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
