I

LONG DAYS PASS
RAIN - DUST - WIND - SMALL INSECTS
HARD & GRITTY
LIKE AUSTRALIAN OUTBACK
DESERT DREAMING
TOSSING TURNING CHILDREN
INTO CRAZY NEON COWBOYS
FOETAL RHYTHMS DANCE SHIVERS
STRETCHED ALONG
THE EVER PERISHING CONDOM
OF OUR GENETIC HELIX BACKBONES.

THE SPACE BETWEEN YOU & ME
WILL ONLY EVER BE
THE RELATIVE DISTANCE BETWEEN
MY OWN OPPOSING
THUMBS.

NINETEEN NINETY NINE - AND FOR MANY
THE SUN RISES OVER RUBBLE
STORMY COLOUR SMOKE
RED FLARE DAWN BLINDS
SNIPER FIRE & STINKING DIRTY WATER TO DRINK
BIOTECHNICAL - MILITARY - COMMERCIAL PAIN
USA RATIONS AND RAPE
MOTOROLA MICROCHIP LAND MINES
REALTIME PROGRAMMED MISSILES
THAT CAN FLY THROUGH YOUR DOOR
BEFORE BLOWING
THE WHOLE NEIGHBOURHOOD APART.

FOR MANY MORE NOTHING MAKES SENSE
FASHION & VIDEO - KILLER KIDS & CHAOS
THE VIEW FROM THE FENCE IS TO IMMENSE
THE VIEW FROM THE SKY MAKES BETTER SENSE
WE'RE NOT SURE WHY
SOMETIMES ITS BETTER NOT TO THINK ABOUT IT
JUST LOOK AT YOUR NOSE
PICK SOMEWHERE NICE.

WE FIND WE HAVE NO DEFENCE AGAINST
TRAUMA - PAIN - CHILDBIRTH - OVERWORK - ADDICTION
WE ARE A FRAGILE LOT
SERIOUS BUT STABLE
CHEWING AT THE CUD OR CHAMPING AT THE BIT
STANDING IN OUR OWN HAY & SHIT
IN A BOX IN A BOX IN A BOX
IN A TINY LITTLE BOX.

LIKE A TRICK OF THE LIGHT
ONE MINUTE WE ARE
THE NEXT WE ARE NOT
BUT LEFT IN OUR PLACES
PERFECTLY DISORGANISED & DISCONTENTED
COPIES OF OURSELVES
EVER FIGHTING NORMALITY & WAITING
FOR THE LIGHT TO CHANGE AGAIN
SO WE CAN LAUGH AT OUR SHADOWS
AT LEAST.

II

SHE WAILS ON THE GRAVE
PHOTOGRAPHERS SPLASH BLACK & WHITE
CHILDREN - HOUSES - FACES
SCATTERED IN THE PUDDLES OF OUR FOOTPRINTS
A PERFECTLY SODDEN MIRROR
OF OUR MUCH MISUNDERSTOOD MORTALITY.

THE CRADLE OF KNOWLEDGE
IN THE CARRIAGE OF TIME
ON THE BUMPY ROAD OF LIFE
IN THE COUNTRY OF RHYME.

WE STAND ON A HILL OVER LOOKING THE PAGE
BLANK LINES & BODIES
I PONDER THE CARNAGE & TURNS OF PHRASE
WHEN YOU DRY MY EYES
ALL I SEE ARE WORDS.
MULTIPLE VARIATIONS
POWERFUL PROPHETIC AND PATHETIC
THEY DANCE UNTIL THEY VOMIT
ABJECT VERBS.
MINDLESS POP MUSIC
CRUNCHY AND FORGETTABLE.
YOU CORNER ME NEAR THE SINK IN THE KITCHEN
TRYING TO PROVE TO THE CHILDREN
THE EXISTENCE
OF REAL COWS
(JUST PUT THE KNIFE DOWN MY SWEET)

III

THE POWER OF ONE
WE WATCH AS TIME SPINS FORWARD
FIREWORKS IN EVERY TIME ZONE
2000 HACKED CHANNELS OF MILLENNIUM PROJECTION
OPTIC LINKS - ONLINE GLOBAL VILLAGE - UN POLICIES
SUCH AN ACHIEVEMENT
WE HAVE COME SO FAR!?
IN ERITREA THE FIGHTING DIDN'T STOP
AND NO ONE GAVE A FUCK
THERE IS NO FOOD ANYHOW!
EMERGENCY RELIEF
SOLD FOR GUNS & SHELLS.

EVERYONE SO DESPERATELY SEARCHING FOR THE ANSWER
WHEN ALL THE TIME IT WAS
SOMEWHERE IN YOUR CARPARK
SHARING SOUP & BLANKETS
WITH THE COLD & HUNGRY.

