Tasmanian Europa Poets' Gazette No 89

That Hat

On The Tube, man,

Where did you get that hat, man?

You in the bowler,

Travelling to the city, man,

In the hand-made suit,

And the fashion shoes,

And the tailored overcoat,

And that hat,

Oh, where did you get that hat?

You staring through train windows,

Watching nothing,

Pretending we don’t exist, man,

On The Tube,

Metropolitan Line -

Uxbridge to Rayners Lane,

And change for the Piccadilly,

On to Knightsbridge,

You with the leather briefcase,

And that hat,

Smoking a classy cigarette,

We high on living, man,

On drugs and sex, and music, man,

You in shiny black shoes,

Rounded toe and shoelaces,

Not with it, man,

Oh, where did you get that hat?

Was it Selfridge’s or Harrods's,

Yeah, Harrods for a haircut,

And a hat,

We live on The Underground,

You just use it,

China cups and teapot,

I’m a teapot, I’m a teapot, man!

From the privileged belt,

Where green meets concrete, artificial,

To the city, man,

Tottenham Court Road,

Sloane Square, Googe Street,

Who goes to White City on Central Line?

We do, man,

On The Tube, day and night,

Not you, man, not in that hat -

Oh, where did you get that hat?

© Michael Garrad August 2011