2 Poems

Recipe

light hob / spray oil in pan / place pan on hob /

crack eggs in bowl / add milk / whisk / put bread in

toaster / add eggs to pan / stir with wooden

spoon / repeat / when eggs set / lift pan from hob /

wait for toaster / butter toast / put eggs on

toast / season with pepper / salt / eat / then on

with the day / but if all things were equal /

no health risks / no negative impact on

driving ability / no critical

looks / from wife / children / eye-witnesses / self /

the morning crack would be / ice cubes in glass /

two shots of rum / ginger ale / lemon slice /

add straw / stir / pink umbrella on Friday /

drink / then to hell with the rest of the day /

Sunnyside Street

It’s early, but

consider this irony:

driving Sunnyside

Street five days a week

and not feeling any

brighter. So quickly

the lights change.

Remember how nimble

your feet once moved

on Sunnyside pavements,

past swarms of cars, you

racing the night

to sleep. Too quickly

it all changes.

Northern Irish poet Colin Hassard has twice been Ulster Poetry Slam Champion and was Runner Up in the Seamus Heaney Award for New Writing 2018. He has performed his work on BBC Radio and his debut poetry collection was released in 2021 through Doire Press.