(The Caernarvon Castle, Camden Town, c.1984)
They were called
The Radical Sheiks,
Five tall men
In blue jeans
Who took the stage each Friday
Wailing smoky blues
While the crowd
Jostled for their pints
At the bar
And shouted
Half-plastered above the din.
It took half an hour
On the bus
But it was worth it
Just to be
Swallowed up
In that great unholy sea
Of Marlboros and booze,
A good boy
For three hours as drunk
As a lord
One small cork
Carried away on the swell
Of hard times and dreams.
Penguin Poems 