We're delighted to present our Poem Of The Week, presented in association with Poetry Ireland.
This week's poem is Enjoy your pint by Pádraig Ó Tuama - read it below.
At the bar,
in an unknown part of Birmingham
I bought two pints
and paid with paper money
from the northern part of Ireland.
.
That's not British money,
the publican said.
And I said, yes it is,
you'll see the royal head
if you hold it to the light.
.
And a man standing right beside me
turned to me and looked and said
So you're from Northern Ireland.
He was wearing
denim jeans and a denim jacket,
.
tobacco fingers fixed round a half drunk pint.
He locked his eyes on me and
moved so near I could have kissed him,
Whose side are you on, son? he whispered
Whose side are you on?
.
And I didn't know the landscape of belonging
in this part of England.
I hadn't seen signs enough to know
whether his hope flew for
the orange or the green.
.
He continued to look.
He continued to keep close.
And I said
I hope for
peace.
.
And he said
That's a clever answer,
son.
That's a very
clever answer.
.
And I said
I know.
Enjoy your pint.
And I
got up to go.
