A WASTING SONG

for DB

Travelling east
from Westminster
on the Jubilee line,
you lose one year
off your life
for each stop
you don't get off at.

Ulcers on the feet which go untreated.
Violence from passers by.
Unable to wash or shower on your period.
Being discharged from prison to the streets.
Exhaustion from walking around at night.
Being scared.

Westminster
Waterloo
Southwark
London Bridge

People are quick
to tell you to pick
yourself up.
Premature death.

Bermondsey

I shoplift for basics —
milk and bread.
People in their dressing gowns
at 3.30 in the afternoon.
Depression.
Black moods.
I live like I'm in prison.

Britain's big freeze.
The brutal Arctic blast.
A biting wind.
5000 deaths in a long, dead winter.

Canada Water
Canary Wharf

Oil and tar.

The body was still
in a bag at the scene
guarded by police
five hours after
it was dragged from the river.

A second body was recovered
by RNLI 
at 8.08 a.m.

North Greenwich
Canning Town
West Ham
Stratford

Something going down in #Westfield,
Popo and cordens.
Somebody got themselves stabbed in #Westfield.
Can't even get to Nando's.

RIP the young man
who got stabbed
to death today
in Stratford #Westfield.

It's a
sad
world
we live

WATTER

Sheffield Floods — June 2007

It were pouring ahrtat sky an up frompt gutter
an ahrtat river. It were evryweer. All that watter
submergint Wicker, runnin undert arches 
an all owert roads. It were all owert news. 
Thi were folk on Calendar waist deep, wadin
after cars that fluated like dinghies up Brightside
t Medderall. It were all dahnstairs in the'er.
Mannequins lookt like dead bodies aftert Titanic
went down, bobbin ont surface like corpses.
All at cluathes were ruined wi sewage. Shittud
come up ahrtat drains and intat watter. It were toxic.
Two were killed, swept away bit current,
an owd bluake crossint road an a young lad 
who got t close ast river erupted. I dint know em,
burra do nahr, an as quick as it come it were gone.

MOON RIVER

Moon River, wider than a mile,
That bastard is upstairs bathing again,
I'm crossing you in style some day.
while downstairs his children imagine his death.
Oh dream maker, you heartbreaker,
The soap and the lather bury his neck.
wherever you're going, I'm going your way.
If only the bastard would cut his throat.


Two drifters, off to see the world.
He slaps himself with vinegary cologne.
There's such a lot of world to see.


My mother remember's the way he dressed to meet her.
We're after the same rainbow's end,
And, after he'd cheat on her, he'd beat her
waiting round the bend,
and stumble into bed beside her
my Huckleberry friend,
and promise her


Moon River and me.