Actual posting date 22-11-10 

Not for the genteel, this one.

                  Leap off a Day

Leap off a day full of struggle and toil;
pleasure-power fuels freedom's few precious
hours. Head for the cellar where solace is
found; shoulder a way through the jostling crowd.

The thicket is wild and dense at the bar,
winter-branch arms shedding autumn-leaf notes.
Barmaids flick taught aloof tails while they flit,
ripping off balls with their sharp little tits.

Machine gunning speakers spray punters with
rap. Call for ''strong ale!'' Leave the lager for
louts. Survey; edge away from the wankers
and drunks. He's got mad-eyes. She's pushing tabs.

Ocean of faces polluted by booze;
snatches of voices, wind-torn from the storm.
Crackhead is screaming about his bad trip,
rodents are filling his skull full of shit.

Rhythm-girls bob up and down to the beat.
Silky Desire still the queen of the dance,
Aldis-lamp pants flashing code through the gloom.
Refill my pot and slug whisky for luck.

Shouting and cursing and breaking of glass,
fun at the bar… stampeding; girls crying;
chairs swinging; fists flying; then Exocet-
bottles-and-boots in an all out attack.

Faces exploding in fountains of blood;
shatter-glass windows ice-blue-psychedel;
game-beating police rousing quarry to
flight; any brace cooks-the-books for the night.

Scatter and panic; a jam at the door
as we tear and then pull and then kick and
butt heads. Now dash for the street and the sweet
inky-black safety of swallowing night.

Find the fair-maid, Desire, cute little sprite
whose ignoble-knight offers vindaloo-
sauce, plan for scalding her arse and covert
ovens-of-love, as we leap off a day.

Charlie Gregory
Cardiff