Fragments Written in Manchester

for Amy

the streets I miss
the concrete jungle!
the old town
the Northern Quarter
the walk along the canals
the brief time we went running
the august sun
the happiness

waiting for you to get back from Salford
at the tram stop in St. Peters Square
rain on/off
you came with good news
my worries dissipated
with the rain

sat outside The Pub
near All Saints park
smoking/drinking
familiar grey skies
homeless guy sat by the cash point
sky hanging on the point of rain

tiny bedroom in Rusholme
Crofton Street
crusty yellow wallpaper
bed, clothes rail, draws I used for a desk
lying on the bed
head by the window
sun streaking through
lying for hours

walking to the centre of the city
work all done
you for company
clear skies shining on brown eyes
the buses on Oxford Road
fine tune my heart
soaking in the noise

moved to the city two days ago
bumped into you by All Saints Park
with news
you were there as if it were yesterday
and nothing happened

waiting to show you my new place
on Barlow Moor Road
proud of its rustic quality
huge bay window
big double bed
heard you before I saw you

dancing in the Copacabana
the Northern Quarter
sizzling moves samba spirit
gulping pina coladas
one/another
when the bus reached your stop
you said you forgot your keys

sat in my room in Didsbury
on my old grandad chair
reading

lazy days on the bus
making use of our passes
hopping from the 142 to the 50
running up the stairs to get the front seats
sharing the city

winter's evening 11 o'clock
busy night in the library
waiting for the 111 surrounded by biting chill
watching people's breath in the air
thinking about the walk
through All Saints Park
which is deadly quiet this time of night

late summer in Whitworth Park
air starting to cool
sat on the benches
laughing at the local characters

playing football in Whitworth
kicking it back and to
barefoot
blazing days cooled by the
chittering ice cream man
frisbee throwers
barbecues
music
beautiful unity of peoples
winding the long hot days

Hulme Park basketball court
our mini basketball
shooting hoops in the backdrop of the Hilton
cars roaring by
calling in at the shops
underneath our building
tasting the Caribbean in the air

your new kitchen
a sense of new hope
not seeing it through
in the bars of Fallowfield
an opportunity lost
it could've worked out in Kippax Street
but...

Rusholme cafes smoking shisha
drinking Arabic tea
first time in the Musicana
sat outside
the smell of curries up and down the mile
it gets under your skin!
the night lights
the madness of Eid
mad students on Magic Buses
screaming
passing through

walking through the streets of Didsbury
calm terraces evoke calm moods
everything is slow
a kid kicks a ball against a wall
my car in its usual spot
Barlow Moor Road rushes by

Didsbury at night!
jovial people outside pubs/bars smoking
restaurants teeming
busy streets walking
Dog and Partridge crowd
happy to laugh the night away
on our way to Fletcher Moss

the old man in the cafe/bookshop
the Art of Tea
the best in Manchester
jolly as ever on every visit
make you laugh
on Barlow Moor Road

in the bar in Chorlton
with you, who else?
eating crackers with all the sides
bottle of beer and warm smiles
no one else around
huge upstairs full of posters
one said Howard Marks was talking
should have gone

Marriotts cafe on Oxford Road
busy as usual
student days
you had the usual pasta dish
I had tuna baguette
talking for an hour
then back to work

walking you to work in Spinningfields
out the apartment over the bridge
passed Castlefield into Deansgate
the busy morning walkers rushing to work
you one of them
me just along for the ride
then after nine quiet empty streets
the odd stroller
me one of them
sometimes stopping for a coffee.

waiting behind an expensive 4x4
Deansgate
2am mid week
music pumping
we realise it's part of the club
and won't be moving
Hip-Hop blasting
the rest of the street serene

waiting in the chip shop on Oldham Street
for the woman
to finish
my tattoo
design
she does a fine job
one afternoon in Affleck's Palace

eating a meal in Frankie and Bennies
a guy behind us
discussing the economic crisis
drinking wine
two bottles

viewing an apartment on Portland Street
we should have took it

sat in a trendy restaurant in West Didsbury
the November air outside
sharp
brings courage to the lungs
just us there
talking/treating each other like fine wine

Kim by the Sea lamb burgers
washed down with cider!
I forget now what you had
sitting/starring at each other
utterly charmed
in Hulme

the many times in Subway
Oxford Road
lunch

West Didsbury bus stop
smoking
waiting for the 111 to take us down Yew Tree Road
I had to run in the Metropolitan

lazy idle days strolling through Ancoats
checking out the new developments
work at a halt
places half finished
looking for Italian ghosts
looking for the ghosts of industry

sat in my new car! Ha!
across the road from
Upper Brook Street no. 235
debating whether we should
we pull out
he passes us in his van
only I spotted him
we return later to drop off my keys
leaving no money
pouring with rain

Upper Brook Street
walking to town and back
worst apartment yet
ragged red carpet
cracked wallpaper all the way up the wall
a broken window
left for about a month
walking over broken glass in the hall

walking through Canal Street
rainbow flag flying high over the many
restaurants bars pubs
atmosphere joyous and obviously gay
all night party at New York! New York!