DRUNK - STONED - SLURRING BADLY
HE STEPPED FROM THE CAR INTO A MINOR REPRESENTATION
OF HAPPINESS.
"LOVE IS SUCH A PAIN" HE THOUGHT
EITHER WAY YOU LOSE
WHETHER DEATH - DESERTION OR REPETITIVE EMERSION
IF IT'S ATTACHED IT WILL EVENTUALLY FALL OFF
IF IT FALLS OFF (DEPENDING ON HEIGHT & VELOCITY)
YOU LOSE IT (OR IT BREAKS)

MEASURING LIFE LIKE STEPS IN STAGGERING
UNITS OF PERFECTION
AT THIS POINT OF THE PARTY
YOU WILL FIND YOURSELF SLIDING
DOWNHILL FAST!

HE STEPPED BACK INTO THE CAR
HUNGOVER & RAVAGED & NOT ENTIRELY UNSURE
HE HADN'T ACCIDENTALLY REACHED SAMADHI

IV

(IV) STANDS FOR INTRA VENOUS OR IN VITRO (DEPENDING ON WHOSE HANDS YOUR IN)

THE RULE WAS NEVER ENTIRELY TRUE
IT NEVER ALWAYS WORKED OUT
"I" SOMETIMES WENT AFTER "E"
(EVEN AFTER SOME "C")
THEORIES RE-ENGINEERED
RUSTED - ADJUSTED & BUSTED
WE LEARN OR WE BURN
ANYONE CAN SAY IT - BUT
CAN YOU DO IT!?
WATCH THE BALL
NOW YOU SEE IT
NOW YOUR GONE!

V

MEANWHILE BACK AT THE OFFICE MACHINE
MEN - WOMEN AND ALL VARIATIONS & HYBRIDS
DO WHAT THEY DO & USUALLY DO IT PRETTY WELL
CLEVERLY FEIGNING CHRONOBIOLOGICAL NORMALITY
HE HITS THE COPY BUTTON AGAIN
DOWN BELOW ON THE STREET
ARE LEFTOVERS AND USED COFFEE FILTERS
AMONGST THE RUBBLE
WE STILL FIND THE BONES.

PEACE ACCORDS IN PALESTINE FLAP LIKE
NEPALESE PRAYER FLAGS
BLESSING THE FOOLS & BURYING THE HEROES.

SOMEWHERE HALFWAY AROUND THE PLANET
12 Y/OLDS HACK SATELLITES FOR FUN
HYPED ON GAMMA & HOT COLA
THEY TALK THROUGH THEIR FINGERS
THE NEW WORLD GLOBAL VILLAGE
DATA PACKETS - STOCKS - EMOTIONS
ENDLESSLY FLUCTUATE
WE FORGET TO ASK
HOW MUCH IS ENOUGH
HOW MUCH IS NEVER ENOUGH
THE PHONE LINES DON'T GO BEYOND THE GRID
AND THE GRID IS PRETTY PATCHY
SOMEWHERE AT LAST MONTHS MEETING
I THINK I SLIPPED
OUT OF THE LOOP

VI

SHE SPUN 3 TIMES IN A CIRCLE
FROM HER NAVEL AN 8 PETAL LOTUS
SPRUNG FORTH
SHE SUNG THE "HOLY SONG OF MEANING"
THE CROWD ATE PIZZA & WERE
GENERALLY AMAZED
THEY CLAPPED & LEFT THE BUILDING
I WAS HIDDEN AMONGST THE PRESSED LINEN
I REMEMBER SLEEPING VERY WELL THAT NIGHT

IN THE CONGO THE DAYS ARE SO HOT
THE MURDEROUS WAR HAPPENS ONLY AT
SUNRISE & SUNSET
(BOTH SIDES USE THE SAME WEAPONS)
THE REST OF THE TIME
WE WAIT!

CHANGING SOUNDS & PLANS THE RATE OF
WHOLISTIC ASSIMILATION INCREASES
EXPONENTIALLY

AND THEN THERES LOVE
YOU FOLLOW THE BLUE WIRE LEAD
THROUGH THE WALL ALONG 2000 METRES OF CONDUIT
JUST TO FIND A COPY OF YOURSELF LAUGHING
ONLY AT YOU!

VII

MY CELLPHONE RINGS IN FRENCH CURSES
ON THE OTHER END A FAMILIAR VOICE SAYS
<< WE DON'T NEGOTIATE WITH TERRORISTS >>
ITS MY PHSYCOANLYIST STILL IN THE DEATH THROWS
OF WRESTLING WITH MY OWN GROSS MATTER
REGAINING COMPOSURE & CLEVERLY BUYING TIME
HE COUGHED POLITELY & SAID
"SO WHAT DID YOU FEEL WHEN THAT HAPPENED?"

MIRRORS - BRICKS - BAMBOO - STICKS - CAVES
WE SQUAT DRAWING STRAIGHT LINES AND ZEROÍS
IN THE SAND
IF WE COULD JUST ISOLATE THE SEQUENCE
IF I COULD JUST LIGHT THIS FIRE
I'M SURE WE COULD DISCUSS IT
FURTHER.

FROM SOMEWHERE IN THE FROZEN SILENT CROWD
ONE SMALL VOICE WONDERED
IS THIS REALLY GOING SOMEWHERE
ANYWHERE
ANYWHERE WITH A VIEW
WILL DO