Wrote this poem circa 1998

They had a gigantic garden full of grass and ponds in the shade of strong trees
Over the walls outlandish insects lived in alien chorus
Curious as I was young I followed my eyes and feet
Out of the shade and into the heat
Between the gap I went through, beyond the wall into the tall grass
All around I could hear the sound of many nights spent falling asleep by an open window
And there waiting for me I found a singing creature
A big green grasshopper
With yellow tilting side to side eyes
Scary looking thing
So I took off my top and with t-shirt gloves
I plucked the sissing hissing from its sissing position
Held it to the light, the sun, for sister Helen to see
Yelled to the sky then set it free, hops silhouetted by the glorious sun
Gleaming Wing, Knees Spring Mechanically
Free of gravity, perfect symmetry

In the sun it became black, the silhouette danced and was gone,
Nowhere to be seen, so I put the top back on
But “LEERGHNNNHAH!!!aaAHELP!!!”
Fiendish crafty devil he had crawled in the sleeve
His glorious leap imaginary
So I ploughed across the pasture with it on my back
As I ran I tore not just at grass with feet and bare legs
But also at cloth top with berserk fear hands
Like I was running barefoot over scorpions
Fear loathed me and off came the top, left in trail for police if I never did stop.
Sorry, but return I did, and gathered up my garment
Prickly insect like the memory of a cactus on back and in hand
I took it back with me to the dark bit of the garden
Back through the gap
Back into barriers and organisation and fucking ponds!
I took the ugly bug of freedom and released it
Down upon trimmed lawn and saw the
Tilting unblinking yellow eyes with helpless
Antennae dangling in silence in between
Shock bangs loud as I smashed its
Only ever asked one question head
Why?