Red light flashing

sipping coffee

thinking yes or no to press

that little button

which can bring pain

misery and/or fun

oh well

its not a busy day

lets play

answer machine roulette

beep:

“I saw you!

I saw you out with that blonde tart you were fucking

while you were fucking me you shit

she doesn’t look good in the light

not as good as me

I’ve been thinking about what a shit you were

couldn’t fuck for nothin’

times I had to prop you up

do it for you

I fucking hate you…”

click

this went on for a while longer

but I reckon I had the meaning of it

who it was

the joy of course

is that I hadn’t been out last night

beep:

“you have been selected in your area

to receive a visit from our representative

to talk about…”

click

beep:

“you still owe me shitbag for that night you ran out on me

& left me with the hotel bill….& the breakages bill…call me you bast…”

click

beep:

“is this the house with the loud music? Please turn it down its 3am, if not we will call the police, again”

click

beep:

“I knocked your door man, thought we’d get a beer, give you that 20 I owe you, I’ll call by again later”

click

so many wrong calls

I don’t know why I keep this machine

people can abuse me by text now

whatsapp

Instagram

maybe

it just

must be

for the amusement

This modern women thing

right in front of me

the idiot crowd

rolling her eyes

acting exasperated

at her man

in public

as if he is nothing

has no better things to say

& I want to pull him away

off to one side

hey fella

lets see if you n me

together

can retrace your steps

back to that place

you lost your balls

dignity

self respect

work out why

she acts toward you

that way

call it what you will

out on the street

& I bet

penny to a pinch

he’ll shrug his shoulders

say wha?

or he’ll look to her

& say

can I go?

The trees

were always there

as we passed by in the ebony of night

a circle

alongside the crossroads

a copse

of tall blackened dark shapes

calling me into

their midst

& this seems fanciful to some

who know nothing

do not understand

that trees call some

but not all

& if you listen in the right way

Carefully

these

will give a gift

once

three necklaces

for the three of us

strung with semi-precious stones

as we were listening

passing through

called

to look & find

hidden there in the gnarled roots

c’mon

say you

who do not understand

surely

you planted them there

knew where to look?

& all there is to say

the only thing I know for sure

is that I was called to look

to find

& accept the gift

from the trees

Oh you write?

can I read?

& of course you want them to read

but you don’t want them to too

they’ve heard you put down the words

a few saucy lines

they’ve heard said

so you let them

though you’d prefer some distance

say

a few thousand miles

a quiet room

choice of drinks

for you that is

while they scan the lines

& if they know you in the slightest

they always begin

looking for reference to them

somebody, at least they might know

they will sit for a while

rattle through

a few pages

while you hover elsewhere

available but not

doing shit you should have done

but were waiting for a rainy day to do

& then they get up

quiet faced

distracted

looking around the room

like they lost

their bearings some time back

prepare to go

looking a little startled

saying

hmmmn

you, er, let it all out don’t you?

& are gone

leaving nothing

but

maybe a dent in the air

trickle

I knew in my bones

it was all over

but did not want to let go

so we’d spend time together

doing the things we’d always done

the sex, the bickering & the goodbyes

all less than fun

I did not yet have another

still letting out the string

seeing if she might

regain some interest

the poor sap hopes…

& she’d trickle truth her interests

oh I went here

then I might go there

with friends…

deeper game than cards to chest

she’d later tell me

it was letting me down easy

when all I could see was rope

knew in my bones it was over

just couldn’t bring myself

to snap out of the trance

was recognising the power

she held

wanted her

to say this is it

I won’t be passing this way again

& she will say

I was scared of your reaction

& you never want to hear that

as truth

the end was hers

she chose to game

Can I come see you?

he calls

she calls

would be supporters

of the writer of words

they never read what is written

& those that do

would like a different story

snappier titles

something with joy

maybe less irony

that reflects the now

if you would

please?

do you ever write

on world issues?

something other

than booze

women

the struggles

of travelling alone?

& I smile

sit with for a short while

wait until they go with

a smile in a photograph

line on a bit of card

to sit for a while

stare out the window

wait until the word

calls

as I lay sleeping

you lay next to me

waiting

plotting to throw over

whatever

it was I thought we had

& I could never

be that lying in wait

snake between the sheets

working

to destroy the love of another

wasting

time & days spent together

going nowhere with you

I could handle it more

If you would just please

walkout

on me

slam the door

make some effort

to pretend

I meant something more

than a sleeping prince

to plot against