Through the day's clutter
In idle moments
To distract myself
From the great grey elephant
Who is no longer in the room
I notice myself
Experiencing a new pleasure -

"Russia - a short history."
A book of black on white on red
Something reassuring about
The prison bars of text
Keeping time at bay.

At school I couldn't much relate
To history. Why would you bother?
To unravel distant mysteries of
One done thing after another...

But wars that once took place
A hundred lifetimes back or more
For every step I take away
Are closer than before.

History was one of Grandad's things
But now, the opposite is true
And much as I ignored it
It seems it's coming for me too:

Now I've a habit of my own
That comforts me in bed
I used to read the paper
Now it's history books instead
And perhaps I'm closer to him now
I'd chuckle if he said -  
*History's a place where no one dies
For they're all already dead.

Ms. Love & Mr. Understanding -
They go together like
The mists of love & misunderstandings.

Ms. Love was 15, Ms. Love woke up
Now Ms. Love is 25 with no one to love
Except memories of yesterday, once upon a far away
She met a boy - same old story - now he's gone and now he's all she
Wants – but they both have moved on
Yeah they both have moved on…
Or haven't they?

Dan understanding understated undemanding
Underwhelmed to find his hand in hand in hand with Beatrice Blanding
She's a nice girl in the right world and though she may not be the right girl
She loves him dearly
And he loves her… nearly
But is it nearly enough?

Looking for love behind all the wrong doors
Like you came into the bedroom and forgot what you came for -
Is it something different, is it more of the same?
Was it someone else, or is it me again?

Dan understanding gives Ms. Love a call
He says I've missed too much of your life already I can't miss it all
Oh, what say you wanna play? I'm on a train I'm round your way
I'm up to here with being brave, I want to see what life could have been
Do you know what I mean?
Do you mind if I lean in and…
Kiss you?

Looking for love behind all the wrong doors
Like you came into the bedroom and forgot what you came for
Is it something different, is it more of the same?
Was it someone else, or is it me again?

Ms. Love & Mr. Understanding -
They still go together like
The mists of love & misunderstandings.

The phone rings
I can't tell which
Pocket is on fire.

I take it out
Already answered
Something is dangling

It is my father's tears
Whose common theme
Is death of fathers.

"Is it Basil?" I ask.
"It is."

There is no CCTV
On the open sea,
Just you and me
Like roving pirates
Risking our lives
To ruin other people.

Life's the longest distance between two points:
Doggy-paddling through the present backwards
Understanding words already spoken
Right hand on the wheel, torso twisted
(As in standard reversal procedure),
Looking out the back, advancing slowly,
Careering backwards down the motorway:
We see ourselves in car windscreens becoming
Reflections of ourselves in passers-by.
Decode the numberplates, look out the sides
For chaos, chance and consciousness to coincide
And tell us that we haven't missed our turn,
Forever facing where we can't return.

I found your number in the yachting pages
Listed under ‘x’. It took me ages.
Bet you thought that ship had sailed.

Last night we talked instead
And words weaved their way
Like threads around each other
Into rope, at length
The hope and anchor
Between a future and the pasts
We did not share till now.
Moved together with the swell
Of gentle laughter
Cast out and overboard in faith
That a lifebelt given was a moment saved
From drowning.
Inadequately,
I thanked you for the chat
You disappeared down the hatch
And got a bout of earache
Shortly after that.

We head for home tomorrow.