Rearing Butterflies

 

Here’s the photo of your hand

with three small tortoiseshells:

vivid orange, blotched black

and speckled blue

poised, ready to fly.

First summer in our first house,

we reared butterflies in propogaters:

found as tiny caterpillars in leaves curled

and sealed with silk, as I cleared the nettle patch.

In the spiky city the mad writhing mass

wriggled and outgrew their skins,

moved concertina bodies on sticky stubs of legs

in constant ceaseless chaotic motion.

Ever hungry, rhythmically munching,

mandible machines shearing bitter leaves,

filling greedy maws.

Each evening we must gather more.

The neighbours think us odd

nipping nettles with secateurs and garden gloves.

We watched them turn to chrysalides,

suspended, silent, still.

Speckled gold, each jagged bag of secrets

a sculptured fruit

ripening in humid summer.

Waiting for the day of angels.

Waiting for coloured wings to show.

The break from darkness to light.

Then dozens emerged on the same day,

stretching and spreading powdered wings.

We put some on your hand,

antennae waving, wings ready

and I reversed the lens of my SLR

holding it to get close ups.

A second later, they flew away

fluttering brightly around the garden

flitting round buddleia and nettles

circling flight, recycling lives.

First summer passed like a dream

like a whirr of wings.

Then the years slipped away

like the butterflies we reared.

©2008 Michael Squire

Haversham Flood Plain

Bloated yellow January moon

floating down by the railway viaduct.

The joker in front brakes too soon.

Now I have the chance to notice, how

Overnight, water has oozed from the river

and covered the flood plain

The sheep have been evicted,

houses look threatened

and moss smudged trees are surrounded

by a sky full of fishes

I’m on my way to work, but I live

for briefly glimpsed visions like these.

©2008 Michael Squire

MY OLD POETRY NOTEBOOK

Images caught in a lens of the past,

Fixed in odd verses, a metaphor maze;

I breathe again each word and each phrase,

Calling up summers that faded at last

I played guitar to a girl in a room,

Reading these lines I remember her face;

Hair strummed by light  as we breathed in the space,

Floating away on a stream of a tune.

How much have I changed, I ask as I read

This back street graffiti, that yells across time;

What strange growth has sprung from each rebel seed,

Is this the true man in each twisted rhyme?

Then I see how the word-chains link with my days

Reflecting my soul through a mirror of haze.

C/1995O1 SONNET

When you last swept across our skies at night

The pyramids were new, now again you loom:

An arching, leaping, jaguar of light;

An omen, wonder or a sign of doom.

Inspiring ancient fear in those who cry

This tail of dust and ice will end our race.

Planets will buckle and dinosaurs die

As you burn your secret circuit of space.

 

Next time you pass this way will we have learned

To live out a science fiction vision,

Or will we have wrecked the Earth and turned

It waste, so we need fear no collision?

Are we the last ones witnessing your flight

Of your tail of dust and ice through the night?

©2008 Michael Squire

Memory Town

Memory Town

I keep believing,
I keep searching,
I keep trying to find you again.
Search through the back streets,

Down by the midnight dock,
See the old warehouse where we used to hang out.

Startled by the whirring of a milk float,
Home in a dawn of concrete and steel;
Parted by the bridge but we’ll meet again,
And I’m going insane –
Searching for the wall with our initials on
Searching for the wall with our initials on
Is there nowhere I can go
Without your memory?

Kicking over tin cans,
Feeling high and holding hands:
Sending your passion from a telephone box.
Perfume and diesel fumes,
Kissing on the top deck
But we got thrown off before the terminus.

I see the rusted swings
And the pad-locked gates
In the park where we played
When we were kids:
Now you’re playing hide and seek
with me again,
And I’m going insane –
Searching for the wall with our initials on,
Searching for the wall with our initials on.

repeat refrain

Words and Music by Michael Squire

©1992 Michael Squire

About the Song

This was going to be a medieval love ballad with chivalrous type lyrics about rescuing maidens from towers. I then realised this idea was cack and changed it to a decaying fantasy urban landscape, with a yearning nostalgic soul searching for his roots and a lost lover. The recreation ground verse is a reference to the park I played in as a boy. years later I chanced to go back there and found they were dismantling everything to make way for housing. Where do the children play now?

This originally had rocky music with a guitar riff based on the kind of thing Big Country used to do. It is now generally performed as an acoustic ballad with optional flute playing by Janet in the Higher Plane duo. It was written in 1992 but not performed in public until 1999 when I played it at the Open University summer school referred to on the Retrospective page and I decided as a result to return to live performing.

