THEY  GAVE  ME  A  PEN  AND  SOME  PAPER,
AND  SAID  DON'T  THINK  ABOUT  BEING  AM  ESCAPER,
PRIVILLEGES  ARE  LIMITED,  PERKS  ARE  FEW,
'KEEP  YOUR  NOSE  CLEAN,'  WHATEVER  YOU  DO,
I  MISS  ALCOHOL,  PLEASURES  OF  THE  FLESH,
BUT  NO  ONE  WILL  ASK  ME - ' DO  YOU  HAVE  A  LAST  WISH;
THE  DAYS  ARE  CROSSED OFF  WITH  LINES  ON  THE  WALL,
ON  REFLECTION - I  SHOULDN'T  BE  HERE  AT  ALL,
ONE  OF  THE  GUYS  IS  GOING  TO  THE  'CHAIR,'
WHERE  IS  IT  WRITTEN  THAT  ANYTHING  IS  FAIR,
YOU  CAN  MAKE  AN  APPEAL - LODGE  A  REQUEST,
BUT  IT'S  DOUBTFUL, BROTHER, IF  THE  LAW  KNOWS  BEST,
I'LL  BIDE  MY  TIME,  WAIT  FOR  THE  COMING  PAROLE,
NO  POINT  IN  ENDING UP 'BACK  IN  THE  HOLE.'

I  WILL  BE  WITH  YOU  ALWAYS - YOU  MUST  BELIEVE,
YOU  HAVE  NO  CHOICE  AS  I  LISTEN  TO  YOU  GRIEVE,
THE  ROSE  PETALS  HAVE  BEEN  WASHED UPON  THE  GROUND,
YOU  WILL  NOT  HEAR  ME  MAKE  ANY  FURTHER  SOUND;
THIS  IS  NOT  MAUDLIN - A PREOCCUPATION WITH  DEATH,
THE  PRAYERS  HAVE  BEEN  READ, EVERYTHING HAS BEEN SAID,
YOU HAVE GIVEN ME GREAT LOVE, ALL I EVER WANTED;
WHEN YOU FEEL  SOMETHING BRUSH AGAINST YOU - IT WILL BE ME,
JUST RAISE A HAND AND SQUEEZE THE ZEPHYR BREEZE GENTLY,
I WILL DANCE AROUND YOU AND SLOWLY RUFFLE YOUR HAIR,
YOU CAN'T SEE ME BECAUSE I SHALL NO LONGER BE THERE;
WHEN YOUR LIPS BECOME DRY, YOU WILL KNOW THAT I HAVE GONE AWAY,
DO NOT WORRY, LAUGH A LITTLE, BECAUSE I WILL RETURN ANOTHER DAY.

YOU WONDERED WHAT HEAVEN WAS LIKE - DID IT REALLY EXIST?
MY OLD FRIENDS ARE HERE - NOT OLD - THE SAME AS THEY
ALWAYS WERE - SORT OF TATTY AND DATED AS THOUGH THEY
HAD WAITED JUST FOR ME - JUST THE WAY IT WAS MEANT TO BE;
DROPPED INTO NIRVANA ON A BEACH WITH A PALM TREE
AND A TABLE, PERMANENTLY PLACED AND INTERFACED AS THOUGH
A PHOTOGRAPH HAD BEEN SNAPPED AND OUR TIME HAD BEEN OVERLAPPED;
'WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE? HAVE YOU BEEN INVITED? LET ME
SEE YOUR INVITATION - I DO NOT RECALL YOU WERE GOOD
ENOUGH -
MADE OF THE RIGHT STUFF - PROVE TO ME JUST HOW TOUGH IT WAS OUT THERE,
SO THAT YOU DESERVE TO SIT AT THIS TABLE AND CHAIR-
COMPLETE WITH PALM TREE AT SOMEWHERE THEY CALL LANGKAWI; '
NEVER MIND - WE ARE GENEROUS, ACCOMMODATING, YOU CAN NOT SEVER
THE TIES THAT BIND - BECAUSE COMPASSION AND LOVE ARE NOT FAR BEHIND.

