Opens his hand, reads his name, grabs the bottle & swallows again. Thinks of the wife he's left behind, touches the photo & closes his eyes. Thinks of the time where he walked from the street. Under the light & killed a man dead. chroí dearg, stad do bhualadh, tá mé gan dóchas (my red heart stop beating, I am without hope). Whiskey burned [bad word] crashing to the floor.
For each one that's gone there's twenty-five more that'll burn him & [bad word] him right through to the core.
He's filled with the thoughts of those gone before.
He opens his mouth & all [bad word] out is a fractured song from a fractured heart. He grabs the bottle & swallows again, picks up the blade that's singin his name.