Poetry: Henry Normal writes about L.S. Lowry, buses and planes

Henry Normal, co-writer of award-winning TV and film shows such as The Royle Family, The Mrs Merton Show, The Parole Officer, Coogan’s Run, Paul Calf, and producer of Gavin and Stacey, Moone Boy, Uncle and Alan Partridge, among many others, has written more brilliant poems exclusively for Northern Soul.

THOUGHTS ON TAKE OFF FROM MANCHESTER AIRPORT

Must we arrive at heaven’s door

Via the Wythenshawe streets

Some strange celestial package tour

All sucking boiled sweets.

 

A TRIBUTE TO L. S. LOWRY

The paintings of L.S. Lowry

could not be considered flowery

Although Salford city

is often quite pretty

more often than not it’s showery

 

ARTHUR C. CLARKE’S AMAZING WORLD OF MANCHESTER BUSES

I knew I was in trouble after

I got stuck in a queue behind Franz Kafka

He was becoming confused and depressed

Then it came as a shock to both of us

When Godot turned up on an 81 bus

Together with the crew of the Marie Celeste

 

GREAT BUS JOURNEYS OF THE TWENTIETH CENTURY – THE 79 TO CRUMPSALL

11.30 the last bus home

A mobile version of Dante’s Inferno

Sat aside some pissed up pubescent

About to drop his first bollock

Whose acne resembled an early Jackson Pollock

A cultured crowd as 3 or 4

Had had their heads sculptured by Henry Moore

 

THE CHANCES OF CATCHING A BUS TO CRUMPSALL ON A SUNDAY

You’ve more chance crossing the Atlantic on a busted lilo

or

Shaking hands with Venus de Milo

 

Henry Normal will be at The Lowry in Salford on January 25, 2020. For more information, click here.