Stephen. By John Doyle

Stephen’s everyone's friend.

Stephen looks like Rob Halford, but it's ironic -

his sociology friends laugh; Stephen - eating lentils

so everyone knows how right-on he is.

Stephen dated Amanda - it didn't last, but no-one's bitter -

Stephen’s everyone's friend. He told me call up tonight -

I even brought blank cassettes 

so he could rip some Devendra Banhart for me.

Who the fuck is Devendra Banhart? I think.

The dead weight fog of cannabis 

and pseudo-intellectual chatter warns me

from his door. I leave his illusion behind me

after knock number three; I go home and listen to Cedar Walton

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.