So Good to Me

SO GOOD TO ME
It don’t matter if I get home much too late
Got a real good woman gonna make up my bed
She never leaves me in the cold or out in the shed
Leaves the back door key and eases my head
Even if I been out to round about three
She’s up waiting with a black coffee
She’s so good to me so good to me
That girl of mine she’s so good to me

Whenever I’m away and I feel so alone
Gonna call her up on the telephone
Yaounde or Luanda wherever I roam
Get her something special when I get back home
Cause she never gets rattled if I do my own thing
I’m missing her in every song I sing
She’s so good to me so good to me
That girl of mine she’s so good to me

©2004 michael squire

About the Song

Came home early one morning.  Nearest and dearest fine about it.  Second verse refers to some places I have been to in Cameroon and Angola respectively.  First live performance at Wolverton Acoustic Club in October 2004.

Feeling Good, Feeling Fine

I’m planning a trip to see some old friends

It’s gonna be good I know

To get back like when

The days were bright

And the nights were filled with song

Before troubles came along

I’m feeling good and I’m feeling fine

Just to be here right now

Feeling good and I’m feeling fine

So open the bottle right now

And we’ll drink to yesterday.

Tell a few jokes, catch up on the news

Still remember when we

Sharing songs two am in the open air

You’re gonna get grey I know

But the wild years will never fade away.

I’m feeling good and I’m feeling fine

Just to be here right now

Feeling good and I’m feeling fine

So pass the guitar around

And we’ll sing like yesterday

I remember your smile, sunlight in your hair

I still catch the glimpse in your eyes

You were beautiful then, you’re beautiful now,

And I stole a kiss from you

Why don’t you take it back right now

Sad romantics, seventies dreamers

Who gives a damn?

Let’s hit twelve bars, banish the blues

Good times are here to stay

Words and Music ©2005 Michael Squire

Light to my Path

LIGHT TO MY PATH

You are a light to my path
Show me where my feet should go
Wipe away my tears like the dew of the morning
Speak softly as the falling snow.

You are a rock for me to cling to
You lull the storms into peace
I sail on in your endless love
Like a ship on a calm glassy sea.

You never let me down
There’s no one else on whom I can depend
My heart will turn to you
All my life through
You will lead me to my journey’s end

Be near me in trials and temptations:
I am weak but you are always strong
When I cry out in the endless night you hear me
You renew me in vales of peace.

Words and Music ©1987 Michael Squire

About the Song

This gospel song was written on 27th December 1987 and has been performed live many times sine and in all kinds of venues, most recently as part of the Mike and Janet set.  In 1990, I recorded it with Graham Hansford playing piano.

Mike Squire Stony Live gig 13th June 2006 by Steffi Lewis

First the MK Music Net review of the Stony Live Gig at the Crown, Stony Stratford, Milton Keynes on 13th June 2006.

Unusually, I was out on a Tuesday evening reviewing and actually had quite a good time of it. Long time MK Music member Mike Squire put together an evening of music that was certainly very well appreciated.

Picture ©2006 Steffi Lewis

Organised as part of the Stony Live Festival, Mike opened the evening with fellow musicians Janet on Vocals and Flute, and Phil on Banjo and Drums. They played a series of covers and orginal work, and I certainly found myself singing along to Major Tom, as did virtually everyone else watching.

But I think my favourite track of that part of the evening was a Skiffle version of Midnight Special, with Mike on guitar and vocals and Phil on Banjo! I was tapping my foot for the entire song.

Phil left the stage and Mike called up pipe player Ian to join him. Pipes are lovely, and with Mike putting rhythm guitar behind his wailing sound, well, it was almost hypnotic. I would have like to see a small drum keeping time with them … maybe Phil should have jumped up there to join in on his congas but it was still a worthy fifteen minutes and I was sad when it ended.

To finish off the evening, Mike came back on stage with Janet and Phil again and played more songs, both original and covers, to entertain those present.

I like acoustic musicians. They’re not afraid to experiment and collaborate with other people and Mike, Janet and Phil worked very well together, mixing in wind, string and vocals to play out a pleasing set, creating an entertaining evening enjoyed by all present.

