Geoff Stevens
Scuppered
at the Mermaid, Hugh Town, St. Mary's, Isles of Scilly
A pint of "Scuppered" anxiously awaits
the taste of baconed bread with brie,
the local, with the grey beard,
taps his watch at me
and volunteers that he has his eye on
the time that orders take.
"We're timin' 'em tonight", he says
before asking where I've been today.
Bryher, I tell him, and say St. Martins tomorrow,
is that alright? What's it like?
And someone says that it's the centre of world culture
and I say that where I come from
the only culture comes floating on top of gravy
and it gets a laugh
and while I'm at the bar,
I get another pint of Scuppered,
and a white wine spritzer for you.
And in a room full of conversation
and hung with all the paraphernalia of the sea
we regurgitate the tastiest morsels of our day.
Eventually the waiter will bring
the bacon and the brie.
(From Geoff’s Indigo Dreams collection ‘Islands In The Blood’ £7 Chqs to
‘Central Books’ – send to IDP)
Page(s) 31
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