Brendan Cleary (British Working Class Poetry)

Brendan Cleary: born & grew up in Co Antrim, Ireland He has published many collections from presses such as Bloodaxe, Wrecking Ball, Wide Skirt Press, Tall-lighthouse, pighog & Wrecking Ball.

His most recent collection is 'The Other Place' <Pighog/Red Hen Press> 2O21.. He lives

& writes in Brighton where he is a poetry tutor & Blues/Soul/Reggae/Contry DJ.

 

 

Regarding The Blues

 

the busker at the bottom

of the escalator

at Sainsburys

on the Gyratory

is playing Leadbelly

so I give him a quid

& we chat for the most part

about Leadbelly

then it turns out he knows

my ex's ex

& I once snogged his mum

but most of the time

we just talk about Leadbelly

 

 

No Curtains

 

from your quizzical visage

I see mild surprise

to hear I have no call

for furnishings of any sort

& this catalogue

may as well be in Sanskrit!

as I remember John's Da

'all a man needs

is a good pair of boots

a place to lay his head'

which I do

on this mattress

below oak trees

just the spiderly light

of the moon's ghost

casting down spells

 

 

Salad bowls

 

I dream

of the Salad bowls

this is recurrent

so white & large

capable of holding salad

with poise & grace

so spotlessly clean

in my new life

near the Marina

without Esme

only the vision

of the grey boats

aye there's just me now

me & the Salad bowls

 

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Setu, September 2023 :: British Working Class Poetry