porsche Carrera
that's simple
to remember.
Jackie's got
an XJS
and Bobby's
brother has an
E-type under wraps.
I haven't seen a
Frog eyed Sprite
but there's a TR6
going to waste
in Weaste.
And in Seedley
Pete the stud
drives his Stag
on nights out
with the boys.
Like I said
I know where all
the good sports
live in Salford.
SC1992
Previously published in Cowardy Custard's Last Stand in Salford (c) Danny Wise 1992
and posted in StraightTalkingStreetTalkingSweetTalkingGuy.. my pub-poetry archive.

TOP Prompt - 'First Giraffe'

ZARAFA
was the first Giraffe
in France.
Some
say
she
was
as
tall
as
a
small
tree.
And that she walked from
Marseilles to Paris.
Zarafa
grew
to
almost
two
floors
high.
And still lives -
preserved by taxidermy.

PC010708

RWP#33 Wordplay..

Prompt from Read Write Poem:Wordplay -
My list was: blog, Face Book, My Space, Internet, link,
word, Google, search, Yahoo, Twitter, web, site and surfing.
VIRTUAL DATE
She said, that she clinked-his-link from Google
while surfing the net with search word strudle.
He said, On Yahoo I'm at number two
over at Twitter more bitter than blue.
She said, Yeah my name is Internet Kate
and I'm looking for a virtual date.
He said, Hey anytime your blog or mine?
Or any site on the web will be fine...
She said, Please come for a drink at My Space!
A glass of wine from the virtual vine?
He said, Okay baby that would be ace
and we can do it on Face Book next time.
290608

Have you tried Space Invaders!
my-work-in-progress-novel yet? Clink-the-link HERE

TOP Summertime..

SUMMERTIME
The window is above my head
but I can see the sky and I
can study the cloud patterns and
the movement of the wind and rain.

I watched the clouds go by today,
they moved slowly from right to left
across the ever changing screen
across my living canvas too
across my four foot two by two
of window pane above my head.

The sunlight is so strong these days
it must be summertime again.
240608

TOP Fashionista is a beautiful rose!

Fashionista!
Fashionista! was previously aired on my Proper Joe's blog last October.
I thought it was about time I brought it over to Sweet Talking Guy..

FASHIONISTA!
Fashion-sister, skin and blister
No, she's not Budgie's bird no more,
since she's been dressing oh so slick
Hell, she's sure not nobodies chick!
And when she goes to cross the street
the cab and bus drivers honk - beep!
Her stripy tops and dots on socks
look the part with her golden locks
fashion-sister, skin and blister
can't resist her - Fashionista!
Danny Wise 231007

Cat kidnapped and held to ransom!
Unbelievable but true...
You can read all about it and other breaking news in
Nicola Batty's Newsletter
Raw Meat..
clink-the-link-HERE

THE SUGAR SHAKE BEAT
You can do The Sugar Shake Beat.
When you kiss my lips, sweet sweet.
You can shake your hips – like this…
When you’re dancing down the street
To the Sugar Beet Suite, that’s bliss,
Sublime, sweetness – little sweet Miss.
Yeah, that’s neat! Up outta yer seat!
Now you can do, The Sugar Shake Beat!

Go do The Sugar Shake Beat
Down at - The Sugar Beet Suite.
Yeah, you can dance, that’s neat,
Go do The Sugar Shake Beat.

If you wanna look cool, sweet chic.
Make me look a fool, sweet sweet.
You can shake your hips – like this…
This time really move your feet
At the Sugar Beet Suite, sweet bliss,
Red wine, sweet lips - little sweet Miss.
Hey, that’s cool! Who you gonna meet?
That’s what I call, The Sugar Shake Beat!

Chorus

The Stones were rolling out the beat.
Made Brown Sugar neat, sweet sweet.
You can shake your hips – like this…
When you’re groovin’ to the beat
Down The Sugar Beet Suite, sweet bliss,
One step, two feet. Little sweet Miss.
You’re really dancing at the Suite!
All stand up for, The Sugar Shake Beat!
DW161007 previously published on Proper Joe's

Alabama Mama..

ALABAMA MAMA
Mama once the pride of Alabama
She wants a place - she needs a place to stay
Maybe bed and board for a day or three
Hey, she keeps herself to herself no sweat
she won’t fight; she won’t get high as a kite
she won’t go down to Times Square late at night.

