well
the rain fell down down
on sydney town
and i
for the time being
dreaming mid the drops
so i close the door to my mind
lay down deep in sleep
while my body of otherness
at work on the wild world beyond
places eluding time
black wet thorns and wrought iron
leafy places and soft comfortable rooms
the furniture wraps around you in slumber
a fire burns
tho you dimly remember thats its summer
summer back there
this is your england you say to yourself
no england in this world tho
you smile to yourself steven
and you drink your milky tea
and the rain drizzles and dribbles
puddles surge with tiny ripples
oh its so quiet here beside the fire with your cat
your cat sits on your lap purring
your hat sits on the mat blurring
and the fire crackles
the wood shifts with a tiny lift
the flames are nimble and quick
the music is old time
the colours are the muted greens and browns of distant childhoods
everything is worn to a smooth burr
gently pointillistic like the cats fur
this is my england you say to yourself
and a someone is playing the piano forte in another room
and its a lady called jessie bellette
and she says why stephen what did you do to your eye…?
and i say oh jessie ….
and my eyesight is so dimmed in my right eye now
i say i hurt my eye when spring jumped out the back of time
and i say i hurt my eye in the long long war
what were you fighting for ? says jessie bellette
and she holds you close in her big strong arms
and she clasps you to her ample bosom
and she says
this is your england only for you
a knock at the door
oh its leslie….!
leslie comes in
his marine cap at a jaunty angle
the everpresent rothmans cigarette
the skinny loose limbs of youth
we just won the war mum he says
thats good dear she says and we all have another cup of tea
in the kitchen i find mince tarts and chutney
i find teddy bear biscuits and cream of tomato soup
i find yorkshire pudding and dolly mixtures
i find bread and butter pudding and custard
i find trifles and gollywog jam
the rain falls on and on
how could the thin air hold so much water
how could the morning contain such a night
how could the past stand such a future