BY LIAM FLANAGAN
The thirst the anticipation the pleasure
Howya
A pint of Guinness please
How are things? How is the reopening going?
Small talk as I watch the pour
A tilted glass a slow deliberate pulling of the tap
Careful now you don’t want to fill too quickly
Three quarters full now is the time to let it settle
Magically the brown cloud transforming into a dense black liquid with a creamy white top
A thing of beauty to behold
A couple of minutes pass
Feels like a lifetime as the pint takes shape
The top up the completion of an act of perfection
The careful walk back to the table
Make sure there is no spill now
Destination reached two more minutes of diligent
patience
The time has come
Clutch the hand around the glass
Lift with care and deliberation
Take a long slow satisfying taste of this black beauty
Thirst quenched destination reached time to settle
Slainte!
BY LIAM FLANAGAN
Deborah Horton Writing 