25 April, 2016

Travel-Worn Satchel, I-VIII



I
safety video
plays while I watch
the jet of steam

II
phonecall from Shanghai
hello - I think your wife
took my suitcase

III
toddler chooses
the next track for our journey -
God is a DJ!

IV
all the questions
are provided in advance
Chinese press meeting

V
flapping in the breeze
the hem of her summer dress
caught by car door

VI
england, nether-lands
separated only
by clouds

VII
no! no! not ours!
she squeals as I point at the
yellow ferrari

VIII
fat loud abusive
learning new words -
beijing taxi

18 April, 2016

Cambridge Snow, I-VIII



I
cambridge snow
melts on contact with starbucks
and james brown

II
bacon espresso
orange clouds winter sky
train to cambridge

III
woman carefully
applying her eyeliner -
train hits a bump

IV
the speeches begin -
alone in the garden
with tea and scones

V
five miles of tunnel
the traffic jam hides my voice
singing Guns & Roses

VI
pines mountains snow
calm Lake Tahoe untouched
pines mountains snow

VII
aeroplane window
are those tiny cricketers?
howzat!

VIII
under a jumper
dreaming of thunder and rain -
my college sofa

11 April, 2016

Academic Year, I - VIII



I
on my bicycle
from classroom to lab
eating my lunch


II
winter rain
running past another don
our gowns tangle

III
the New Year's eve
college quads are silent -
except for my boys

IV
governing body -
fifty gowns flapping
fifty opinions

V
on easter sunday
one does not simply walk
into Balliol

VI
teapot for two
beneath the old buttery
pear tree

VII
under the table
in my college office
we play hide-and-seek

VIII
singing responses
in the college chapel
to my sons

04 April, 2016

Beef and Cheese, I-VI


I
mealtime again -
massachusetts institute
of beef and cheese
II
changing timezones -
more tired at 8 a.m.
second time around


III
old cigarette ends -
disused flower garden of
the cancer ward

IV
never waste a snowdrift -
english footprints made deep in
american tyretracks

V
looking down on
the English, I take my place
among them

VI
two thighs
makes plenty of room
for two boys




Notes have been added to the 2006 Yiwu from 12 Gentlemen - after ten years, this has become a very tasty cake.  Many thanks to Shah for the suggestion.