Paid in Kind

McLaverty lies drunk
In doorway 51
His state conceals his mission,
His coat conceals the gun
To kill the last man of the foot patrol
Is what the orders say, and soon
"no sweat about it,
we`ll have you down on Galway Bay".
The street lamps wash blue silhouettes
Dogs bark and howl somewhere
For effect McLaverty warbles
"The Londonderry Air"
Strangled notes that slur together,
Forgotten words are forced to rhyme,
Shop front windows "Cut Price Discount",
The only witness to the crime.
On down the road in single file,
Hugging shadows, feeling lost
More statistics, more reminders
Of a weary, pointless, cost.
Now McLaverty shakes with readiness,
His hand is on cold steel
For the animal that he`s become
Has forgotten how to feel.
"Are ye alright mister?"
comes from nowhere
"Are ye hurt or anything?"
McLaverty`s finger on the trigger
Voice forgotten how to sing
From the depths of a too large parka,
All curious and brassy bold
comes the voice of Eamonn Duffy,
eyes of blue and ten years old.
Now the men are near upon him,
English oaths and English talk,
But little Eamonn Duffy, refuses now to walk.
Instead he sits right down beside him,
"hey mister, what`s your name?"
and all McLaverty`s thinking is,
"I`m not the one to blame".
Two young boys died for nothing,
In that mindless, senseless act,
Another in the riots of twisted tangled facts.
And McLaverty just ran,
And never looked behind,
To finish three months later,
In Armagh,
And paid in kind.

(Burgess/Coulter)


The Perfect Crime

"The wait was long,
I took my time,
as stealth befits the perfect crime.
My mind made up,
the seed they'd sown,
and all that time I'd never known,
my wife, my joy, I'd loved so much,
lay naked to my best friend's touch,
for I was taken unawares,
as early home I climbed the stairs.
I heard their breath, their talk of love,
I heard it clearly come from above.
I'll play for time,
yes I will wait,
and then decide their perfect fate.
I'll lure them to this empty street,
whilst promising old friends we'll meet,
and as my blade
shines and sings,
I'll pass them on to better things."
"For it is written, it is said,
adulterers are better dead,
because the bible tells me so,
God's will be done,
for God will know.
And if in chains ye shall bind me,
the Holy Ghost will set me free.
A great reward in heaven I'll gain,
though men will point,
accuse insane.
Oh, I'll be gentle as a feather,
and after all they'll be together.
Ah, here they come now,
right on time,
and so to work,
the perfect crime."

(Burgess/Coulter)