tell me the tale

that doesn’t feature

ballot boxes

emphysema

crippling debt

balaclavas

innocent death

pavlova petrol

red diesel

tiger exhaustion

and TB times,

rickets

bigots

better days

tarmac

teeth

peat

and a drop of the black

no tan

the pull

of homeland

with each harp string

rub of the know

with every verse

donations

demonstrations

white horses

dead donkeys

murals

barstools

lambeg thrum

borstal hoolies

& dayglow rosaries

basalt steps

on plastic knees

gintonic smiles

of many heroes

neolithic

optimistic

starch

malt

soda

talk

corrupting fathers

beasting mothers

liberation

alliternation

wire glasses

and cobbled palms

postal men

serve frankless treaties

white stone

red rust

and green green turf

bands forced up

thank feck

to make

your hair stand on end,

tell me that tale –

 

but it won’t be worth

a listen.