MANCHESTER REUNITED

in sunny interludes between showers
manchester sparkles with confidence
muscular victoriana banters with graceful modernity
in yer face hustle n bustle
the eighth day supplies tasty goulash n wry bread
greek olives
a rich palate of organic vino
and some wrapping paper in the shape of positive news
from st peters square
the tram arcs through a self-assured post-industrial landscape
nineteenth century iron railway engineering
recast as contemporary pleasuredome
elegant flats for hip young gunslingers
on the journey
i eavesdrop on harsh mancunian vowels
and fashion the last piece of my fancy dress
a jolly roger hat
i chat a bit with my hosts in the pre-party lull
fumble a few half-remembered chords
meet the other half of pampahoot
guests begin to arrive
some warm n huggy
others a little awkward n shy
down in the cellar
minny womans the bar
dj robin sets up his downloading rig
devon sproule?
no problem
meanwhile
steve's knocking back the ginger beer like it's lemonade
steady on pirate!
but boy does he look the part in his wig and eyeshadow
outside a wild snowstorm blows in
the jazz cigarettes circulate
colliding with the alcohol
i jam with natasha's jazz chords
ukrainian exhuberance colliding with english reserve
slowly the chemicals take their toll
hey what happened?
where am i?
resuscitated
we venture out into the sunday morning chill
small hour tourists in a surreal land
across the bridge
dawn slowly lightens the skies over the canal
illuminating the toe path
lightly dusted with a sprinkling of snow
we gasp lungfuls of cold oxygen
and exhale clouds of moist air
as we tread softly through the dreams of children