Love in the marigolds

 Well I loved you

In your marigolds

And I stepped over

The threshold

Just to slip down

The centrefold

Into the magazine world 

That you knew

In it was so yellow and blue

And it was so green and gold

As I fell like the snow

More and more

In love with you

Well the dishes were never clean

And the fishes they were never seen

But I caught you fishing in the stream

And the music of the strings

The bow finger violins

And the tulip harps

Played your lovely tune

Because I met you

While our hearts were young

And they still sung

Out our fugue

That plays in winter

But it always sounds

Just like June

Now I can see every man

They love you so

Because you sing the song

On the radio

And on your tongue

Is like a flute of power

You're like a song song bird

And I've never heard

Such a lovely voice

Issue forth from such 

A lovely flower

Oh my word

Owl versus mouse versus bat, versus night heron

 My name's the night heron

now I might be playin

When you hear me sayin

I'm in the shadows shady

Owl

Howl of the wolf

Growl of the bear

There's nothing out there

At which I scare

I'm your worst nightmare

No I don't want to blow hot air

But I can rotate my head

The circle I can square

And my eyes are wide

And ears have might

My feathers dampen

The sound of flight

And out the black I appear

Your worst nightmare

Be you Mouse or shrew or hare

So up there in the dark, it could

Strike at any moment

I have to run along my tunnels of grass

Then skip along the walls

I'm out here bold as brass

I'm the mouse with balls

Don't take me for a second rater

I'm the second comer if anything at all

If you leave your cheese grater

I'll be ready to nibble any scrap that falls

I see above and behind

I have eyes in the back of my head

But still with my mouses senses

I can feel the Owl's wings of dread

Owl

Oh such a plump little plumb

For for me to swallow

Toe and thumb, yum, yum in my tum

You go

Hold me tight to your breast

I'll grip you in my talons

I have talents on the wing

I am kind wouldn't hurt a fly

I'll leave that to the bat guy

Over there

Running nowhere

 Oh the lands are all strumming and I will be drumming

Oh my mum is coming today

And I wish that I'd joined the army or navy

For anything like the pay

Oh the lands are all drumming

And the river is thrumming and tumming to stay

And my hands are all thumbing

And the hearts all humming

And I wish that I'd joined the army or navy

But then I wouldn't be running away

Oh they say you could join the circus they say you are made out of clay

But mould me when I'm young

I'll be a good son

And maybe I won't run away

They tell you mortal combat

Is just a flesh wound they say

But what if a chortle wombat

could really say what he wanted to say?

What if it were just enough in life

To be yourself anyway

In general most useless

In any conceivable fruitless concourse

Of life's busy highways

Oh the time was timming and the reams were rimming

And the bowls were valeting away

For the limousines were liminal in the shimmering chimeral

And the cathedral was caterwauling away

The cats with the wool met the hats of the walls

And hares were all standing on the heads

And raising a fare was like failing a fair

Where the ferris wheel says farewell to the fool

They say go join the foreign legion,

Go fight in foreign region

Go flabbergast her, filibuster  or carp

The carpets all piled in the pile high club

And the pilots have trouble seeing through the glare

As celebrity pigeons on hedges, meet their fans

On ledges

And they all shake wings

The planes and plain things

That famously pledged passage to the sun

And I no longer want to join the army or navy

Although I'm not running away

Perhaps I would if I could

But my knee isn't good

So I think to myself I might stay

Seagull versus Egret

Egret: 

I have no regrets

Be like me I'm free and light

Like a feather from the flight

I have no regrets, Je n'Egret rien

For I'm the Egret, the Egret I am

Light of foot

High stepping wader

Small compact, a pint-sized invader,

Stout as Guinness, white as lightning

Drink me down river fish frightening

But don't you cuckoo spit me out

Or curdle me like cheese about

For now I'm in cider

Once I was an outsider

But now here's me level's home

I have nothing more to say Seagull crone

But if you don't like me leave me alone

Seagull:

Here I am the old salty dog

Hopscotching across a grassy bog

Just a field, where the cows graze

I'm on a rubbish tip holiday, hoorah

Now you might not think I belong in your field

But a bird like me has got make a meal

Take your worms or fish where you can get 'em I say

Never mind your fancy prancing pins

I'm down here in my flappers looking for fins

And if you don't like how I've waded in

Well just you keep your beak shut Egret thin

Egret:

Go push your boat out to sea

Why come inland and bother me?

Have you lost your sea legs?

Or are you a landlubber now?

I'll give you a hand you fat blubber cow

If you get any bigger seagull I'd stand on your rump

And peck your hide pa rum pa pump pump!

Seagull:

Now who are you calling fat?

Ok I've put on a few stone, but my stomach's flat

So what if I like Kentucky fried chicken

 in the seaside town it's slim pickins

And inland there's more tasty things than fish

To wrap my lips around out of bins of rubbish

Oh I do love fast food, cos' I ain't slow like you

You just stand there for hours waiting for a minnow

I'd get bored of being like a statue I prefer to hustle

Push your way in if you want to get ahead use your muscle

You're always gently treading avoiding causing offense

Why don't you get off your high horse pick a side of the fence

Egret:

I'm the greatest fisherman that's ever been around

If you wanna know who's the King fisher, I wear the crown

I'm lighter than a Heron, he's like an accordion that flies

My beak's long and sleek, like lightning from the skies

I'm the featherweight boxer, dancing like Cassius Clay

You wanna see me shadow box then get in the ring, let's play

Seagull

Oh well you don't think a Seagull packs a punch?

