Red Burn

 Down from the dark, titanic mounds

Runs the Titans blood

Sometimes white as milk

Sometimes dark brown

Dirty blood from its deep arteries

Over salmon flesh, over cod yellow

Over the red Wrasse fish body

That heaves in the Glen

Whose gills breathe rain water

Whose lungs are damp caves

Whose Leviathan mass lies

In these watery graves

 

Whose back is a whale- une Roche Baleine

The whale bone ribs have been bent into waves

Whose oil and blubber are buried deep underground

And ambergris in its gut are the minerals yet unfound

They’ve been hunted by Geologists with their hammers like harpoons

Ready for the conquering like men who want rock from the moon

River

 The river babbles, shelves in clam-like semi-circles

These C letters it is spelling out

Constantly, clattering, changeling

Calling in chains

That run like white sausage strings

Over stone rails

Bulbous and fat as onions rolling

Down a cobbled hill

Chattering and chasing each other as children do

Racking and racing as horses out the stalls

All from the starting line over the head of Steall Falls

Searchin' for water on Mars

 I look out my window

At the shining stars

And think why is it

I can't get a job

Even parking cars

When somebody closer to God

Has a job that's raised the bars

Yes you might say it's a divining rod

But they're searching for water on Mars

Searching for water on Mars boys

Yes searching or a lurching

It's creeping and a seeping

Lookin in the nooks and crannies

Searchin' for water on Mars

Well what did you know

When there's a drought down here

And they can't get a drop from the tap

And some poor fellow in Africa

Has to walk half the continent's map

Searchin' for water on Earth should come first

Let's save the kids from starvin'

And try at least halvin' their thirst

But we can't they say we're savin our farthins

While we're raising the bars

Searchin' for water

Leavin' none for the urchin' daughter

But only so we can drive more Tesla cars

Yes we're searchin' for water on Mars

There's a foot print I hear that's on the moon

And they've written poems about it

Like Seigfreid Sassoon

And many men did die in the attempt

Just like the first world war

Many lives got spent

Searchin for the man in the moon

Well back then they felt robbed

Of the best men 

Yes football stadiums were mobbed

By protests then

But this time it could be Joe Bloggs

Or another movie star

But the climated change is logged

By how many trees have fallen so far

to pave their way on their road to Mars

And there's already not enough air

And too much of it is hot

And it's floating up there

Into what can never be and what is not

Well sometime we're gonna have to face it

We all must die sometime

But why must we ruin the planet 

In the process, it's hightime

I can't stand it

Let's accept death and life are one gambit

And just get on and play the game

It's not poker 

And we needn't hide our hands

Let's lay our cards on the table

And learn from the fable

Of Narcissus

Not to fall in love with our own reflection

Nor find glory and self gratification

In the stars

And so let's stop searchin' for water

Oh the lurchin's never what it oughta

Just ask Icarus who was a lamb to slaughter

Let's stop searchin' for water on Mars

River dive

 By the bed of the river I lie, boys

By the beds of the river I lie

By the bed of the river,

when my soul is all a quiver

By the bed of the river I lie

Oh why has the river run dry, boys?

Why has the river run dry

The mountain was a giver

And the tall pines shiver

Tell me why has the river run dry?

I hold my breath and go under

I hold my breath and then I dive

Down in the river, 

when my soul is all a quiver

Down in the river I dive

Revir

 Big River, Big river argent

Big river, big river gold

Keep flowing on down to the arctic

Where the big waters flow so cold

Big river snakes rolling its belly

All over dem big valley coals

Rising up over the ramparts of mountains

Raising the spirits in the souls

Down at St Aldhelm's well

 And if you want a land of peace then you can tell

I will meet you down at St Aldhelm's well

If you have forgotten Forget-me-nots or the chimes of Bluebells

Then come meet me down at St Aldhelm's well

If you want the sound of choirs or the toll of church bells

Then you'll find them down at St Aldhelm's well

And the inhabitants of the village there happily they dwell

For they built their homes by St Aldhelm's well

And they sow the fields, gather yields and peas they shell

As they live their lives out by St Aldhelm's well

And the trees bear fruit and the livestock they can sell

All because of the waters at St Aldhelm's well

And it springs up from the hill and runs down in the dell

As the trees take their fill from St Aldhelm's well

They lack not for lumber for trees grow in great number

And their strong trunks they can fell

As they grow thick and fast, just like ships' masts

And you can find them down at St Aldhelm's well

None are diminished after the day's toils are finished

None feel oppressed by evil or fear hell

For they pour water from their jugs and they fill their cups and mugs

And all drink deep down at St Aldhelm's well

The river sheppey

 The ducks on the sheppey

Down in the valley

Flowing right up by aunt sally

Walk up from Bowlish

And then to the hill

Where the Windsors are ruling

Through the winter chill

Down in the valley where the brambles grow thick

And the lilly pads ralley

Amongst the Bull sticks

And the rushes are happy

And the flushes are drained

And the green nettle lushes

Down through the rains

Down in the valley where the river Sheppey runs

And up on the hillside where walk the white nuns

Singing their choir songs of hymns for so long

About the green Sheppey that trundles along

Through all the houses and the winter time's plain

It runs with the mouses where the old bridges lain

And the mill stream of clemency and forgiveness' name

The green Sheppey whispers out her sweet name

Brown River Gentle

Frog swims slow in the midday sun

Ducks paddle low in bank shadow then are gone

All the spring goes in and out with the tide

Brown river flow gentle, gentle

Bittern blow their bottle-neck boom

Herons shuffle the Egrets for room

Moor hen nestle their nests with pride

Brown river flow gentle, gentle

Water turns in pools mercurial and blind

The Ash burns in the Sun, the willow wills the wind’s mind

Water boatmen doing back-stroke from side to side

Brown river flow gentle, gentle