These poems were written long before David Bowie's video 'Blackstar' was released. They can be found in my poetry paperback book and e-book, 'The Moon is a Harsh Mistress' by Brian David Scates which was published in 2013. I use the image repeatedly of a 'Dark Star' in many of my poems contained within the book of poetry I quote above. My poems are often dark in nature and are concerned about death. But not exclusively so. Love is extremely important within them too. Love I am sure saved David Bowie's life. He might have died long before he tragically did. But Iman his wife saved his life....

This is a very moving 17 verse poem which reveals the happiness and sadness of life. Ultimately, it is the happiness which is triumphant. The poem is written phonetically to show how a Victorian Cockney South London dialect sounded. The poem is about my grandmother who I deeply loved. I won an Arvon Foundation literary award for this poem in 1982. It has been published commercially in an anthology of poetry but not separately hence this printed version. My grandmother was born in Blackfriars, London, UK in 1884 and died in London in 1969. She adored life. Victorian South London Cockney...