From "Fictions and Factions" pg. 109

THE CANVAS

Small time medium time big time
simple problems complicated solutions
complicated problems simple solutions
stop and listen watch and ward
care for yourself and care for others

Care for others then care for yourself
treat as you would wish yourself to be treated
if you have no money you can still pay a bribe
the bribe you can pay is called consideration
people are bought with consideration for others

You have been bought without even knowing it
you are owned and you find it normal
not to know who the proprietor is
what are you for what's it all about
there's got to be an explanation for all this

The explanation's simple you're here and I'm there
you're there and I'm here we just changed places
no magic love sometimes life, quoi
movement shifting sliding slippery sloping
you think you're going backwards but in fact you're moving on

Nothing is big nothing small all is happy medium
somewhere in the middle trying not to draw the fire
my failure becomes more manifest as I begin to grow up
from medium to large to outsize to gigantic
a painting must always be larger than the canvas it's painted on

From the “Woman I Love” pg. 159

POLAR BEAR

My favourite animal is the polar bear
I always thought it was the one I resembled most
I like it because it's got white fur like me
and I like it because it plays for hours on end
and I like it because it's dangerous

The Inuit think it the most frightening beast on earth
not because it's vicious it's just indifferent
to what man does or thinks or says or makes
it goes its own way on the glacier
its behaviour can in no way be forecast

If you crowd it it will turn upon you and attack
it's fast and it is heavy one strike of that paw
will upturn the boat you're shooting from
you never shoot from land unless you're stupid
if the first bullet doesn't bring him down you're dead

And polar bears are really very crafty
to catch a seal they'll roll themselves in mud
and crawl along the ice just near the hole
the seal has got to make for air
it welcomes as its kind the one that gobbles it alive

But if you're a seal sunning yourself by an airhole
keep your eyes peeled I might drop by one day