In an era of antidisestablishmentarianism
yesterday he was nowhere to be found
it was Noel Coward wasn’t it who talked
of the power of cheap song Today we
found the cat in his usual place up by
the garage when I was walking to school
‘you can’t fool the children of the Revolution’
swimming in my head A small black cat’s
eyeing the squirrels dodging the bullies
in the school corridor Put words in a
crucible Traces of where Lang came
from to the tune of ‘Ballroom Blitz’ philos-
ophy the science of thought I sit in café’s
watch David Bowie drape my arm round
Ronson’s neck is that (the quiet interrupted
by sirens) a girl we throw a spanner in the
works Millenarians mutter in coffee-shops
reading signs Lang stays the same I pick
things up come through the door seek
refreshment as Debbie (a girl) Harry
Picture This my finest hour where are the
snows of Patti Smith channels Rimbaud
Old Grey Whistle Tests of yesterday dad
in his chair reads the daily news as
Lang absorbs Jet Boy stole my mind when
my head mash-potatoes round the living-
room and old men out of it grow angrier
by the minute if I can’t dance to the state
of the world Amen to that don’t even
think of asking me the cat never catches
that squirrel and I wanna riot riot of my own
of where Lang came from heavy bass hangs
on the air My Baby starts to rain
on the walls of all-night discount stores
.
Steve Waling