The last week of winter

We heard the Simoom all night -

This was the last week of winter -

The tall palm trees bowed before the wind -

There were white horses on the dark blue dazzle of the sea - 

Sharm el Sheikh 

February 2025

In the Piano Bar

In the Piano Bar -

Whiskey and soda in a long glass -

Wearing a louche shirt -

Blue boat shoes - 

Cormac McCarthy -

A boy singing 

Coral Sea Sensatori 

February 2025

One hour to sunset

Tall palm trees casting longer shadows -

The sun lower in the sky -

A cool wind from the sea -

One hour to sunset -

My skin still salty -

Sand in my hair -

Sharm el Sheikh 

February 2025

Below the icy blue of heaven

A bright cloud world below the shining wing -

Listening to the engines singing -

Here in the white jet -

Just below the icy blue of heaven -

Above Egypt 

February 2935

A room still filled with memory

A room still filled with memory - 

Bentley -

A story of Africa -

A strong hand filling my midnight glass -

Ferring

February 2025

A white jet

A white jet waits for me -

Chilled by the air above the clouds -

It knows my name -

Touches the earth for just one moment -

Carries me into the dazzling sky -

The Old School House 

East Stoke 

February 2024

The last Jamesons

The last Jamesons -

Just before midnight - 

Memory in my glass - 

The Old School House

East Stoke 

February 2025

Hidden by clouds

The bay at night -

Sitting in the car, listening to the radio -

The stars hidden by clouds - 

Swanage 

February 2025

All those lost names

The trees reflected in the water - 

The white sky -

The sadness of the carnations -

All those lost names -

Arne

Dorset 

February 2025

Glimpsing the edge of the world

Tony Bennett singing The Very Thought Of You -

The gentle trees outside -

Remembering Geraldine - 

Her fearlessness and beauty -

Mel's wounded smile -

The handshakes, eulogies -

Nat King Cole singing Unforgettable -

Glimpsing the edge of the world - 

Dorset

2025

Invisible guests

I see invisible guests on the stairs - 

They brush past me - 

Waiting always for midnight -

Whispering in my ear - 

The Grand Hotel

Swanage

December 2024

After watching Uncanny

Climbing midnight stairs - 

Suddenly afaid - 

A voice in my throat - 

Growling in the fevered bed - 

A room I dare not empty - 

White arms around my neck - 

Memories of bad dreams - 

Dark wings beating against my face -

The Old School House

East Stoke, Dorset

February 2025

Knowing I must be here

Knowing I must be here - 

Waiting for the fascists - 

Swathed in my tweed against a bitter wind - 

Swanage

February 2025

Lifting his glass

Each velvety glass -

While reading Ulysses - 

My dad's words on the frontispiece -

Here they are -

Buck M, Stephen D -

Leopold and Molly and the rest -

Read and enjoy -

Seeing him here with me - 

Lifting his glass -

The Old School House 

East Stoke

February 2025

No ice then in his heart

Singing his first song -

Holding the guitar close -

The gentle eyes of the one who drew him here -

No ice then in his heart, only love -

The Rex

Wareham 

February 2025

Sunday on Middle Beach

Breathing chill salty air -

A wind surfer razoring the bright waves -

The wind blowing through the dunes -

A leafless tree against the sky - 

Middle Beach 

Studland 

February 2025

My younger self holding me by the hand

Walking these noble galleries - 

The heart of my city of dream and memory - 

My younger self holding me by the hand - 

British Museum 

London 

January 2025

Saying merhaba

Gazing at the lamps in Armans -

Almond croissants -

Jake dreaming -

The Turkish girl smiling -

Saying merhaba - 

Armans

Salisbury 

February 2025

Long fallen leaves

I'm in Java -

My fingers still numb -

My coat thrown across a painted chair -

I remember the villas -

Hearing their voices - 

A cold wind from the sea -

Chilling pale gardens -

Stirring long fallen leaves -

Java

Swanage 

February 2025 

Reminding me of Gormenghast

We stood beneath the broken tower -

Below us, sheep grazed on the steep hillside -

This shattered limb of stone -

The brutal walls -

Reminding me of Gormenghast -

The Tower of Flints -

Steerpike with his narrow blade -

Fuschia with her wild black hair -

Corfe Castle 

February 2025

I look for pearls

Ryuichi Sakamoto's Undercooled -

