Islington John

This part of town is all flatfish tramps
Beautiful women becoming mothers

All night long the piano grins
I sit drinking sweetheart stout

Hey lonely - you with the negro face
Say lonely - what time does the music start?

Suddenly the actress belly laughs
& I put my hand on hers

Islington John
Time you were gone
Look at the clock
It's a quarter to one
& when it strikes the hour
I will steal your poppy flower

I get a nosebleed under the blue lamp
The actress goes up to the ugly man & they kiss

The wind ruffles the polythene
On a woman drunk on powdered milk & gas

Me & the actress meet a crowd walking backwards
Football fans attacking gypsy caravans

Someone hits my head from the back
As I'm peeping at cookery down an extractor stack

Islington John
Time you were gone
Look at the clock
It's a quarter to one
& when it strikes the hour
I will steal your poppy flower

Cars beep as we flamenco dance
On the pavement the innards of an old alsatian

Preserved by frost back at her flat the actress gargles
& puts on a record by Juliette Greco

Islington John
Time you were gone
Look at the clock
It's a quarter to one
& when it strikes the hour
I will steal your poppy flower

Islington John lifted the nylon
Lay amongst the broken antiques & smiled

Reeking of coffee & piss
Sober enough just to say this:

"I will pay for this fire extinguisher
The sand bucket & case
If you will let me pay for this man's face"

Islington John
Time you were gone
Look at the clock
It's a quarter to one
& when it strikes the hour
I will steal your poppy flower