Pic(k) of the Week: A Pint of Plain for the New Year

When things go wrong and will not come right,
Though you do the best you can,
When life looks black as the hour of night -
A pint of plain ^* is your only man.

When money's tight and hard to get
And your horse has also ran,
When all you have is a heap of debt -
A pint of plain is your only man.

When health is bad and your heart feels strange,
And your face is pale and wan,
When doctors say you need a change,
A pint of plain is your only man.




When food is scarce and your larder bare
And no rashers grease your pan,
When hunger grows as your meals are rare -
A pint of plain is your only man.

In time of trouble and lousey strife,
You have still got a darlint plan
You still can turn to a brighter life -
A pint of plain is your only man.
—Flann O'Brien

To all my readers: 
Throughout 2011, 
a wish for your health and happiness,
and for good fermentables in your glass.

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• ^* In Ireland, especially Dublin, porter ale was once known as "plain porter" or simply "plain". This is the drink referred to in Flann O'Brien's poem "The Workman's Friend": "A pint of plain is your only man."


• Pic(k) of the Week: one in a weekly series of personal photos, usually posted on Saturdays, and often of a 'good fermentable' as subject.
• See photos submitted by amateur photographers worldwide as their best shots of 2010. On Flickr.