The blue hour by Mary Byrne

a halting piano brightens the 18th century square

an olive tree in a pot awaits the evening drinkers

a crowd gathers at a school door to collect kids

the hill is steep as he pushes his bike past it all

wondering how they live it, this regular life

almost missing the days when he relished an aperitif

but even that he couldn’t do in moderation

now he wanders alone, works odd hours in a bookshop

where he’s an expert on everything

staying close to his dreams

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Mary Byrne is the author of the short fiction collection Plugging the Causal Breach (Regal House 2019). Her short fiction has been published, broadcast and anthologized widely. She was born in Ireland and lives in France. She tweets at https://twitter.com/BrigitteLOignon