I’m just a young man

Lying on the grass

Looking up through the trees

Somewhere in North Northumbria

I think they’re birch

Or beech

I’m relaxed

Some girl had left me

Obviously wasn’t the one

I feel part of it all

No poems

No thoughts

Just watching the wind blow the leaves

In the late afternoon sunlight

It’s warm

I hadn’t met you yet

You were a few adventures down the road

But I knew I had to be somewhere

For something

And I had to get there

No timeframe

But no time to mess about

I took a deep breath

And heard a raven call

I stood up and walked back to the car

My first

Shit heap for a hundred pounds

I put the key in the ignition

and look back at the place I had been lying

Nobody there

Nobody cared

The birds continued on as normal

I gunned the car

And slowly drove back to Newcastle

Feeling

I was

On my way to I don’t know where

Jsem jenom mladej kluk

Jsem jenom mladej kluk

Ležím na trávě a zírám

Nahoru krz stromy

Někde v Jižní Northumbrii

Myslim že jsou to břízy

Nebo buky

Jsem v pohodě

Jedna holka mě nechala

Zjevně to nebyla ta pravá

Cítím se bejt součástí toho všeho

Žádný básně

Žádný myšlenky

Jen sleduju vítr

jak fouká do větví

V pozdně odpolednim slunci

Je teplo

Ještě jsme se nepoznali

Tys byla o několik dobrodružství pozadu

Ale věděl jsem, že musím někde

Kvůli něčemu

Bejt

A že se tam musim dostat

žádná časová představa

Ale taky žádnej čas k poflakování

Zhluboka jsem se nadechl

A zaslechl zakrákat havrana

Vstal jsem a vrátil se k autu

Moje první

Kraksna za sto liber

Strčil jsem klíč do zapalování

A ohlídl se za místem

kde jsem předtím ležel

Nikde nikdo

Nikdo se nezajímal

Ptáci řvali dál jako vždycky

Nastartoval jsem

A pomalu se vracel do Newcastlu

S pocitem

Že jsem

Na cestě

nevím kam

(z rukopisu přeložila Olga Stehlíková)

I couldn’t sleep

I couldn’t sleep

Too much cafein

Smoking out of the window

Watching a dream

The snow is falling

Blanketing the city sounds dead

Muffling the noise

Save for the slushing sounds of a cars tyres

and the growling of its engine

In the distance as it slides off into the night

No sirens blaring

As if there was an unsaid curfew

Thinking about you

And all that has gone on

Wondering if it was over

Still anxious

Dreams telling me things I dont want to face

And the snows still falling

And everything at peace

My eyes are slowly closing

Needed to write something down

Xx

Doldrums

I haven’ t written one for a while

I’ve felt like shit

Nothing happening

Doldrums

And bad mood

No money

No give

Empty

And feeling pointless

Keeping up routine

Shallower by the day

The neg got to me

Drowning in it

But…

Give me the light of another day

Fruit machines

I used to be addicted to fruit machines

When I was at university

Putting money in in the hope

of getting something out

Learning all the combinations

to cut down

The risk and cash out on a lucky steak

Micro endorphins rush

As you gathered small change

Andcame out with 50 percent less

Than when you went in.

Is that bell going to fall sometime

You would get a big win

but you would be back the same day

pushing your luck again

one cherry at a time.

You were never happy but something

in you kept making you come back.

43

Work

Blokes need to work

That’s where they get their reason to be

It’s as old as the hills and as fresh as the blossoms in spring.

And we’re looking forward to getting ashore

To the red light district

to fuck a whore

We hadn’t aboard

Just a hope in our wave swept fight

Just a light in the tunnel of night

As we pounded through the hurricane eye

For a moment of peace .

For a sweaty release

***

There’s a garage
At the end of the rain sodden wintery road
The car needs fixing
Something has blown
Open the dark wooden door
The mechanic
Is working on some old wreck
Head under the bonnet
Cursing
Hello?
Piča Kurva!
Shall I come back later?
He comes out from under
With the biggest smile
Big man
Solid
My first customer in three weeks!
What can I help you with?

Šest stop

Obejmu tě zezadu

A přitisknu ti ucho na šíji

Když zakroužíš rameny

Mně vstříc

Uslyším pohyb svalů

Šlach a chrupavek
Křupání a praskání

Jako u vstupu do temné jeskyně

Tam v dálce pulzuje červené světlo

A ohlušující rytmus tvého srdce

V mém uchu zesiluje

Ten zvuk zmizí

Až budeš pod zemí.

(z rukopisu přeložila Olga Stehlíková)