To stare down Medusa

I had a friend, a friend called Bill

I loved my friend, although he wasn’t real

To him, to her, to them, to you

Who just saw me, did not see two

I met Bill when I was little

To start with our friendship was fragile and brittle

You see -

I was confused - entitled to be

When Bill had first told me that no one could see

The two of us together - Ever!

Anyhow

I got over Bill’s shyness of people

And we agreed to just talk in our head

Until all around us were sleeping

Then we’d talk loudly instead

We didn’t just talk though

Coz that’d be boring

We’d play silly games

Pretend we were snoring

Or driving a car

Which was made out of ice cream

So never got far - before it melted

Just like I would

Right into my pillow -

Sleep

Me and Bill fell out one day

It was bound to happen, some would say

And as we looked up at the branch of the tree

It crossed my mind, did Bill push me?

Bill felt the same

Thinking I was to blame - and

From that day on, some trust was gone

Things were never the same

We stayed in touch but not too much

Bill drifted away

Then forty-years went passing by

And here we are today

Me and Bill are in the woods

But Bill is not in my head

He has four legs, a tail and spots

Coz he’s a Dalmatian instead

And he is very real…

Bill came to me from a dog sanctuary

‘All Creatures Great & Small’

He’d been there eight months -

Then I came along

And I thought that Bill was cool

So, I took him home, a home that he loves

Where he has settled so well

Great in the house - sleeps through the night

It’s a shame though - his bottom can smell

Perhaps that’s why he was at the sanctuary?

So

Me and Bill go to the woods

And I know that this Bill is true

But some things they don’t change

Coz we’re not alone

In the woods there’s a Russian man too

He’s a soldier

He’s not much older - than me

Bill see nothing wrong

Just lets us get on

With our conversation

About what has gone wrong

The terrible fractions between the two sides

And how the poor Russian

Saw it all with his eyes

The battles, the bloodshed of which he is part

He so wished it was over with all of his heart

And I was sympathetic

Perhaps I shouldn’t be

As I’m just here to report - Impartiality

But with winter just passing

Spring now in the air

I knew the past months

Must have been hell for them there

Surrounded, outnumbered

Their weapons so old

He talked of his friends, how they coped with the cold

He quietly explained

They are brave, they are bold - adding

The youngest one here is just eighteen years old - and

Perhaps more than any

He’d shown most resolve -

The Russian was gone as fast as he came

Another dog walker being to blame -

It was always the same

Shame

Come on Bill

It’s time we should get on our way

So, we leave - together

Both of us real

Another sun moon switch

For me now - until

We can return to the woods

Escape from it all

To stare down Medusa?

Now that would be cool

From the 'Lunatics & Space Age Watches' collection