A conversation. JONI: This is the dulcimer on which I wrote the seminal album 'Blue'. ME: Actually, I think 'For the Roses' is better. JONI: Bollocks.

Scared that I won’t be the best Scared of laughter from all the rest Scared of the high standards set Scared that voice won’t let me forget Scared of little things like snakes and planes

She's sitting there, cough syrup flowing through her like cheap heroine.

A pair of puppies straining at the leash

The darts of rage are flung with force and fail To find the target which they seek to nail

at what point do you leap?

The mathematics of creasing In the café you ate nothing and told me you wrote your PHD on the mathematics of creasing. To make it easier to me you explained that it wasn’t

For mum, it was all a bit prosaic - she was called Gillian she had on ugly shoes she was at the edge of a cliff- but didn't jump until later when taken back to smallhold drudgery