Earl Zinger

Dear
Thanks for your letter
Sounds like you're
living the way you wanted
And that makes me smile
No I hadn't heard
Bjorn Borg retired
thank God one of us has a finger
on an sporting pulse
No records left to
collect your complaint
Well Borg Brolin and an
unknown tennis trainer
released something recently
No doubt your contacts
in the Stockholm underworld
can source that gem
Got back the other day
to find the pub
on the corner had been
burnt down
a dark London street story
I wont't burden you with now
Determined as I am
to write you some
life affirming shit
and not drag you an a regular
trawl through the night seas
to find what crawls
Yet I know they're
casting their lots
to see who can get the
old pubs's lease an' turn it
into more luxury flats
Brick by brick the
infiltration has begun
I feel moved to take a
spray can to the boarding
But can't think of
anything whitty
or on point enough
to be up there
The drunkards still own the park
D's still there in your old
flat making beats
and still owns the night
While this street can
still shape shift
and make you quicken your pace
on a late night return
So I suppose we still have time
But make no mistake my friend
I'm sure some barricade
somewhere has started calling

I'm so sorry
we missed each other
when you last came to town
I heard from Ndeye you
sat with her telling stories
for three hours
while she put some extensions
in a client's hair
She told me about Cuba
cigars and sacred drums
of arguments in bars Dante
the color of christ
and the only true poet
The south China sea's
remembered fa yung the
Buddhist master
how can we obtain truth
through words
When she quoted your
immature writer's plagiarize
mature writers steal
I was back in a bar in New York
lower east side
when you shouted that at
maybe it was yourself
maybe I wasn't there
maybe it's slipped down
between the years
My memory isn't exactly
all that now
But my friend
you definitely hava a
convert there
an if you ever need
your hair braiding
and I know that's a long shot
then she's your girl
As my man scratch or
maybe Rakim or maybe Monk
More probably all of them
at some stage said
You gotta check the new style
I'm assuming you are
still running an old testament
blades to hair ratio
and it hasn't fallen
rudely out on you
If that's the scenario
then my sincerest apologies

Saw Mr Brenan in the
Holloway road yesterday
Walked past with a bag of
potatoes on his shoulders
I didn't stop him he
wouldn't have a clue
who I was
He didn't back then
when we'd spent month's
sleeping on his sofa explaining
which one of his son's
friends we were
Well that's the price you
pay for any more than
six children
in the Holloway road area
I think of you often
and hope we see each other
again as soon as possible
Until such time may the winds
be at your back
the dice be kind
and the Gods turn the
occasional blind eye
sincerely yours
beyond the clouds
beyond the son
the rebel without a cause

She had force religious
Some seed forced the hell
God took our insurance
For wind that angel fell
Understanding be jumpy
dog on a stairs
Those hate love's brothers
did then I hit some pairs
Now love sits beside him
two step up out of case
Three step world looks pretty
Oh shock cause delays
But when game was over
he got no privacy
And some place to wag them
and look chop doggie's bee
There're just further they're
l be there too long
Their Shadows grow
they can't believe the poor
How the night have
got so strong
Forces Darling
I'm never run from you
Forces Darling
I'm never run from you
But then things were
different a long time ago
Self off hell borders
saint Peter just want go
She knew office dark side
as was there no light
He said Honey I am definitive
would be right
There're just further
they're l be there too long
Their Shadows grow
they can't believe the poor
How the night have got so strong
Forces Darling
I'm never run from you
Forces Darling
I'm never run from you

Forces Darling
I'm never run from you
Forces Darling
I'm never run from you
Forces Darling
I'm never run from you
Forces Darling
I'm never run from you

My face is leaned up on her
N blocks a coptic smile
She got the understated
She got the car crash hands
She got my size ten meathooks
They hide a gangees tongue
She knows the lawless shan lands
She walks a modal mile
I stay sub-merged for two days
I may go back for three
I'm backing off till morning
To follow bassline leads
I'm standing still on 10th street
I'm not the only one
I want this night to stretch us
There's plenty left to know
I walked a million marchers
And i got million hands
It's all just blistered slipstream
It's all just space to run
I pull the budda hamstring
I'm looking homer tides
I clean the pipe hea scrapings
I'm not the only one
The street breath is upon me
We walk the river miles
The ageless cities waiting
In gospell bus stop eyes
You're asking more than reason
She ransom freestyle flow
She not the only one
I'm not the only one
She wait with dread upon her
She wait butnot for i
I try the sky for reason
It just won't trust me still
I know there's more than i see
I know there's more to tell
She wait down by the river
She knows but keeps it well