Image: In Reynosa, Mexico. l to r Perla, (Mario's sister), me, Mario, Chiviz (his mum) and Clark after enjoying breakfast and a morning in Mexico.

Audio: My friend Clark playing piano, a tribute to his husband Mario, "Mario's Song" such a beautiful tune.

 

27.04.2017 – 124) Yesterday afternoon I did four classes

For Valley View High’s lads an’ lasses

Tell ‘em where I worked an’ about my hometown

Then I let the poetry go down

What I got to say, about what I write on the way

Answer any questions that want to ask, always a pleasant task

A sheer delight, then I was away to find my room for the night

 

125) Clark’s welcome at the end of yesterdays roam,

Said treat this house as your own home

So a good night’s sleep and this morning as day was dawning

Shower dress an’ before my eyes a pleasant surprise

A real treat, breakfast on the table ready to eat

Breakfast eaten, thanks said, my car I’m in,

Drivin’ away to let the day begin

Sharin’ poetry in the main, cos’ The Road Poets back in the Valley again

 

126) To Valley View once more for the day,

Hopin’ they like what I gotta say

About carin’ about sharin’ sad or funny,

I’m also goin’ to talk about savin’ money

Where I live on my home town on the River Aire what it’s like to live there

What it had, what’s gone but Castleford still carries on

An you can bet, I’ll tell ‘em about my family an’ Milo our pet

But one thing I gotta do, is stand up and recite poetry too

 

127)  Harold began the classes giving them the notion,

Poetry was a good way to express emotion

Therapy when times are sad, when feeling bad

From sadness to joy and gladness

He was a hit, sharin’ what other poets had writ

An’ givin’ a leanin’ as to their meanin’

With good intent, givin’ writin’ encouragement

Then more as I stepped up to read my first score

A poem written on inspiration to promote aspiration

Followed by an ode I’d written on the road

An’ the writin’ game, how poets play it,

Knowin’ what to say an’ usin’ fewer words to say it

I thought it went well the time I had was swell

Some students did exude expressions of gratitude

But there was more to come an’ then some

When at a gas station later a mom and daughter called me to say

She’d been in one of the classes today

An’ was thrilled we’d been an enjoyed what we had to say

Her name was Anna, I shook her hand and thanked her

An’ as I came away thought “Yup, her thanks really made my day”.

 

28.04.2017 - 128)  Last night’s opening night anthology launch I could tell, as usual went well

One thing clear was how good it feels to come back year after year

Familiar faces, no airs or graces

Pleasant chat an’ a few jokes, from a group of regular folks

 

129) I’m drivin’ away at break of day

Don’t wanna be late for my Weslaco East High poetry date

Then I see something scamper across the road in front of me

Long tail, short legs an’ a pointy nose

My first thought, an Armadillo I suppose

But as I got near it became clear

I would find it was an animal of a different kind

A possum, I drove by an’ smiled it was the first one I’d seen in the wild

 

130) Weslaco East High always a delight

Goes alright when the students recite

Then the visitin’ poets give rendition

Old or new poems from their latest edition

I can feel they’re listenin’ my inspiration glistenin’

Or how would I have had the time to write this little rhyme

 

131) Sometimes between an ode, I’d talk about life on the road

What I bring from home to help me on my roam

My thermal cup in which I store

Small bottle of English malt vinegar, ketchup sachets and more

Their imagination it seemed I’d captured

They seemed to sit there enraptured

After class I found requests for my malt vinegar to be passed round

An; extra taste would pass the poets lips as they sprinkled it on their potato chips

 

132) as usual time passed to soon, it was the last class in the afternoon

But with talent Weslaco East would glow

As their young writers and performers had a go

With the visiting poets they let it flow

Proving written creations whether on cell phones or book pages

Can unite people of all cultures and ages

 

29.04.2017 - 133) Last night’s slam an annual event to enjoy it my intent

An’ I just like to pick up the mic

An’ people find I say just what comes to mind

Impromptu off the cuff, is it enough

To win first place, do I really care? for me the fun is just being there

I didn’t win; I guessed I wouldn’t from the start, but enjoyed takin’ part

An’ although I hadn’t won, it sure was great fun

 

134) My car wouldn’t start last night

Nothing when I turned the key, something wasn’t right

No engine noise from under the hood, things didn’t look good

Thought about ringing for help, looked down an’ it became clear

An automatic doesn’t start, when it’s left in gear

 

135) Turn left the GPS said, I did and was filled with dread

A silly trick I’d turned to quick In the wrong lane I’m found,

Quickly on to the median thankfully it’s solid ground

A quick manoeuvre an’ its plain, I’m back in the right lane again

 

The following poem was written at a Loteria event where picture cards are selected and a poem or story made out of using them in any order.

