In which we serve.




Picked up the kit,
night train to the flourishing dream,
blued white warm sheets, love a bit,
the cats in from the fields all is full moon beam.

The rainbow ship lying next to the grey tenements,
Queen Elizabeth the second,
all those good soldiers, all those holiday tents,
we're on the mend.

Down at Saint Enoch,
those guards on the dinky toy train,
Victoria and Albert world gain,
the cock crows and undoes the lock.

And the union baths at Maryhill,
full plunge, scrubbed thankful and well,
looking at that sitared time,
thanks for the love and the wine.

I bought the gold watch from the veteran down the Barrows,
gave it to the immortal Jew,
scarlet and light blue, pyramid hope coming through,
down at Glasgow, so fair and green, James What? and allotment marrows.

As we squatted by the art deco school,
only kindness for this young fool.

Such is love and the Bar L,
the bakers in the Kelvin park tower,
the beauty I never forgot.

This is your hour, Scotland.

The stone of Scone your healing throne,
free beer at the Sarrie Heed,
organic brown rice and fresh made bread.

And so to Burns country,
that oh so brave, beastie,
fish supper treaty,
as the Gay Gordon's slip past the ice flow,
on the way to Scapa Flow and the children of the long peace,
come for homage,
lilac, rose and salt honey porridge
and the priests looking for the new dawn.

As the Unicorns fly towards heaven,
the tweed croft our high loft,
the washing of the forgiven wool,
heave and pull, heave and pull,
gentle and soft, the breeze bopped,
our children happy again,
such is love our singing men.

This sweet day our Lord our way,
kindness comes in May.

The lone soldier long in the Skye,
heard the corncrake cry,
as he cut the line with his pen and why?

So it must go this jewel amongst the servants,
who heeds love?
he only spoke of God before his time.

I saw her dancing in the hope of it all,
like a player Puck and Slayer,
keep your eye on your ball,
left a bit, left a bit.

We shall not fall.

The eagle was sent to Greenock,
violet, alyssum and hollyhock.

They chipped in,
the smudgy kids from the travellers estate,
old William got out his grandfathers squeeze box,
the tenements sang again.

For the building of it all,
for the ring of the rivet gun on our stage,
our gentle call,
such mighty rage.

Britannia rules again and then,
I knew that the great ship America was in the harbour
and remembered the still warm pillbox and the shell casings in Cymn,
as holidays by the sea like a republic in thee.

Listen comrade I tell you well,
'tis not so often that the sun shines,
Bacchus and wines,
the clear stream in the dell.

It is good to praise the servant,
our great ship of state,
I name thee healing tree,
don't be late.

The old wicker basket was waiting in the wings,
for there lay the colours of our long hope.

And so she bends the knee,
at the granite parliament
and gives them a mothers love.

It has been a long journey union
and now you have your own table.

The hand that signed the paper felled the city,
for their is a pity in that,
the pen is mightier than the sword,
for we are bored waiting for the new dawn,
come Romulus the circus is beginning.

"Organic home-grown, Bambi burger anyone?"
and lettuce for the poor.


For let me tell you 'bout love beyond the grave,
as I put the fine salt beef,
with the lettuce,
and apply the mustard of good taste.

Thirty five years since the summer of love,
the cut the silk glove.


He waits on the back ward,
talks about it sometimes,
when the weather is cool and the pain is gone,
that day in the death years when evil came to call.

A Polish spitfire pilot,
now a lune in this asylum baronial hall,
we made sure he got extra cakes and ale,
when she came to call.

Or the Mail seller,
a colour sergeant in the Singapore line,
giving out love in the last of his time,
how he'd lost his mates,
don't hesitate and after,
the camps closed.

He came back to Albion
and married his girl,
coming out of the registry,
he saw his two mates,
having a jar.

Such is love amongst the sparrows,
a council lease and sharp arrows,
gentle tarot in the seeing pool.
and a pink sports Argus,
stand up, no fuss,
steady lads, steady,
here comes the 67 bus.

They say he cried when she washed his feet,
such is love, such is us,
the horses, safe in the full May,
gentle hip day,
giving it all away.

Such is love,
such is us.


Few in the right Royal Tory towns,
it was the beautiful council estate,
that cheered the King,
on the eve of the party.

St George, reclaimed from the fog,
barley tit tot the full hog,
Australia, Canada, St Kitts, St Lucia, USA,
India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Amritsar, Kashmir,
New Zealand,
as the band, all the way.

With grateful thanks they come to stay,
liberty, this last day in May
and the excited kids.

Their is power in a Union,
as the buddleia clings to the back cutting walls,
the quietness of birds ascends,
on the mends, light purple.

As the mother turtle heads up the beach
and the owls are tempted by the moon.

The lone footballer like Spartacus,
opens the gates of Eden,
white lavender linen is being taken into the sun again
and the red cross parcels arrive at the camp,
tomorrow I drive a tank at Bovington.

Oh to be in England, now that summer is here,
never fear, all shall come to the ball.

All will be well,
all manner of things will be well,
Bill the poet,
is back at work then.

The magic and the Zen,
Britannia again.

~