My Friends and I Meant to Have a Quiet Night
But for some reason Kieran liked my reticence,
my refusal to smile or make eye contact an invitation
for advice delivered by booming baritone,
his sounds peppered with spit bits of saliva and scotch breath
which barreled straight for my ear’s delicate tympanic membrane.
“Buy a house in Connemara,
drink so much whiskey
you fly crying off your rocker
neglect all your family and whatever
friends you’ve got sing manic tunes
for long walks alone through bogs
flaming peat moss fires sending still-damp cinders
up into a swirling sky
which threatens to swallow you in deep gray mist.”
“To me that sounds lonely,” I replied.
“Oh it’s terrible lonely. You need to be
near suicidal to write! Off yer fuckin head!”
Now out for air, the city night rings so still.
Honest, a man leaning on a windowsill lights a cigarette
the bouncers confer in low tones, a girl spits on the pub door.
I look up. Full clouds have blocked the moon since September
but I know there is a waxing gibbous blooming
and I am still kind of happy to be alive.
Is this based on time spent in Connemara?
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It’s actually based on a night at the Front Door in Galway! I’m studying at NUIG as a visiting student for the semester.
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I’m traveling to Galway in a month. Any advice for must-sees or must-dos?
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Lots of things of course, depending on how long you’re here. In the city, you should definitely check out trad music at the Crane Bar or Tig Collis, walk the promenade on Salthill which runs along the sea with a great view across the bay, and stop in at any of the coffee shops! I love the Tea Garden and Pura Vida. If you have time for a day trip you can go to the Burren or the Aran Islands by bus from the city center. The Burren used to be a submerged sea bed so the hills are topped with expanses of flat limestone slabs. Hope this helps and good luck with you travels. Your blog is great as well! I really enjoyed browsing it.
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Thanks for the tips, and thanks for stopping by! We love connecting with other bloggers. 🙂
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