Offering

I would bring you white roses

And mysterious irises 

And open sunflowers

If they would let me

I would bring you sweet port wine

And hoppy beers 

And tiny dry Champagne bubbles

If they would let me

I would bring you blissful heat

And cooling showers

And misty bridge fog hovering

If they would let me

I would bring you woven blankets

And intriguing ceramics

And all the treasures of this New World

If they would let me

But they won't let me

And I just can't choose

The right offering for you

So my lines will have to suffice. 

Please let my lines suffice.

Tír na nÓg

I saw Tír na nÓg  
For the first time 
Yesterday. 

From the car, before Thurles,
While driving on the M8.

All the plants, 
All the trees faced it, 
Pulled to it. 

I felt the pull myself. 
The draw.

And the island? 
A mossy green copse, 
Saturated in spring green. 

On this bright day, 
A wisp of mist hung 

There. Around. 
The rounded island 
Otherworldly. 

Ah, the longing. 
The longing for it lingers.

This poem was first published on the Poethead blog.

Poetry is

the zigzag free
fall
of a feather

an elegant
half
twirl
a darting dive

if you turn
away
before watching
it
fully
drop

it's only
a
thought

In Dublin Port

The masts in Poolbeg Yacht Club
Play a metallic symphony.
They sound like drunken tin cans.

The people frown and walk a-slant.
Some are carrying bikes.
One holds the rail of the bridge.

Storm Barney has come out to play.
We'll see his friends before year end,
My colleague wryly says.

Trees lean, unimpressed.
Flags demean themselves with flapping.
The leaves blow and wildly blow

As though they too have someplace to go,
But November leaves have no home.

Poemín

This poem
Will be
Exquisitely short

And

Dinkily dedicated
To you.

This poem was first published on the Poethead blog.

Single Male Blue Whale wltm Single Male or Female Blue Whale

Seeking the right blue for a travelling pair

Length:

21 metres.

Location:

Pacific, Sri Lanka.

Physical Attributes:

Nice jaw-line, excellent lung capacity, some orca scarring (with related orca fear).

Hobbies:

Krill-trawling, harpoon avoidance, learning to sing.

Message:

My last partnership ended after some seriously risky orca behaviour but I’m ready to start again. I’ve enjoyed being on my own for two winters, getting to know myself better, learning my favourite fjords, head slap angles, mating spots. But (always sentimental), I’d love to share sunsets, night-diving and water-blowing with the true blue one.

Call. Call to me.

How To Be A Dub

Never leave your umbrella at work. Never.
Don't dream of trying to park near Grafton Street.
The Guinness in O'Donoghues is hard to beat.
Sunset on the Beckett Bridge invents new edible colours. Lick them up.
Buses equal drama. Bring a pencil and notepad.
Most cinemas suck. You also need to book in advance. This seems shit.
The humour's dark, and always there. Laughing at it helps.
The Sunday newspapers arrive on Saturday nights and they read easy, after a few.
People will always diss this city. They're the ones who don't see it.