There is a change

There is a change

A chill in the air

Even as the troubadour

Sings of love and broken promises

His voice bent into the shape

Of a West Virginian

Uncomfortably pitched

Heavily accented

Against his mother’s wishes

Topless waitresses collect

Dirty dishes

The waiters still wear shirts

The slot machines

Are called Pokies in Australia

A quaint name

For a soporific addiction

Glassy-eyed old dears

Wear diapers to save time

Suffer arthritis in their hands

For the chance of a jackpot

As the clouds gather

Outdoor revellers

Gird their loins

For a mad dash indoors

Should the rain fall

Builders on overtime

Rush through their work

Trying to finish a roof

For the weekend

Water damage would be a disaster

As the sky roils

Muddy with growing anger

There is a change in the air

Pushing a shower in

From the sea

Daring the singer to remain

Exposed

Not much of a downpour

Just a gentle hosing

As the band plays on

Beneath an awning

In the courtyard

As the troubadour dreams

Of Glastonbury

The Pyramid stage

English weather

Adoration

And the splash of muddy waters.