ONE FOR THE ROAD

PART2.

One of the first flickering of violence I seen 

from the front window in Herbert street

as if on a wide screen TV. in high definition.  

The b-special numbers flashed in the full moon 

light chasing a guy along the street, a trundgen 

caught the back of his legs and brought him down 

into the gutter outside my window. 

 I stood there in my brothers hand me down pyjamas 

and beside me on the wall was a picture of Jesus 

in a crown of thorns with blood running down his face 

lit by a little red cross.  

They kicked him into the gutter calling him a fenian 

bastard, words I didn't understand but this scene 

became the norm for thirty years, they jumped 

on his head in hob-nailed boots and open his 

head like a rotten tomato.

I looked to him and the picture of Jesus 

and threw up all over the lino floor.  My 

mother rushed in and said don't worry  

it will be ok and pulled the curtain before 

removing my pyjamas and mopping up.  

She tucked me into the mattress on the floor 

kissed me and said don't worry ade everything 

will be ok.  The next morning on the way to 

Mulhollands green grocers shop for broken biscuits, 

that smelt of the sea,dulce and earthy potatoes.

I checked the path for blood to make sure I wasn't 

dreaming but the blood was scrubbed clean 

stained in bleach.