Poet Kevin Barrington
Kevlar For The Soul
(For Liz )
Yo
Listen up
Just been told.
Am on
An active waiting list.
For
A ward.
So….
Congratulations may be in order
Yeah yeah yeah yeah
But really, where else would you find me?
Hardly on the passive one
Cos that doesn’t sound at all like me.
I’m the active dude
On the active list
That’s right, that’s cool, that’s just
That’s perfectly suited to me.
Yippee
A ward
A ward
A ward
Another a ward
In a life that’s been full of on and off
A ward
A ward
For scallywagging Scallywagging
All across the universe.
Think we started out with politics
And a little bit of rock n roll
A dalliance with the Saatchi Bros
Before the toxic beauty of Cambodia
Took its inevitable toll
Then somewhere between grim grim Bosnia
And Africa’s riotous machete glint glow
I just fucking ran
Full out of Kevlar
Kevlar for the soul
Now I need you back Mr Kevlar.
God I need you back real bad
Cos Kevin here has just been told
The a ward they have granted him
Is the very same one
They granted
To a wonderful sweet august person
That just happened to be
His dear dear Dad
That’s right you heard me
The same as my dear dear Dad
I don’t think I can overstate this
My dear dear Dad
Dear dear Dad
Dear
Dear
Dad
How
I miss you
Then I listen out
And catch his voice.
In its loving judicious tone
And he is saying
Don’t panic, relax now
My sweet sweet son
The Kevlar I can offer you
Is the fact you won’t be alone.
The fact
You won’t be alone
Kevin Barrington
February, 2020
Pic: Conor Horgan
Previously: Kevin Barrington on Broadsheet
Kevin’s dad was a man of great integrity. And his son is a very good poet. Get well soon, Kevin!
+ 1
Thanks
first time I attended a kevin barrington reading, I’ll admit I misread the flyer and thought it was kevin barry, but I stuck around anyway. and, wow, so glad I did. have attended many since- each one more brilliant than the former. if get a chance ever, go see him.
Powerful stuff
I like Kevin. He’s the bloke I could have been.
I’ve never heard of Kevin until this point but I love the way he weaves a spell with words.
Is he ill ? I don’t know the back story so forgive my ignorance.
I try to seek out a new word every day. It’s like brain aerobics.
Today’s word is scumble.
But I love obloquy as well.
My favourite word of all time is ” pint ? “
Great portrait of him too!
Wow, that that is brilliant.
Cool. As was your Dad. What’s the name of the ward?
St Luke’s. A diarrhoeal scented sauna full of Goya like horror. Picked up the inevitable superbug. Now languishing in isolation in the 5 star Swiss like luxury of the Private. Seemed like I moved from Battambang to Geneva overnight. This country.