Written by Steffi Lewis

Review of Mike Squire songs by Rob Scott-Smith

I first heard Mike Squire play in Durham in 2001 and I now have a CD in my grubby little mitts, so what follows are some reflections on the contents:

‘Hardened my Heart’ – This song has a catchy riff from which the song develops – very Motown – cool.  Nicely shaped melody and enjoyed the dynamic shift in the Middle 8.  Most parts are played by Mike, however, Andrew Friis guests on sax playing an excellent solo. Personally, I like instrumental section, but I’m not really sure, if for most listeners, it’s really essential to the song.  It goes a bit ‘dubby’ which sounds great in itself but, not necessarily, in this context.  The trouble is, the public don’t often understand eclecticism and record companies in particular don’t get it. I also enjoyed the witty lyrics – something this writer is very good at – picture painting!  The drums are either on a drum machine or Cubase’s Drum editor,  however they are intelligently arranged.  Mike could consider using some real drum samples as it suits this live kind of music well. His guitar and bass playing are good too – the bass particularly has got a nice warm tone.  The vocal has a lot of character and good delivery, reminding me at times of Vic Goddard and Morrissey.

‘Iceberg Blue’ – This is very different from ‘Hardened My Heart’ much less Indie/Punk and much more Moroder – especially the hypnotic bassline.  The song is in no rush to impress, it takes its time to unfold.  I really love the Bridge – ‘Blue deceptive eyes’…I find myself singing that section frequently when doing the dishes – very catchy.  Good lyrics again – more impressionistic than in ‘Hardened My Heart’ but lovely nonetheless.  Some really nice vocal touches, quite operatic in places, especially the line.’blues waves roar!’  Good interplay between keyboards, bass and guitars.  I’m not normally a big fan of chorus guitar but it works really well here as does the distortion, reverb/echo effects.  The drum machine works better in this type of song.

‘Misspent Youth’ – Well, of course, I know this song from Durham and I really like it.  This acoustic version is really beautiful and shows off the lovely harmonic progression.  Again, brilliant picture painting.  I can really feel the ‘pain’…’in the civic gardens’…great line, delivered with a restrained understated vocal.  The little guitar overdub in the Bridge gives a cool, evocative tone that compliments the song perfectly, all in all an EXCELLENT SONG!

‘Three Minutes of Pleasure’ – A good little ditty but not in the same class as ‘Misspent Youth’.  More standard harmonic pattern but it works.  Enjoyed the music theory references – very 10cc – ‘no exposition’…The Middle eight I think is the strongest section but the songs works well as an acoustic number.  It could be even better if some piano was added especially at ‘I love to walk in the moonlight with you’…it could make it even more 20s than it already is.  In fact, this song is growing on me all the time.  I like the tenderness and sentimentality of the lyrics …’we ain’t got time…’  I could see that being used on a TV sitcom or something – Mike should target TV companies.

‘Memory Town’ – Ah the memories of Durham Town,  Squire produced a memorable performance on the night and this one’s pretty damn good too.  Brilliant lyrics again, they really are evocative…’searching for the wall with our initials on’…The only slight criticism is the drums, which although do some nice fills and things, don’t really work with the acoustic – get a real drummer Michael.  Great melody though and an excellent song!

‘Too Short’ – Good minimal electric accompaniment.  This has got great atmosphere.  A very Gerswin-esque melody has been created to evoke a vision of an individual we all know – Life’s Too Short – a great title.  This is absolutely brilliant and, I’m sure Mike will be surprised to learn it’s my favourite in this collection.

‘Light My Path’ – Love this one as well – very simple and very effective – great harmonic progression and lovely words – sounds like hr really means it.

I’ve played these tracks frequently on my hospital radio show and those who have heard this work enjoy it too.  So to summarise, this is a really good CD- if I had the money I’d release it myself. But it’s so difficult in these Popstars and Fame Academy days.  The industry is really only interested in young pretty boy/girl puppets – even The Bee Gees say, that although these kids all use their songs, if they were to try for a deal in 2002 as youngsters or as older men they wouldn’t be touched with a bargepole and there’s no time for development these days.  However, there’s got to be a place, somewhere, for dudes like Mike Squire.

Rob Scott Smith

Jan 2003

Artist’s comment – I’ve always been slightly concerned about the effect my songs might have on hospital patients

Midnight Songs

MIDNIGHT SONGS

Midnight songs where do you come from
Midnight songs what do you mean
Taking me away from sleep
Tearing me away from dreams

Midnight songs won’t wait till tomorrow
Midnight songs can never quite reach
Like a distant world glimpsed
Far across the night sky

When the lights are low
That’s when you’re calling
Will you be there in the morning
Will there be a better tomorrow
And will the sun rise on me?

Midnight muse my secret mistress
Seducing with melody
When you know that I should be
With the one I love

When the lights are low etc.

Words and Music ©2005 Michael Squire