(for Brendan Behan)
Brendan drinking drank drunk stumbling cursing belching brain lurching memories sloshing spilling thoughts clashing dreams and nightmares hunger and lust words and tunes smashing together Brendan sitting at the bar staring straight ahead muttering murmuring an unbreaking seamless intricate trickling stream of words rising and falling and curling like a slip jig words about pain and sorrow anger struggle and endurance dignity loyalty and faith love words dancing with the rhythm of a fiddler or a piper in a smoky corner Brendan swaying and speaking slurring softly while round about people strain to catch his precious words.
