three rules he lives by. We
are unloading trucks in the arena
in the heart of the city, moving
lights and video, audio and stage
to the centre of the auditorium
where, later, the TV celebrity comic
will punch down and down and
down again, to howls of laughter
but right now, at 9am, there is us, our
hi-vis, our protective footwear, our
conversation about friends who’ve
passed, or walked away, or chosen
to believe that life revolves around
worshipping grifters, flags, and boats
which must be stopped. It’s nonsense,
he says, as we pause from hauling cables,
but they want to believe it. He has
three rules he learned from his dad,
three rules he lives by. Always buy
your round. Never vote Tory. Never
cross a picket line. We nod. Look
out over the city. Get back to work.
published in CultureMatters anthology Shoulder to Shoulder