Monday 27 April 2020

Another Right Royal Tanka


Give over at least
One palace/bed it's simple
Wartime language stops
'Cept these are field hospitals
And do not do not do not

Saturday 25 April 2020

Nirvana's First Release

with plastic duck-necked clout
germ free on the in
blue on the out
for all the face squealers
easy peelers
into your arms

feel us

Career Path

Job title:

Leaf Blower
⬇️
Royal Correspondent

Qualifications:

➡️Public speaking on the necessity of the giant wasp
➡️Conversion course in oil to hot air without sound loss
➡️Upskills for when something trivial crops, a tiny gust, to pop
➡️Weapons grade in invoicing cost
➡️Ability to show established dead matter who is boss

Wednesday 22 April 2020

Kaffeeklatsch on Sedamplatz


Show yourself, you callous fuck… 
was his prod to the purposely blurry. 

How much the mostly guys, are costing us? He gob asked and head shook

to the smell of burning laughter as
another pointless shower counts the cost

of the part spun, half done brainwash. 
His requirements were notes on a pizza box 

and a dry cigarette, his adamants
felt the ease of their flaneurial disease

and in his boys' broken down urchin shirt, 
he saw bistro chairs snap over contract

with the air of permanent flair, normally reserved for the undeserved out there.

Keep off the Brass


In a brass neck romance,
you self-wind out
and then back in again,
'cos your glory morning
Seb Coe technique's
of more peak import
than fucking anything.

Tuesday 21 April 2020

On the 451

On the 451 pieces of '81
Garfield shoots across the cornslips

The spark of the millionth
crash causes pot stir

as the Wednesday Whitmans
scope strip horrors in a blur

The sleepers cover faces
at Orient vs Rangers

and the programme note reads
1st page: I'm gonna miss me

Saturday 18 April 2020

Candid Dates

Vote for the candid
Date the leaders who aren't that
Into the crude noise
Of their bonce
For once

Late Night Momentanka

Love pickled chilli
Cig'rets poetry of heft
And redder wine left
Crap flapjack self-laced with choc'lot
All else can fuck right off

Friday 17 April 2020

The Architect - A Book Title and Other Media Cut-Up #4

The architect's craft prospers
across the pond, alright. 

He closes the metal polish tin, 
sinks the rye, 

tips his small felt hat to
the long mood that looms. 

As calling birds
weed out the soft centres, 

the hive war's blank havocs
labour under cold dot tests. 

He buys a website: governmentmanspocketnutmeg.neveragain

He writes: Book the Summer Motel. 
Book the terrible flights. 

He finds the 'country girl' cover, live. 
He finds that sketchy neon superheroes

do the minimum. 
He writes: This Life is Wearing

Not a haiku #71

You've not read Pre-Tend?
Should read Pre-Tend. He's very
good this time of year.

Poli Tanka Walk



A walk down the street
Is akin to politique
The left's fine with us
The right we know all about
Beware that shifty middle https://t.co/PXMeVcpdE2

Thursday 16 April 2020

Gobwork Clock

Brace yourselves three times a day.
Do not wait for an appointment.
Salivate at maximum rate.
Don't buy mouthwash.

These socks will knock their ownselves off. 
This badge is kicking it right fucking out.
This hat is not a communist threat.
This protest is not a tick, cock.

This is not a wind-up.

These shoes may be bourgeois affectation,
But these teeth are mobile factories,
These fillings are miner's craft, 
This floss is weavers' work, 

This dance is diff'rent. 

Handed words tonguing flyered gums, 
Petitioned thoughts that breech, 
The dam of speech from
This damn mouth.

Clock it. 
This movement is fucking knockout. 

Midnight Cowboy

Kids across the way
In a Polish sort of way 
Are doing
What twenty years ago say
We did parky with
Sparks and swears
Your Mam jokes
Stokes us back
To youth
Language 
Tough on the out
Soft on the in
Behind tins
Near midnight bins
Are memories
To the midnight smoker
The exoticly familiar
Similar
To your doorway
Covert 
Observing
Pint sized clans
Brim with daft
And those who'd have it
Sin

Wrocław 2019

Clap tanka

As Maureen thinks it's
Monday now pans over used
Give an eight o' clock
An avian migration
Makes a V with wooden spoons

Wednesday 15 April 2020

Take me Back

take me back to when

the bands’ width was narrow


cheeks were sharp and faces sallow

when the oars we rowed in calmer


waters were not for sticking in and 

points stuck less sticky then


where colours were nailed

where bouncers were nails


where paint was on nails

where walls were adorned


with paintings not arguments

where serious words forgot


song lyrics remembered ‘cos

we were made of rubber and 


bounced off pavements

stretched our necks


and necked in stretches

were stretchered off


to standing ovations when

the game was simple before


they changed the rules

took our haircuts


replaced dancing shoes

with grafting boots


swapped breezes with cares

cut from a heavier cloth


so take me back to when

the cap still fit


pints were pocket sized and

life was a piece of piss



Leg Up


He’s got a Dragon Stout
Bottle top in his pocket
Had a leg up in life
But he can’t
Cock it
Had the inch wide
Vent side
Done up to the top with
Coke in rum
Coke in rizla
A French parted
Saturday night
Of a rocket
Had the steel comb
Mirror shine
Mary Quant locket
Had a soul step peacock
In and out the shop he
Had a leg up in life
But he can’t
Cock it

The Harrow Cries of the Public Cats Tanka

Cough up the hacks the
Harrow cries of pub lick-cats
Lead on the snoop's list
Ne'ers fishing for meaning hooks
Read 'till they lose their herri

Tuesday 14 April 2020

Ah Miss the 'ills

Ah miss the' ills
Their tawny sound
Ah miss the brill
That lamps on sods
'Neath 'brellas of sups
Ah miss the thrill
Of bartered
Pints back 'ome
T' tarns and torn
An' ev'ry
Witch does tell
Of mem'ry served
Still
While ten past
Aye
'Tis swell

(First Published in Pondweed - Greenteeth Press)

Monday 13 April 2020

Ah Miss the 'ills - Urban Version

Ah miss the streets 

their brawny sound

Ah miss the drill

of freight train plods 

'neath trails of planes

Ah miss the quench

of hard earned

pints back then

An’ fuss and torn

An' ev'ry

snitch does tell

of mem'ry served

Still

while t' air is clear

an’ health be near

Aye

'tis swell

Saturday 11 April 2020

Sausage Exorcisms Tanka

Resplendent organs
Sharp in the hunting pulpits
Decree with sausage
Exorcisms for the staunch
And that's as far as we've got

Friday 10 April 2020

WARTIME BULSHIT

PICK FOR BRITAIN

BRITAIN PICKED

NOW LOOK AT IT

Run to the Mills

The diploma mills did some light leafleting Adjusted by knobheads Forever were the dial analysts They cried for presents recognition money something They flared against these narrow-eyed optimists They plan hatched Chicken-ran under speed & collectively gathered their wrists