“Shook Lookin’” – a poem by Monica Corish, inspired by Leonie McKiernan’s article “First Hand Experience of a Very Steep Irish Learning Curve”

I’m grand.

Yes, grand.

Everything

Is grand.

I’m grand,

You’re grand,

We’re all

Grand.

Right so.

Someone

Will tell you

“You’re looking grand”

But as soon

As you walk away

They’ll be sure to observe

How

“Shook lookin’”

You’ve become.

Beware.

There’s

A very short

Slippery slope

Between

Shook lookin’”

And

“Horrid shook lookin’”

Just

One step up

From being

.................. A corpse.