Mc Donalds, Grafton Street 3:11am

Mc Donald’s, Grafton Street, 3:11 am

In from the cold
And the raucous dragons,
Glittering and laughing in the street lights
Ears ring
Teeth chatter
Eyes squint at the sudden fluorescent brightness

Fallen birds of paradise
Flutter around a dishevelled friend
Perch at the counter
Ready to order

I feel like a sigh in heels
Dressed as the better version of myself
I am ready to shed my feathers
Take out my contacts
And let the world go soft around the edges

Fingers clumsily entwined
Romance blossoms blearily
Over a shared bag of chips

There is a metaphorical place for me at the table
But I have to drag up a chair
Shoes sneakily off
Slurred politics,
Wankered philosophies,
Sleepy ice-cream Goosebumps,
Bravado dissipates

There is a sense of almost home

These are the lazy sparks at the tail of the firework,
The embers at the end of a fire
We sit in the gaps between the ellipses

And I know I like him more
Than he likes me.
But I’ll be fine.