Roaming thru the gloaming

No craft here, only
Independent beer

***

Those anxious, insecure dreams again.
Why in Manchester, I’ve no idea

A shared house, busy with men all younger than myself
Men I knew well from earlier times

Students? Characters from reality TV?
More likely Kerouac’s Denver gang still kicking around

I owned what I could carry, dropped in the dorm
Friendly faces wandering between the beds

No matter how I try, despite the kindnesses
The invitations, I never seem to fit

And so I quit
Sneaked out the door and took a bus to the centre

Manchester
God knows why

And then through complex Metro rides

Segue scene upon scene
Always with the nicest people

Anxious, insecure
Same old, same old

Parked the car – this old Fiesta
On the road outside the flat – ours

Watched it driven away
Like it was meant to be – nothing untoward

Stolen, it finally transpires
Images and thoughts, concerns of documents

Papers, prevarication – unsure of what to do
The papers probably in the car anyway

I look around, search, call you
Your dad will know

There’s an animal
Maybe two, cat and dog?

Two dogs?
Sidling up for petting, companionship

Goodness knows what any of this means