Life is difficult, part one

The heart on my sleeve
is at the dry cleaner's,
a flock of tea-bags
just circled the house
and the kettle won't boll,
says it wants to be
a poet.

Yes, reality's using an egg for a golf ball:
 the grandfather clock's
 just mounted a skateboard,
 the newspapers now say
 that the moon is a rumour,
 the street-walkers have all
 moved to cloud nine,
 somebody's got the salad
 in a half-nelson,
 my goldfish is knitting a watch
 and they've brought back the guillotine
 for an encore.

I just want to be loved
 the way children love puddles:
 happy jumping gumboot
 in the middle of my face.
 I want to sell cans
 of Mona Lisa smiles,
 I want a diploma
 from the wrong side of the tracks,
 I want to be allowed
 to take my whale
 onto the bus...

I just want to sleep,
 I just want to sleep:
 like a full stop,
 like the lost jigsaw puzzle piece,
 like the diamond on a widow's hand,
 but all I get is
 my wallet salivating
 to the ringmaster's whip
 and my nightmares
 shimmying in lame dresses
 like Diana Ross and the Supremes