Kayla Marie Troy

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Guinness Poem

I began enjoying the drink in the shadow
of an Irish pub. Punters beating wood

for the slow tilt of a Guinness lever,
The barman stays patient, serving the next

while the glass turns from pale cloud
to dark storm. Televisions are everywhere

and loud. The World Cup goes head-first
against horseracing. Americans take up most

of our space with desire. They are losing 3-1
to the Netherlands, wasting half pints, leaving

quieter than they came. Conversation
turns to the breweries of Africa, something worth

writing home about. After the third round,
I am full from all the pieces

of Empire floating in our glasses,
the dirty marks all over our table.

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KAYLA MARIE TROY is a poet from east London. Her poem ‘what I hear when sisters compare upbringings’ previously appeared in Propel Magazine and was awarded the Out-Spoken Prize for Poetry 2023. She is currently working towards her first full collection.