Sitting on the Wall
A book by Norman King
& John Simpson
A book of poems, songs and tales by Sherkin Islander Norman King, with paintings and drawings by island artist John Simpson.
It is a gem of a book, full of the wit and humour that is particular to Norman and to John, in word and in paint, a real treat.
The book is available to buy online in a hard back or a paper back edition.
Sitting on the Wall
by Norman King
I’m sitting on the wall, doing bugger all,
only watching a beetle and a butterfly.
The missus has gone to town, to buy a dressing gown,
because the cat destroyed the old one having kittens
so I’m sitting on the wall, doing bugger all.
I’m sitting on the wall, doing bugger all
not thinking about the time when or the time to be
I’m just sitting on the wall, doing bugger all
in the sunshine and the rain.
Sherkin Island
by Norman King
We don’t need no woolly sheep on Sherkin,
we don’t need those baa lambs here at all,
for Sherkin she is cattle only country
and the Co-Op gets its wool from Donegal
chorus:
Sherkin Island is quite near to Ireland,
in fact she’s ‘tween the Cape and Baltimore,
She’s international and quite irrational,
and everyone aboard her knows the score.
Sherkin Island is quite near to Ireland,
in fact she’s ‘tween the Cape and Baltimore,
She’s international and quite irrational,
and everyone aboard her knows the score.
chorus
We don’t need those government officials
who come and poke and pry into our lives,
we’ve got a TV and a fishing licence,
we’ve also front and rear lights on the bike.
chorus
Now, visitors come visit us in summer,
September sees them slowly drift away,
and after the New Year and Christmas,
we all hang tough until St Patricks Day.
chorus
There is no place quite like it on this planet,
and I know there’s no place like it out in space,
no rushin’ here, no rushin’ there
no-one’s pulling out their hair
‘cause nice ‘n’ easy, that is Sherkin’s pace.
Sailing off to Jupiter
by Norman King
Sailing off to Jupiter,
put the goggles over your eyes,
it's wise
to realize what size
you are
and how far
you are prepared to go
just to show
yourself or other people
about your debilities,
about your abilities.
about your plus,
about your minus,
about the middle
about the end.
“How far is it to the next bend?
You see we passed the moon
yesterday afternoon
at around half past two.”
"Excuse me for interrupting
but who are you,
and how did you get on
my rocket ship?”
"Do you want off at Mars
or right now
‘cause if a cow
can get over the moon
then so can you
with the help of several balloons
and a pink space scooter
with on aluminium hooter
that goes
‘toot! toot! toot! and shoot
the debris out of your way,
'Hey! Hey Hey!’
close the door behind you,
there's a draft
making my left ear a brighter
blue.
What a craft.
"Whooooooo!"