I like towns with bars:
Bargate, Barhampton, Barmouth, Barton-on-Sea,
Barnes, Barnet, the Barbican,
Badelino, Barfleur, Barjac, Barso,
Baranya, Barysh, Baracaldo,
Barrancos, Bar-sur-Seine, Basle,
Baden-Baden,
Cordoba, Castlebar
Addis-Abba,
And of course the king of bar towns – Barking.
My calling was the bar – though shepherding seems cool: tending ba-bas all day long.
My current home in Barcelona is deep inside el barrio protected by barbed wire.
I’m known as the Bastard Barrister for betraying the Baader Meinhof.
They’re behind bars. I’m behind this barricade.
In retrospect I could have bargained better: been sipping Barola with Brigitte Bardot
Or some naked Barbie on my lap in Bali or the Bahamas.
But for others it’s far worse.
Once the tanks we sold the Saudis went into Bahrain,
It wasn’t only alcohol that’s barred.
David Dunn Poet 