red and white nike boxes

litter the shelves around me

original pirate material on repeat

I yet again zip up my ACG

coach jacket ready to ascend the

metal stairs.

It’s dinner time.

Another crisp Manchester afternoon

greets me as I step outside onto

the slanted cobbled street.

People walk about in hooded jackets

seeking refuge from the cold.

“Porky Pigs?”

I got a nod back

looks like roast is back on the menu

walking past shops and down the

sidestreets.

That kitchen utensil shops open

as per usual but once again

no one’s in it

A familiar laugh as we pass

“Assman”, what a name,

what a shop.

Almost there, a familiar line outside

the embassy next door,

impatient looks greet us as we

take a left into Porkies

avoiding politics

and embracing the woft of meat

coming from behind the counter.