She’ll be at Pennsylvania station
On the train from the penitentiary
So, look out for Alabama Mama
Meet her there if you’ve got a room to spare.
She’ll be up with the lark, home before dark.
She’ll hang out and jog around Central Park
Won’t be under your feet or in your way…

The very first day she got out of jail
She went straight down to Times Square late at night.
Met phoney cronies got high as a kite
Tried to walk, talk New York, Al-a-bam-a!
Somebody hit her - somebody bit her
She got in a fight, what a fuss, a farce.
Yeah, but Alabama Mama’s alright!
130508

TOP 'Transformation'

ON HIGH ^High in the Andes where the air is thin
One man said he saw god step off a cloud.
Where does earth end and outer space begin?
The high-way code: No sky-walking allowed!

But with just one word he could heal the sick.
Make a stone bleed? Turn water into wine!
Move mighty mountains and make the dead quick!
Walk on water and fish without a line.

One day a crowd gathered at Galilee
Five thousand hungry souls for him to feed
He sent five loaves and two fish from the sea
When each of them had eaten to his need

His helpers went to gather up the crumbs
Enough to feed five thousand of his chums.
080508

TOP - "Like a Cowbird"

COOL CAT!
The cat sat on the mat
nobody told her to
she just sat there
'cos that's what cats do.
Nobody showed her
how to dig a hole
or how to catch a mouse.
She just knew what to do.
We speak to her in
English and Swahili
and she answers
with a miaow.
How clever's that?
She's a cool cat!
300408

While the sun shines..

Inspiration from Totally Optional Prompts 'A Person' and the cheesy chat up line;
You're so beautiful you need to take ugly pills to make you look normal..
MAKING HAY..
You’re still there with me all my waking day
and even though you say that you don’t care
I know for sure that I’m still with you there
And things don’t change from week to week do they?

Why do you try so hard to stay awake
Hey thunder thighs, just buy the next size dress
‘cos photographs can lie and cause distress
I’ve got some ugly pills that you can take

You’re beautiful in my mind anyhow
And these days nights come all to soon for me
But all my dreams are your memories now
When I awake it’s you that I do see

I can’t remember when I placed the bet
Sometimes it’s so much better to forget
150408

Flight.. Writers Island #30

IMAGINATION
If you can talk
you can fly...
That's what the
high fliers tell me.
They're floating man,
when they communicate.
Poets are like that.
Give them a quill,
some ink,
a moment to think!
And their imagination
takes off.
AS19396

TOP Regional Poetry

THE PARCEL POST
Eee bah gum, bonny lad
It’s a reet cowead day fer it, in’t it?

I’ll say, aye, I’ll say,
it’s a reet bit parky, allreet!

Gooun then tha’ bonny lad
Threw some wood on fear…

An’ thee mate turns up t' blow
'eater in cab o’ thirty foot wagon.

Tha’s betta, says dri-ver.
As they ‘ead t’ next drop.

Fictional Northern Accent UK..
020408

TOP Novelty...

Inspiration from the first chapter of Making Time by Steve Taylor.
ON THE PISTE
She went to France up
on the Piste to ski.
Down the slopes she met
a bloke A, B, C.
The pair of them got
plastered, Brahms + Liszt.
Together in his
Chalet, they bunked-up.
In the morning he
asked her with clenched fist:
Did time stop for you
too last night my sweet?
She said, No! My heart
hardly missed a beat.
TC-91107

STIX STAX TRICKS TRAX
He takes four sticks and makes a frame
and hangs it from a tree.
Then he stands back and looks at it
and he sure likes what he can see...
So, Wizzy Lizzy, or call him what you will.
But he's got an ever changing window -
on eternity - an image that only he can see...
260308

Pure Poetry!

THE ESCAPE
The best action film ever...
The following film is pure poetry and was made last summer by my son Jack and his friends Daniel and Robert. Jack is the one with the blonde hair and the orange shirt. There is some sound loss in a couple of places but it's well worth watching to the bitter end.

TOP Smoke and Mirrors

HOW THE BISCUIT BREAKS
A man knocks on my front door.
Have you got twenty quid you can lend me? He asks.
Go on man, please! Don’t be tight. It's nothing these days, is it?
I’m a mechanic; you can keep my tools - ‘til I pay you back.
Straight up, man. Honest! He pleads, until I give in.
He leaves a box of spanners on my doorstep and pockets the dosh.

