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

Josie George is missing

 Josie George is missing

I read it in the news

I remember beauty

No more black and blues

The sum of life is pretty

It is the thing that lights the fuse

Of Josie George is missing 

I heard it in the news

What if I were missing

Would anyone really care

I've been thinking a lot about quitting

But I think I'd miss being there

She once squeezed much stomach

I felt affronted but also thrilled

Why would she do that thing

Fuck I lost the plot I was killed

By my own denial of attraction 

From when I was a boy

As if it mattered the compaction

Of a certain quantity of joy

I never pursued my own

Dreams

Was always willing to be somebody's toy

But now Josie George is missing

I know she's dead her life destroyed

Morning

 I don't want to break your heart

but I think 

I have to

I am where I start

and where I get to

I don't need a poisoned dart

I have the morning dew

 And that is where love departs

And where time is due

It's a far cry

 lesserback gull

the short straw

draw the match

parents say to the child you drew the match

Tired

 The dog is rising to the moon

The silver ships they leave too soon

Children cry and laugh

And Seagulls do the same

While I am taking a bath

As I try to remember my name

Childhood heroes

 Captain Scarlet's doing time for grand larceny

Probably he's down for espionage

Or trying to hijack the BBC

Aqua marina was caught exposing herself on Clevedon pier

Now she's doing community service

cleaning up the marine mere

Oh Sting Ray, lovely Sting Ray

I can't say this no more than a quip

It was caught speeding while trying

To rescue the earth on a highway

And now it's locked up in a skip

And now I know my childhood isn't near

It's off on another plain

I have no need for anything to fear

And anyway here comes the rain

The Thunderbirds were very cool

Just like the phoenix from the fire

They tried to stop the terrorists

In their pursuit all across the world with righteous ire

They were hired by the British intelligence

To track down Osama, of course they got caught

up

in all kinds of stuff

And now they're serving time in Guantanamo

Oh Thunderbirds, where did they go?

Oh where did my childhood heroes go?

I see them all behind bars

Even the Gingerbread man has gone AWOL 

I think he was caught stealing cars

The gingerbread gang are terrorising us 

What a sight it is to behold

Perhaps I'd have liked it better

If they had never showed us

That at the end of the rainbow

Would be waiting a pot of gold

Perhaps it would best if the illusion was crushed

Perhaps it would be better I'm told

Than over protect the young minds

With the world's half truths

When they tell us that not everything

 that glitters is gold

See the apple orchards and the starlings

they're flocking from tree to tree

like a long lost friend, 

like a long lost memory

Somewhere down long winding lanes

I wish they'd come back to me before the end

Strangers

 I used to hold you in high regard

I laid my heart on the table

Like I did my cards

But you blew me off

With a woman's facade

Oh but we're strangers now

I looked for you in the glass arcade

In the hall of mirrors I was your charade

I danced in the rain but on your parade

And that's why we're strangers now

Did you think I was something you could scoff at

No I'm not like a squash ball you can swat at

I may give in, I may bend and change

But I'll bounce back for I've rearranged

And we're strangers now