John-Ward Leighton

GIMME SHELTER

Photo ©Copyright 2011 by John-Ward Leightonon the street
no WAM to be had
the welfare folly that 24-hour jolly
and the disappearance of all their lolly

and sleeping rough
‘cause even for those
not addicted or crazy
times are tough

and even Mick
can’t get no satisfaction
and we are all sick and tired
of being sick and tired and never getting any traction

I’m up to here
with your tales of woe
and the can you help me I’m out of luck
there will be no joy from me I fear

so I sit at my keyboard
and stare into the void and almost vote with my feet
while the drunks and the crack addicts
noisily fight in the 2 a.m. of the street

and the hos turn tricks
in the cars
right below
my window

so headphones on
so I don’t drive my neighbours wild
with the rock and roll
and grind out these dead wrong lines

I wonder when
it stops being music
and turns into
noise

I’m caffereined out
the three cuppas type of can’t sleep
and my spell checker says
caffereined isn’t a word

well fuck you
and the horse
you came in
on

I have the urge
to go back to being a street fighter
and punch the noisy fucker
yodeling under my window into oblivion

or as we used to say in the day
leave the son of a bitch
looking up his own asshole
in the ditch

sugar blue
on the blues harp
and some guitar licks
reminds me of getting my kicks

acid belches
and flatulence extraordinaire
have to open my windows
to clear the air

all these thoughts in a welter
and yet I remember
the tune and words to
gimme shelter