Two days later he returns, with a bicycle.
I’ve not got your candy yet, Andy. He starts.
I’ve got a job though, he tells me. So, I need my tools back.
But you can keep my bike till I get paid – then I’ll see you right!
Trust me, man. Please! He begs, the same old script.
I hand him the spanners and put his cycle in my cellar.

The day after that, he comes back, rat a tat, tat, on my door.
Have you got another ten you can give me? He squirms.
Please man, I need it to buy food for my mum, she’s not well!
And can I borrow the bike back? So I can visit her in hospital?
You know you’ll get it back, you can trust me. Can’t you?
He takes the bicycle and a ten pound note… crumbs!
MSC110308

TOP Different Voices

WHEN YOU'RE IN THE MOOD!
I hope you're not too blue,
I know it's late at night etc.
But I'm still up + when I'm up,
I'm still thinking of you...
Moody Tuesday!

TELLY GURU'S
THE HAT HE CHEWED?
Empathy? Not me,
it's pathetic how much
time they waste -
placating ego's
all over the place.
They always know
better than you -
they always will -
'til you stand up
and tell them to -
Stop talking shit!
It's a really bad attitude
that they've got -
they get it from
Telly guru's like Trinny
and What's 'er face? -
It's the way they
condescendingly say
things like -
Have a word with him!
-and -Dress down -
not up.
Full colour -
but - Not clown! -
High Street -
Not - small town.
And all the time
they force that
perfected frown -
that means so much
to their self esteem.
They can't help being cruel.
They think they're being
kind to you, by pointing
out all your facial lines...
Those Telly Guru's,
And the way they whine!
291106/2

TOP Send a message..

HOW TO CATCH A MAN
Roses are red, Violets are blue,
Dilly dilly, Lavender too!

Secret incantations she chants:

We would whittle whistles with wood
We would, Willy willy, with wood.
We work with whistles, when we walk.
We would work with whistles we would!

She whispers nonsensical things
and untangles a piece of string
under the candle light she views
a ring, a room, a cat and broom
a spare chair, a candle and string.

That’s all she needs to catch a man,
she puts the gold ring on the string
and ties a knot and thinks of him.
She makes a cats cradle and chants
a secret message to her man:

Lavender's blue, Diddle diddle,
Rosemary's green.
When you are King, Diddle diddle,
I shall be Queen!
260208

TOP Romantic..

From my pub-poetry archive!
StraightTalkingStreetTalkingSweetTalkingGuy..

JANET OR JAYNE?

(SOUNDS LIKE JANITOR JANE)
I was strolling down a country lane
when I saw a girl so I asked her name
she said Janet! or was it Jayne?

Janet or Jayne? Janet or Jayne?
did she say Janet! or did she say Jayne?

The next time I went down that lovers lane
she was standing there again
I said Janet? she said Jayne!

Janet or Jayne? Janet or Jayne?
did she say Janet! or did she say Jayne?

So that was the end of my lovers lane
I simply forgot to remember her name!
did she say Janet! or did she say Jayne?

Janet or Jayne? Janet or Jayne?
did she say Janet? No, she said Jayne!
7689

TOP Letter to the editor.

'DINOSAURS AND FANGS'
For attention of
Mister T Rex, Editor.
Dear Sir, Or should that be Sire? for you see in my book, T Rex is King.
Anyway, I dug up this big thing, the other day in the Jura.
I thought it was a dead hound at first, but then I found this massive tooth.
And the first thing I thought about was you and your dead good magazine.
I read it all the time man, sorry I mean Sir, or should that be Sire?
I'm only asking 'cos it's polite and good manners to enquire.
So anyway, let me get down to the gist of it, I wrote a rhyme.
It was a poem about my find, and I took a photo for it too.
I thought you just might publish it, like Totally Optional Prompts do.
It starts like this - Don't talk to me about dinosaur bones, hell I've got...
It's all in the package that I sent to you, hey did you hear about...?
Oh No, you didn't think it was a bomb did you? I heard about the blast...
TOP-130208

RWP #14 "ode to the body"

I'M FIGHTING BACK
I've got a diagnostic army in my head
feels like soldiers made of plastic, tin and lead.
They are marching up and down to find my brain
and a chemical brigade invades my vein.
Ack-ack-ack, Ack-ack-attack! I'm fighting back!