LAUGH AT THE MAGIC - YOUR ATTITUDE IS TRAGIC,
IF YOU DON'T OFFER YOUR SOUL - YOU'LL NEVER BE WHOLE,
DAPPLED YELLOW, MAUVE, BLUE, GREY = GREEN, GHOSTS
WHERE THEY SHOULDN''T HAVE BEEN, ELVES
SPRITES, FORTUNES THAT COME AND GO - DO YOU
KNOW IF YOUR ABOVE OR BELOW THIS WORLD -
OR ON A LEDGE, NEITHER HERE NOR THERE -
WHAT IS IT ABOUT THAT YOU REALLY CARE?
THEY WERE WATCHING WHEN WE MADE LOVE,
THEY DANCED IN THE MOONLIGHT WITH MUSIC FROM
ABOVE, DOWN TO THE RIVER THEY WENT, DIPPED
AND SKIPPED ALL THE WAY BACK TO SEE
IF WE WERE STILL THERE, SPIRITS OFF LIMITS,
MERGED INTO ONE, WHEN WE LOOKED UP THEY WERE GONE.

I  HAD  A  TUSSLE  WITH  A  GREEN  LIPPED  MUSCLE,
AND  THEN  OME­GA  THREE  BECAME  A  MYSTERY,
I  TRAVELLED  OVER  THE  SEVEN  SE­AS,
ATE  ROYAL  JELLY  WITH  HELP  FROM  THE  BEES,
YOU  COULDN'T­  HELP  THINKING  CHONDROITIN  WAS  JUST
A  TRY - ON  AND  GARLIC  WAS  NOTHING  TO  RELY  ON,
GLUCOSAMINE  WAS  NE­VER  THE  SAME AS
SOMETHING  THAT  TOOK  AWAY  THE  PAIN;
ST.  JOHN'S  WORT  MAD­E  ME  WANT  TO  ABORT
EVERYTHING  THAT  TOOK  AWAY  THE  ACHES,
­HOW  MANY,  HOW  MANY  WERE  REALLY  FAKES?
AND  NOW  IT'S  KIMCH­I,  SUITS  ME,  SUITS  YOU,
DON'T  TAKE  ANY  ******  WHATEVER  Y­OU  DO.

I CAN BUILD YOU A DREAM BUT YOU CAN'T AFFORD IT',
I'LL GIVE YOU WHAT YOU DON'T REQUIRE - MAYBE A SPIRE,
YOUR REQUESTS BECOME THE OBJECT OF MY DESIRE,
IF YOU'RE HAPPY, THEN MY FANTASY IS FOR HIRE;
WATER FEATURES ARE MANDATORY, TRANQUIL, PLEASING,
WE CAN EVEN TRY SOME QUANTITATIVE EASING - RIGHT?
AND GIVE YOU SOME NOOKS AND CRANNIES WITH WHAT'S LEFT;
NOW PLANTING SOFTENS THE BLOWS, BRINGS DOWN HIGHS AND LOWS,
WHY YOU NEEDED A PURPLE AGAPANTHUS - GOD ONLY KNOWS,
A SOUTH - FACING VIEW IS THE LEAST WE CAN DO,
WITH A JACUZZI IN BEDROOM TWO, COLOURS WILL BE
MAUVE, PINK AND AUBERGINE - ENOUGH TO GIVE YOU A MIGRAINE;
I CAN ONY HOPE THAT YOU LIKE THIS WONDERFUL *******,
BECAUSE ALL OF THE MATERIALS WERE A NATURAL SELECTION!

