Welcome

Cheers Ta is an independent publishing house that celebrates excellence in poetry. As well as giving talented poets an opportunity to bring their work to a wider audience, Cheers Ta promotes performance poetry in the community through a number of activities within schools, youth groups, libraries, health care and prisons. Cheers Ta is run by Mike Garry an acclaimed professional poet who uses his skills and experience to promote expression and literacy through the spoken word

Mike Garry

"An excellent Manc streeet poet" Shaun Ryder

Mike Garry is an talented Mancunian poet. He has performed poetry since 1994, worked in hundreds of schools and held residencies in prisons, hospitals and art galleries. He was a finalist in a Poem for Manchester judged by Andrew Motion and winner of numerous poetry slams worldwide.

His work celebrates the beautiful ugliness of the city. His heroes are the underdogs and lost souls who wander the streets searching for answers.

Pay as you Go

She sings and she swings in the box bedroom

With half naked wags and hunks watching on

Slow beating heart broken by a boyfriend

Who promised never to play kiss and tell

The gift of a picture on his birthday

Beamed to his phone as the church bell struck twelve

He said if she “luvd im” she would do it

And that this was the sign that would prove it

Never imagining her pose, click, send

Would end up on Facebook for all his friends

And their friends, their friends and their friends of theirs