IN TEMPLE BAR

IN TEMPLE BAR
in Dublin
the bouncers stand outside the bars
and try to get you to talk to them
so they can gauge
just how drunk you are
before they let you in
well, Gerard and I
didn’t know that at the time
so when they asked us where we’d been
we looked at each other and began,
“we’re from the east coast of America
and we flew into London
to crash with a friend for a week.
After that we hitch-hiked over to Wales,
by way of Oxford, Carmarthen
to a little beach town called Tenby.
Nice place. Let’s see, from there
we headed back into England
to Manchester
to visit Strangeways Brewery
which we learned had moved.
Then it was up into Scotland.
Glasgow, Edinburgh and the Isle of Skye-“
“okay, okay,” said the bouncer
shaking his head.
“I meant where’ve you been tonight?”
I looked at Gerard
we shared a sheepish grin
and unknowing expressions
and I said, “hmm. I don’t actually remember
the name of the place.”