IT'S 7.5% SO IT SAYS, OKAY, MAKES THE DAY PASS AWAY,
WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF YOU KNEW YOU WERE GOING TO DIE?
SIT ON THE VERANDAH, DRINK IN HAND LOOKING AT THE SKY,
OR TRY TO MAKE LOVE, AN ****** WITH ONE LAST SIGH;
NEVILLE SHUTE WROTE, 'ON THE BEACH,' NUCLEAR WASTELAND IN OZ,
THE NEWSPAPERS FLUTTERED DOWN THE STREET, SO HE SAID,
MAYBE THE LAST HEADLINE READ: 'ISIS DEFEATED IN SYRIA,'
AN OLD ADAGE: 'IF WE CAN'T HAVE IT - NOBODY ELSE WILL,'
GOD AND ALLAH'S PLANS BOTH DEFEATED - IT WAS ALL THROWN AWAY,
IF SOMEONE ELSE COMES UP WITH ANOTHER PLAN - GET IT RIGHT,
WE DON'T ALL WANT TO GO THROUGH THE SAME CRAP AGAIN;
THEY CAN'T TAKE AWAY THE MEMORY OF THE GOOD TIMES,
YOURS AND MINE; THE GOLDEN SUN IS SETTING HERE,
WE' LL ALL BE BACK REFRESHED, TO HAVE MORE POLSKI BEER.

NOW, WE DON'T WANT TO BE GLOOMY HERE,
DO WE MY DEAR BUT 'BOWIE' SAID : ' TREAT
EVERY YEAR AS THOUGH IT MAY BE YOUR LAST,'
THAT WOULD SUIT ANNE - SHE'D BE TRAVELLING FAST;
I'M MORE PEDESTRIAN, WHAT'S BEST FOR MAN?
SOME LADY ISN'T EVEN FIXING HER TV,
SHE SAID T HAT IT'S A START TOWARDS PRIORITY,
THE CHILDREN MAY BE LUCKY - WHAT ARE WE
GOING TO GET? THERE MAY BE NONE, OTHERS
IN THE NET MAY WISH THEY DIDN'T INHERIT,
HOW COULD THEY LIVE LIKE THIS?  WE SELL
AND THEN FORGET WE USED TO RING THE BELL;
SOMETHING WRONG - THAT LADY MAY FIX HER TV AFTER ALL,
SHOULD BE LIKE 'NESBO' IN THAILAND HAVING A BALL.

THE CHINESE WERE RICH, ORDERED OYSTERS,
CLAMS AND YAMS, STEAK, BREAD AND BEER,
IT DIDN'T REALLY MATTER WHAT WAS DEAR,
OUT OF HOURS WAS A REFUGE FOM SHOWERS,
IT WAS NO PROBLEM WITH SPECIAL POWERS;
' WE' LL BUILD A HIGH - RISE LAH, SO FAR,
SO GOOD, A WINNER, IF ONLY WE COULD ......... ,'
'HAVE ANOTHER BEER, THEN WE'RE OUTA HERE,'
'DID YOU SEE THAT GUY ON THE COURSE?
HE MUST HAVE HAD FIFTY CLUBS IN THE BAG LAH,
YOU WOULDN'T THINK HE COULD PUSH THE TROLLEY THAT FAR,'
' HA, HA!  I'LL FIND YOU A NEW BAG FOR YOUR WOODS,
NO, NOT TIGER, FOOL, HE SHOULD STICK TO POOL,'
' YEAH, LIKE YOUR BEER - NO LONGER COOL LAH!'

THERE WERE FADED PRINTS ON THE WALLS NOT QUITE STRAIGHT,
THEY ALL WENT AWAY AS THOUGH THEY COULDN'T WAIT,
A DOOR SWUNG IN THE BREEZE AND OLD BOARDS CREAKED,
FLIES BUZZED IN THE KITCHEN AND AN OLD TAP STILL LEAKED;
YOU COULD SIT ON A CHAIR AND GAZE AT THE VIEW,
THERE WERE VOICES BUT NONE OF THEM BELONGED TO YOU,
THEY BELONGED TO WHO YOU WANTED THEM TO BELONG TO,
THEY GAVE THE RIGHT ANSWERS AND GOOD REASONS TOO,
DISTANT LAUGHTER RHYMED WITH THE CLINK OF GLASSES,
BECOMING SOFTER, AS ONLY TIME AND MEMORY PASSES;
A DOG BARKED AS THE SUN WENT DOWN AND DOWN AND DOWN,
IT WAS TIME THEN AND TIME NOW TO RETURN TO TOWN,
HE SHOULDN'T HAVE COME - LEFT ALL THE GHOSTS ALONE BUT -
COULDN'T RESIST A SMILE WHEN HE KICKED THE SCREEN DOOR SHUT.