AIR CRASH

All the lives

that have flown away;

those precious eyes,

those bodies that pushed themselves into love,

the blood stained clothes

they sweated blood for,

and this crippled wreck

of strangled metal

and twisted guts;

a strange and desperate evolution

mocked constantly by drifting birds.

Who could have expected this?

On a day of sun and plastic food,

these fine hands,

minutes before burning,

had picked their way

with knives and forks

through clouds;

now, who points the finger?

What airline lifeline?

What God?

All this insistent movement,

this wish to fly,

the fear of standing

still,

and theses wingless people

scorched to death

in search of 

the sun.

Keith Armstrong

ARMSTRONG & DIXON IN GALWAY, IRELAND - A HARD LIFE ON THE ROAD!

36 GOALS

(in memory of Hughie Gallacher, Newcastle United’s record goalscorer in 1926-7, who committed suicide in 1957)

Thirty six goals,

more than one way to skin a halfback.

Thirty six snapshots

of a legend

framed in Tyneside pubs.

That’s how we remember you Hughie,

for the good things in life.

Thirty six steps to fame

and a sprinking of treasured ashes

in a football boot.

You put us on the map for a season.

A thirty six gun salute

is the least we can do

for a man

with poetry in his feet,

a bottle of Brown in his pocket,

and a championship medal

round his neck.

You kicked us 

into ecstasy,

into the Blue Star yonder.

You were a magic dribbler

and stocky with it.

So, keep your feet still Hughie hinny.

They’ll never drive

those bonny dreams away.

KEITH ARMSTRONG 

DOCTOR ARMSTRONG IN LIMERICK

It was great to be back in Limerick again the other day. Always feel welcome there. Thanks to Dominic and the Writers' Centre for organising the reading. Expect to be back there in 2016 - God willing!