Are Those Kids Smoking Doobies? by John Doyle

My uncle collects me from late-shifts,

working 7am ‘til

night itself calls quits,

falling face-first on daybreak.

Christ I'm so tired Carl, I say,

his jibber-jabber

of horses getting shot

or priests being de-robed

makes me want to walk back instead.

When we make it to the outskirts,

students going home laughing

spark his inner Jimmy McNulty -

Are those kids smoking doobies?

he asks, missing my turn,

nearly clipping a garbage can.

I've no idea Carl

I say,

just drop me off here.

I go through my pockets

for a lighter,

then call those kids back, smiling…

John Doyle became a Mod again in the summer of 2017 to fight off his impending mid-life crisis; whether this has been a success remains to be seen. He has has two collections published to date, A Stirring at Dusk in 2017, and Songs for Boys Called Wendell Gomez in 2018, both on PSKI's Porch.

He is based in Maynooth, County Kildare, Ireland. All he asks is that you leave your guns at the door and tie up your horses before your enter.