Doppelgänger (Without Trace)

Why shouldn't I imagine that I see you
Sat out, in the corner of the Lavender Garden
In conversation, on your mobile-telephone

How much hope can be destroyed
By those twin forces
Of human nature, and human nurture

Why wouldn't you, choose to sit there
In the most obviously noticeable area
Of this somewhat, considerably discreet location

And if I could listen in, to your words that is
Would I smile, with warm interest as I identified
Your libidinous turns of phrase

Or would I
Through clearer speech recognition
Realise how foolish I had been

To have thought of you, either as my lover
Or as you once wished it, as my friend
For all of those intervening years

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Cart Track (Without Refrain)

I kick the leaves

Not knowing
Whether to laugh
Or to cry
Not knowing
Whether to be happy
Or to be sad
And so I look back on my life
For signs
Of some achievement
Not knowing
If, to feel
Is not itself sufficient

I watch the leaves
Which fall onto the cart track
The cart track
Which climbs up the hill
To the five-bar gate
The five-bar gate
Which I feel
To have always, yes always
Simply to have straddled
Not determining
For one side
Nor neither, for the other

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Gate (Without Chains)

I
I did not cross the bridge
For I remembered last year
When your mood overpowered me
You
You have not been with me so so often this time
Though when you do arrive
You do so with no less a force of magnitude

I had no choice
There were several hours
To be disturbed, distracted
Overcome, and somehow defeated
So I did cross that bridge
I walked up the cart track
To the five-bar gate
Where, last year

I had, on three occasions
Left my camera case behind
But today I keep my eyes
Firmly focussed
On the leaf
And nutshell-strewn ground
Only at the top of the hill do I wheeze
Wishing to share another cigarette with you

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Sat In The Sensory Garden (Without You)

Early afternoon
On the second day
Of this short personal retreat
Although I have retreated
From anything but my senses

Right now I hear the gulls
And the loud raucous laughter
Of the studious young Americans
Though to be honest
I am unsure what drew them here

Only one or two
Made it into the Abbey
Only one really, on a regular basis
But I did see a vacant-looking girl
Walking by the river

And in the cafeteria
I overheard two young men
Discussing the purpose of their lives
I tell you, they had a great deal
Of street-wise verbose

Even if occasionally
They stumbled
As I also, so so often stumble
To find the right words
To make the sense of which I am after

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Simpler Chapel (Still Without High Church)

That one smile
On that one face
That one fine place
To cause such mischief

That one time
On that one clock
That one sharp shock
To cause such mischief

That one sound
On that one wall
That one late last call
To cause such mischief

That one scent
From that one flower
That one strong power
To cause such mischief

That one breath
On that one nape nerve
That one distinct verve
To cause such mischief

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