Of course, when the diagnosis didn't work
they sent for the Neuro-Surgeon Doctor Burke.
Who wanted to drill a hole into my head
It's a simple operation, so he said.
Ack-ack-ack, Ack-ack-attack! I'm fighting back!

So I took my head to see another Quack
all he did was stick a needle in my back.
But hey, even if and when, they find my brain
I'll hide my mind, my soul, my memory lane.
Ack-ack-ack, Ack-ack- attack! I'm fighting back!

Next time they're going to scan me, front and back
but please, don't send me to that Quack 'Flat-tyre Jack!'
Ack-ack-ack, Ack-ack-attack! I won't come back!
120208

RWP #13 Sacrifice...

MORE QUESTIONS THAN ANSWERS!
Question one;
Would you shoot yourself in the head?
Question two;
Would you cut off your foot to spite your leg?
Question three;
Why do you smoke behind the school bike shed?
Answer one;
Life’s too short!
Answer two;
You’re a long time dead!
161107

Writers Island #21- Changed..

THE WORD POET
How to make the word Poet.
First take some ingredients
and put them in a big pot...
What else goes into the pot?
asked the little girl in red.
Is it a hot melting pot?
she adds, before he replies.
Yes, it's a pig-iron pot
it gets very, very hot!
Is it a magic spell pot?
Yes, it's a magic cold or
hot kind of magic spell pot!
Why is it magic? she asks.
Well, because, because, Because
pot can be changed to read top,
top can be changed to read opt.
Opt to pea-too or even
tee-poo and oh-tea-pee, phew!
Granted all which when chanted
in secret incantation.
Or just by adding an E
you can make the word Poet
as if by magic from pot.
That's why it's a magic spell
and poet no E's just pot!
WI21-090208

TOP MYSTERY

POET-TREE
(THE ANAGRAM OF EDEN)
The circle of the earth
had four corners once
and an inferior intelligence
created its inhabitants.
But the Poet god, came down
and banished the pretender
from his presence.
The Poet god annihilated
the hidious dis-order and
established a new creation.
But the pre-creator was
a snake in the grass and
he outstayed his welcome.
The hothouse in the centre
of the sphere began to sprout.
The Poet god called this place
the garden of Eden.
Next, he made a main man
to represent himself.
And the banished serpent slid off
to beyond the four corners
of the earth.
The Poet god brought the animals
and the plants and the trees
in the garden for the main man
to name. Then he made a woman
for the man. The main man was
Adam and the woman was Eve.
And Eve, was to be Adam's wife.
And they were to live together,
naked, forever, in the garden.
Then one day long after
the Poet god had gone, the
snake in the grass re-appeared.
Who are you? asked Adam
who knew everything.
Where did you come from?
Enquired Eve, who now knew
something Adam didn't know.
'From the four corners of the earth.'
The serpent lied. Planting the seed
of need in the garden.
But the Poet god didn't make you!
Said Adam, adamantly.
'The Poet god didn't tell you everything!'
Replied the resplendant pretender.
We want to know, we need to know!
Said Eve, speaking for both of them.
And the snake climbed the Poet tree
and threw down some fruit.
It is forbidden! cried the naked couple,
The Poet god said! - 'But forgot to mention',
interjected the serpent. 'That when you
taste the fruit of knowledge from
The Poet tree, you will be like he.'
And the pretender slithered off, back to
beyond the four corners of the earth.
If we eat the fruit of The Poet tree
we'll be like the Poet god!
Said naive Eve.
And Adam in his wisdom agreed.
A greed which turned the anagram
of Eden into need!
AS28492
Just to let you know! The February issue of Nicola Batty's Newsletter Raw Meat is now Online at: http://rawprintz.blogspot.com/

RWP Clothes..

The Oxfam Shop...

TWOPENNY CHIC
Dress up to kill
dress up to the nines
the nifty nineties
are waiting for you.

Ties are old hat,
suits are worn with boots.

Obey the 'Dress Code' means:
No trainers, no jeans!
Or, know the bouncer.

Oxfam's okay for clothes
but a bit expensive for the
Twopenny Chic.
Danny Wise 1997