Well, I'm gonna chop and dice you, eat you for my lunch

I like a nice bit of sushi, and your Egret feng shui 

Don't impress me much, you can just dance, well phooi

It ain't no song and dance, I can do the seagull sailor's jig

I'll dance all up the town, along the roofs and over oil rig

So while you tip toe, I'll be on show for all the world to see

I'm the main man, the Seagull heavyweight boxing free

You stick to your river banks, and sedate country streams

I'm more used to fighting crows, rough seas are my dreams

Worse things happen at sea

 A bomb went off in a parking lot

My best man married my niece

King Arthur was jealous of lancelot

Cyprus was ceded by Greece

Well all of these things could make you cry a lot

Some might have you down on your knees

But it's best to remind that I think you will find

Worse things happen at sea

Mount Enta blew off her top hat

Pompei got burnt in larva grease

The water in alaska will freeze if they ask her

And New Orleans the rains may never cease

Yet you've got to make the best of what you've got

Just carry on rowing keeping going don't lose the plot

For worse things happen at sea 

The day we went to land the whale or A Whale’s Tale by Chris Scully

 

The day we went to land the whale  or A Whale’s Tale

by Chris Scully

(G)We went to land a whale (D7) just as the sun was (G) dawning

(C) The gulls were swinging(G)  in the air, (A7) crying out their (D7) warning

We(G) scrubbed the decks and bent our backs, (D7)  haulin’ up the (G) sail

(C) Gleaming were all the brass (G) tacks, the day we (D7) went to land the (G)whale

 

Oh(G) me laddie, (D7) bet your britches (G)daddy

(C) Get harpoon and (G)fork or spoon, we're(A7) off to land a (D7) baddy

(G)Now Sam's aboard with a scope and swore(D7) that he spied a (G)tail

(C) Waving in the (G)Bristol docks, the day we went(D7) to land the (G) whale

 

As (G) we put out from the Bristol dock’s, (D7)  sea-wind chapped our(G)  lipses

(C) The flood tide towed the(G)  seaweed locks, like (A7) green sea monster(D7)  shipes

(G) Then just between Flatholm and (D7)Steep we saw the spraying(G)  traces

(C) Of Whale flukes like Roy(G) al Dukes, off to see(D7)  the Cheltenham (G)races

Chorus

As (G) Sam hollered there’s whales collared (D7) in a swirling (G) ocean

Try (C) ing to swim (G) against the tide, (A7) without much loco (D7) -motion

(G) Eventually they’ll tire see (D7) said First mate with great (G) aplomb

(C) But Captain hammered and(G)- First mate stammered (D7) okay Cap you’ve (G) won

Chorus

So (G)we lowered and chased the whale (D7) all about the -(G)- harbour

There’s(C) nothing more to a (G)- whaleman’s taste than for (A7) something he must (D7) labour

And (G)-there we faced the steely pace (D7) of a whale set to (G) beat us

But (C)  I couldn’t recall (G) a time at all (D7) the way this whale did (G) treat us

Chorus

Capt(G) ain threw a mighty screw and it (D7) hit the whale on (G) the right

And(C)-we on board all hauled on(G)-the line but (A7) the whale never quit(D7) the fight

(G) The whale dove like a mighty Jove(D7) and pulled the ship (G) down under  

Then (C) up he came again(G) playin’ his game a(D7) -gain and hit our hull (G) like thunder

Chorus

A (G) sinking we were ship-wrecked u(D7)  pon a sandy bank (G) marooned

But(C) still attached was the whale (G) not catched (A7) but tied up by our (D7) harpoon

Up(G) on the deck the Captain hexed(D7)  and the First mate danced (G) a jig

To (C) think of all the dam(G) aged blows done to(D7)  their one and only (G)  rig

Chorus

The (G) whale turned to us with (D7) a weary look (G) askance

The(C) tide was coming in a(G) gain and the whale (A7) thought he’d take (D7) his chance

But(G) as he left he pulled the wreck(D7)  of our ship full (G) with him

So  (C) we rode the tide   (G) had a whale a time (D7) from his rolling (G)  rhythm

Chorus

But(G) the Whale showed us mercy, oh (D7) just before he swam (G) off

We (C) cried  “Gramer cy”  when (G) back on shore he(A7) kindly dropped us (D7) off

And (G) we bade him a fond farewell (D7) and thanked him for (G) his tail

That(C) had taken us(G) home safe n well the day we (D7) went to land the (G) whale

Chorus

Last line x2

 C D7 G

Northern lights

 In the north I saw the star

And in the North like a burning scar

across the horizon

Glazed so bright

The shimmering green Northern lights

Oh northern lights like an absinthe fairy

Dancing its tinkerbell

Dust so starry

In my ship I crossed waves like mountains

As in the sky were green lights like fountains

blooming over like a holy chalice

The rim of the horizon 

A broken palace

Let the hearts of Angels sing aloud

There I saw a castle in the clouds