A rainy morning in Wareham ...

I'm sitting in The Salt Pig, reading about Prince Charles' black spider memos - 

There, in front of me, is a photograph of a huge smooth royal face - 

The pages of my Independent are wrinkled by rainwater and scandal -

I'm still chilled by the sudden cloudburst - 

The High Street is almost empty - puddles brim - raindrops stream down the hoods of cagoules - 

There's no sign of the Crossword Gang - 

In the window, on their bed of ice, are bright fish and lobsters - 

I sip my cappuccino - 

A sloe-eyed girl is chalking today's menu upon a blackboard - 

The rain's stopping - 

Soon the road sweeper with the cowboy hat will appear - 

The gentle town will wait for sunshine - 

11.30

Thursday 14 May 2015

The Salt Pig

Wareham 

Purbeck

 

The Circus Zyair ...

On my way back from Waitrose, I walked past The Richard Cobden - 

The boarded up windows of the derelict pub were plastered with gaudy flyers - 

The Circus Zyair was in town - I'd seen the Big Top in the park - 

Lean motorcyclists would dice with death under bright canvas - clowns would gurn and caper - the marvelling audience would watch shapely girls cheat gravity - 

I recalled the trapeze artiste in Wings of Desire - the angel Cassiel had walked into her lonely dreams - he left the world of pale eternity to enter her world of colour - 

I wondered what angel might now be listening my thoughts - 

I could sense the touch of slender fingers upon my brow, picture the calm ancient eyes -

11.45

Tuesday 12 May 2015

West Street

Havant 

Hampshire 

The cricketers ...

The sulky barista in Cafe Nero sashayed round the tables - we sat with our cappuccinos, treasuring each moment away from the airless lounge - 

Outside, in the precinct, mobility scooters carried shoppers to Poundland - 

Later, we walked through the park - 

Cricketers in white flannels were emerging from a small pavilion - play was resuming after tea - 

Trees in new leaf cast shadows upon the grass - 

The hands on my watch were moving again - soon they would slow, then stop - 

The cricketers were like angels, welcoming us into Eden - 

16.30

Sunday 11 May 2015

The park

Havant

The violinist ...

It was Tuesday Market Day in Havant - a bravo demonstrated a hi tech mop, barking his well honed spiel - 

A grizzled beldame stirred onions frying on a griddle - a dacoit sold thin anoraks - 

I walked between the stalls like Jep Gambardella -  

I heard the music of a languorous violin - each ravishing note was like a jewelled bird - 

In front of the entrance to the Meridien Centre, a man in a dark tail coat was taking a bow - 

His violin was the shining key to a beautiful hidden world - 

11.30

Tuesday May 12 2015

Outside the Meridien Centre

Havant 

Hampshire

My dad never hears the phone ...

My dad never hears the phone - 

He'll sit in his armchair, in his diving bell of memory, lifting his glass of Tanglefoot - 

The landlord of The Beresford handed out free beer my dad will say, remembering VE Day -

The phone will ring and ring in the hallway - 

The names of dead brothers are written upon scraps of paper - 

My dad still hears their voices - 

21.30

Sunday 10 May 2015

Staunton Road

Havant 

The front page of the Daily Mail ...

I glanced at the Daily Mail headline whilst leaving Sainsburys - 

This was your victory I read - 

Middle England had saved the nation from Red Ed - 

I knew that sleek faces would fill the TV screens - 

Instead of oily words, I'd hear the hissing of reptiles - 

I felt a wild pity for those who lived behind mean doors - 

Laments would be sung in the shopping parades - thin creatures would haunt Poundland - 

Above the Daily Mail headline there was an offer of a free Princess Charlotte rose - 

11.30

May  9 2015

Sainsburys 

Wareham 

Dorset

Waking up the day after the election ...

I had no wish to get up this morning - I lay still, like a morose beast, under the duvet - 

I'd hid my I phone with its grim tweets under the pillow - 

Cherry rang - she'd been up all night for the count - 

Five more years she said - 

Why do they do it Chris - why do they do it? - 

07.45

May 8 2015

The Old School House

East Stoke 

Dorset