DONOSTIA 

By George Vincent

Long cock-arm of steel whale

In the blinking-eyed sun 

Tickles gold 

Pennies on gin water 

Upright like Christ’s dying

Erection

Rollercoaster concentration camp

Overlooking Donostia where

Pulpo is

Pestered by the big black fish

By capers

Fennel mandolin 

And other such salad gunk 

The Basque stamp their feet

And laugh at us 

English

All we know is

Silencio, PUTA

She’s trying to sleep

And the buses 

And motorbikes

Make plenty racket on the street 

How easily 

A little bit often

Becomes 

A lot all the time 

How Txakoli

Headaches with the red electrical 

Alarm

Of brushing teeth and 

Clattering chest pain 

I’m almost crying with the hangover

On a bench like a

Pigeon with an amputated wing 

But last night I was

Dios Mios!

Like when Quixote slew the windmill 

We made love to the 

Honk honk

And

Beep beep

Of Atlantic night 

Out the window 

Now Sidra tears 

Stain these pasty cheeks

Like neon blood

Riding the ferris wheel of hedonism to the conclusion of hot chocolate vomit 

Everything whirls round 

Life is a circle 

As soon as it’s four o’clock

We’ll be with the beer and 

Cod omelette 

We’ll be on TV

Tourists go home!

But why? 

We love it here 

If I die

Tired-eyed

White as a clam

Fat as foie gras 

It will be happy 

Smoking a Ducados 

Perfecting my dearest 

Gracias! DONOSTIA, MI AMOR!

George Vincent is a writer from Newcastle Upon Tyne. He works as a delivery driver.