Once I had finished it I didn’t understand my own poem, so how could you? There had been a moment when, possessed by a sort of deftness, I had made choices about matters such as line length but now all that had left me. I was confused. The intriguing question is what path led me … Read more
Jesinta got back in touch with Manus through the internet. Face-book. He had stuck his name and a photo of himself up, and someone from his distant past had got in touch with him. For Manus it was a timely, and much appreciated contact He was down in the dumps living in Dublin. An old … Read more
Gimel/Retribue servo tuo O do well unto thy servant Vincible world, I see blown blossom hurled with the crumpled rooks before May’s impertinent, spooky breezes; newly-dressed branches rattled already before counter-prevalent and centrifuge gusts. Vincible earth, no stranger to kenosis, then; it’s what you do. I can’t arrive at saying it. I’m lip-deep in the … Read more
Seomra Spraoi was a hub of resistance. The space was located just off the quays close to Dublin’s city centre. It was used to organise campaigns against, Shell oil’s Mayo pipeline, the World Bank and the deportations of non-nationals, among many other worthwhile causes. It is hardly surprising Seomra Spraoi was closed down under ‘fire … Read more
DEMON CUM I He’s the latest spawn of Hell with a lanyard and a notch lapel and “there is no alternative,” as if nothing has to give, a stench of sulfur to intrigue some think-tank from the Ivy League. Gray-flecked beard and close-cropped hair, a ruin that’s beyond repair but crying out for management, refurbishing, … Read more
His eyes squint as the 6am light reflects off the plastic bags, cans and crisp packets of the Grand Canal. Portobello has never looked so good, as his legs struggle up the incline away from the city. The sound of the water makes him suddenly acutely aware of the thirst in his mouth, the remnants … Read more
In the inner world, time has a way of standing still long enough so you can come to your senses. Then you can have eyes that see and ears that hear. My Aunt Jewel taught me this more by example than with words. She had no use for words and she wasn’t really my aunt. … Read more
I learned to drive in a field when I was five, from the same grandfather who taught me how to ride a horse and chew tobacco. At age ten, I took my other grandfather’s El Camino out on Highway 1, the longest road in Louisiana, from church camp all the way to vacation bible school. … Read more
In 1973, my first time here, I’d stood in wonder with my head strained back As dizzily I’d tried to see how high The buildings had to reach to scrape the sky, Then lowered my gaze just like a steeplejack, Who staring straight ahead finds nothing sheer. Instead now I’m a resident who knows To … Read more
It was sunny outside. Manus still felt something akin to minor guilt at lying in bed on a sunny day. Just having the option carried a guilt. He had spent most of his life not having to get up in the morning, not working, living off social security benefits. There was a certain amount of … Read more