Meet Vinegar Jones.
He lives in tailored suits
and a trilby the same colour as his socks.
Vinegar carries around a squash ball
(as a homage to Rocky Balboa)
and calls people ‘Cat’ and ‘Darlin’.
His hair is greased back
and he smells like battered cod.
He enjoys reading crime novels and eating walnuts.
Vinegar Jones isn’t real.
He is nothing more
than the name of a fish and chip shop
in the Lake District
on a weekend with no plans
and time to let the mind paint some pictures.

Carl Burkitt 2024