He’s put his coaster on top of his beer
as he goes to stretch his legs outside the pub.
An American bar and restaurant’s website
on my phone has the answer
to the unspoken reason why he’s done it, but
I’m fed up with not giving my brain a few minutes
to pretend he wanted to know
what his glass would look like with a flat cap,
protect his ale from thirsty Borrowers,
imagine life as an upside-down man,
let the curious ceiling tiles observe
the artwork printed on the protective square
made from high grammage paperboard
according to a menu printing website
on my phone.

© Carl Burkitt 2023