It started at the dentist,

The fear began to loom,

Aware of heightened senses,

Impending doom and gloom.

I dashed right out the door,

With the speed of a leopard cat,

And up the street I tore,

Like a demented vampire bat.

By now I couldn't get my breath,

I had no choice but to stop,

That place had scared me half to death,

My visit was a flop.

With palpitations and hot sweats,

Light-headed feelings too,

I wished I had false teeth, two sets,

Instead of these aching few.

But now there's time to pause and think,

Maybe I should have stayed,

I realise as spirits sink

Anxiety delayed. Graham Baxter

Bromwich Street, Bolton

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.