Peter Pan Nightmares on Chatham Avenue

out of sync the wheel
squeaks, too many little
brown mice with big mice ears

have chewed my bearings
a sunbeam sits on my
dislocated shoulder

and the cat's in the cradle
sleeping with the whole ball of wax
(what a yarn that is!)

i sharpen my nails and
dig in the posthumous dirt
of my arrival, coming

undone by the light of the silvery
moon, sprinkles melting on cupcakes
and newlyweds

it's nine yards and an inch,
hail hail all ye who enter
my sleep, prepare for Occam's

close shave, reality bites the dust
and then backtracks into ruts
of self-disclosure, counting crows,

mismatched socks, and coins for the ferryman
watching hi-def TV and writing poetry
that falls by the wayside, colours

of flesh and inhibition, the scent of lavender
honeysuckle and ginger blossoms
pounding at my door:

wake up you crazy easy fool,
time is ticking and the crocodile is not
far away, your shadow is being dry-cleaned.