It has been a busy day I have escaped a long long way Early on I was talking to Mr. Masefield Resplendent in his business black suit The cut was neat, lined with finest silk The hair was brave, not a Locke did misbehave He was with Elisabeth, is it Mrs. Stanhope Forbes By the edge of the woods, turkey crop and scythe They were wondering at the Moonlit View Of Mr. Francis Darby’s Eastern city As they dared to forsake, partake In Mr. Geoffrey Hill’s grinning cake In the background, surround sound all around Beside you, sang Mr Van Morrison, oh Astral Weeks It has been a very busy day I have escaped ever such a long long way Journeyed almost as far as Camilla Who married again, this day, today I did not go to the service I spilt my tears among the radio congregation Tears of joy and there but for the grace of god go I Or is it the North Wind Blowing alongside the dust ball, to the canal basin That which I am to engage with, in regeneration A long term plan, you say I retort, as if Capability Brown ever saw His landscapes as anything more than nature In full sway, in full public awe Here in Weston Park, under the mid-day Noon time dark Clouds, clouds with Eastern rain And Southern comfort It has, as I say, been a long long day I’ve escaped, escaped in a very busy way Before meeting Mr Masefield I’d scribed a few words of my own Memories of yesterday’s funeral Polish youth, in Polish dress, the Pope was thus blest Memories of yesterday’s other funeral The receivers set the works to rest Oh and lest I forget I’d imagined and spoken, words under my breath I’d spoken, under my breath Another day, escaping death It has been such a long day Escaping in many a different way Unlike the child dying in St. James Hospital By the Poet’s hand in the library compilation ‘Out of Fashion’ I recall the cover rolled Although I did not study the small print I did though take the flyer To hire a china dragon, a dragon blowing fire And I bought some books, go on, take a look Yes it is John Stammer’s ‘Stolen Love Behaviours’ And Jackie Kay’s Life Mask, although I thought The cover was an Eduardo Palozzi creation, it was in fact clay And finally Scenes from Comus by Geoffrey Hill Ticked by the Archbishop of Canterbury no less It has been, as once again I say It has been a long day It is not yet noon, although it will be evening soon Beneath the midnight of the moonlit moon Except that today, yes today of all days Today I am escaping away Available at Amazon