Such sad beauty -

Walking under the January sky -

I hear the music in my head -

Waves break on an empty shore -

I look for pearls upon the sand -

Swanage Bay

January 2025

Walking down Tottenham Court Road

Walking down Tottenham Court Road -

The many tongued crowd - 

The lights coming on against the dark - 

The faces glimpsed for a moment, then forgotten - 

Tottenham Court Road 

London

January 2025

Half-English

A half English in Beavers -

Not far from the grey sea -

Fiery dollops of mustard -

The salty ribbon of bacon -

Watching the pensioners -

The empty street -

The young waitress who looks like a sexy land girl -

Her cropped dark hair, the beguiling corduroy -

Beavers

Swanage 

February 2025

Snobbery with violence

Dornford Yates and Dundee Cake - 

Sipping tea in The Bear - 

Louche pages - 

Snobbery with violence - 

The Bear

Wareham

January 2025

The smile of an exile

Inside the sleek uber, I sat next to the driver- 

He smiled the smile of an exile - 

In his head, the music of his country - 

The words of its poets -

The voices of its children - 

East Village

London

January 2025

The harvest of the dark goddess

An Amazon on her rearing horse -

Long thighed, pale as the moon -

A beautiful naked youth, a follower of Theseus -

Slender arm outstretched, holding up his shield -

Kneeling, helpless for a fatal moment - 

Soon to be killed in his fresh beauty -

The British Museum 

London 

January 2025

More love, more love

 

Snowdrops in the churchyard - 

Light from heaven on the bright grass -

A white tree against the sky -

More love, more love - 

St Mary the Virgin

East Stoke

January 2025

Memory walked with me

Rain fell on the market - 

Young mums sipped mochas in a Gail's -

I rifled through XXL shirts in a charity shop - 

Wallace bought an Arsenal shirt - 

Memory walked with me on the glimmering pavement - 

First steps on Wanstead Flats, a snatched coffee in Nice Croissant - 

Wanstead Village

London

January 2025

Hearts weighed against a feather

We are drawn to the mummies -

These painted cocoons - 

Their dark mystery - 

The image of an implacable hand - 

Hearts weighed against a feather -

British Museum

London

January 2025

Air tasting of dust and electricity

I felt the wind from the deep tunnels - 

Breathed air tasting of dust and electricity - 

Wallace walked on ahead - 

Put up his hood against the wind - 

Tottenham Court Road Tube Station 

January 2025

Nimble marineros

We climbed the stairs to the upper deck like nimble marineros - 

Gazed out at the sleek glass of the City - 

Wallace, turning to me, eyes shining - 

City of London

January 2025

Looking out for our darlings

We looked out for our darlings - 

Sunlight flooded the concourse - 

The air was chill and full of voices - 

My heart would hold this moment - 

Seeing them under the high roof, coming towards us - 

Being tongue-tied with love - 

Kings Cross Station

London

January 2025

Impeccable marble

That imperial gaze - 

The impeccable marble - 

The brow, slightly furrowed - 

That assurance of absolute command - 

British Museum

London

January 2025

Atlantis

I felt the cool fingers of a spell around my wrist - 

The lure of arcane volumes - 

Strange names were whispered in my ear - 

Shadows flickered against the glass - 

Atlantis Bookshop

Bloomsbury

January 2025

White wands

Birch trees in East Village -

White wands against icy blueness - 

Jets lost in the shining air - 

East Village

London 

January 2025

Windows in the sky

Waking up in the pristine tower - 

Sunlight falling on windows in the sky - 

High above the wailing police cars - 

The ubers waiting in Celebration Avenue - 

Vigo House

East Village

London

January 2025

Wallace wears his Odegaarde shirt

Wallace wearing his Odegaarde shirt -

Moving his token from South bay to Peaseholm Park - 

Landing then on my heart - 

Holding it in his hand -

Olympic Village

London 

January 2025

After the sauna

After the sauna, coffee overlooking the bay - 

A memory of a woman's glistening body - 

My red scarf thrown across a chair - 

The Grand Hotel

Swanage

December 2024

Mystic ale

Charlie fills his glass with mystic ale - 

Drinks deeply, like a mariner - 

With each dark bottle, dreams of Glastonbury - 

The Old School House

East Stoke 

December 2024