136) He was well dressed, looked good, who could surmise

He really was the devil in disguise

Planned dastardly deeds, as plentiful as melon seeds

Sown an’ a tree of evil grown

Misfortune shaped the bottom of the barrel scraped

And evils of drink abound, no sanctuary in the bottle found

Then El Valiente fights the good fight

The Devil defeated and the world put right

 

137) Pictures for inspiration, use your imagination

Write a poem, write a story, make it funny, make it gory

It’s up to you what you do, what you find in your mind

It’s your choice, then give it your voice

 

138) Words from a list, not one missed

Used in turn, not as one would expect but where they would best interject

Write them with flair, fit them where they would best impact, be exact

Be random, fit ‘em in tandem, be enthused get them used

Get them down, go to town, go for death, go for glory

After all it’s your story

 

This poem was a challenge from Co-founder Daniel Garcia Ordaz. Jesse G actually does recite in a monotone, but his work is so powerful. This poem is meant to be recited as such and capture the very essence of Jesse. Daniel does a good impersonation of him but he may find he has competition. Me

139) He was introduced, his work he produced

Behind the microphone, speaking in monotone

Let it rip, like firing from the hip, spoke out loud, spoke out proud

Didn’t care who was there

Went on to say, what was wrong with America today

The land of the just, no more trust

Saying he did feel, some weren’t getting a fair deal

It wasn’t fair, for always somewhere

There was discrimination in this once great nation

It wasn’t forced, but by many leaders endorsed

He spoke more and was asked to do an encore

An’ I was there to hear an’ see the remarkable poet Jesse G

 

30.04.2017 – 140) This morning at 8:30 we’re away

South of the border down Mexico way

Reynosa breakfast to be had

With his friends and their family for this travelin’ lad

Bag scanned as customs we walked through nothin’ in it to make them blue

Whether or not they was aware of my bottle of English malt vinegar in there

It may have given them the notion, it was a small bottle of suntan lotion

Turnstile, pay a dollar walk through an’ smile

Over the Rio Grande on Mexican land

Now let’s pick up the pace, an’ find that breakfast place

 

141) Time savin’ we see Perla wavin’

Breakfast at Estrella in English “The Star”

So many choices I’m hesitatin’ mentally debatin’

So I depend, on Mario asking what he’d recommend

I go with his choice an’ soon it’s here, I’m still soaking up the atmosphere

Eggs over easy, ham done just right,

Refried beans an’ tortillas, sure was a delight

Now let’s see what’s goin’ down, on my first time in Reynosa town

142) Walkin down the main street, enjoyin’ the sound

Of street musicians playin’ an’ singin’ in the background

Just like any other town on any other day

Sadly it isn’t always this way

Often things is goin’ down, drug cartels trying to run the town

But today all seems well, there’s nothing to fear

An’ I’m thinkin’ how great it is to be here.

 

143) We bought candy from street vendors an’ more,

Goods from Chiviz’s favourite store

An’ some of the toddlers weren’t too shy

To play high five an’ knuckle tap with the Limey Guy

Far from being wild, their parents just smiled

Watchin’ us stop to play, it seemed we were makin’ their day

An’ I’m thinkin’ as I come away, why can’t it always be this way

 

144) Time had us beat, had to leave cos’ of the noonday heat

We said goodbye, the ladies hands were kissed

Being here was a chance I had taken not missed

Leaving with the thought, sometimes the best times are short

But easy to find with the memories left behind

An’ the time I’ve put them in rhyme

An’ the rhyme I’ll post on my blog so all’ll know it

Is another from the UK’s most prolific travelin’ poet

 

145) Reynosa we left, I wasn’t bereft

But glad because I’d been somewhere I’ve never seen

Thinkin’ it was grand as we came back across the Rio Grande

An’ at immigration Clark did inform

The officer I was famous international poet,

Who had just taken Reynosa by storm

He asked if I would have time to include him in my rhyme

I can because as you see,

Our first four Christian name letters were the same T-R-E-V

 

146) Back to the house we run, I’m thinkin “this mornin’ sure was fun”

An’ I can look back an’ smile at what we did in such a short while

So when this tour ends, I’ll easily remember my new found friends

 

147) Back at the house it was my will, to chill

Have a look at my page on Facebook

Catch up on e mails from home, tell ’em about my roam

Then relax, later go for a swim, take it easy, do things right

Before our farewell meal tonight