Wet and Dry - 3 poems

Death, Water and Woman L’Inconnue was not plucked from the river by la Brigade Fluviale, like a freshwater trout. She was not propped on a slab in the morgue’s window to be peered over by hungry Parisians. She did not pick woman’s preferred mode of suicide – a languid drowning; men, they say, prefer the rope. No, her Junoesque vigour and serene smile give her away: she was quite well when her death-mask was shaped. First published in Mannequin Envy Galway While Galway swells both sides of the stony Corrib, her macaronic voice echoes with car-horn, horse hoof and the tok-tok of harbour boats, drunk with Spanish sailors. All the air is fish-reeky where Nimmo’s Pier points a long lazy arm to Black Head, and the suck of the sea pulls the eye to Salthill, soaked under April storms. Skirling origami swans decorate the Claddagh basin while Galway settles her night-shawl down, boats and birds safe at her breast. And her poets – all of her poets – are upfront about love. First published in Galway – City of Strangers ed Michael O’Loughlin Through the Deep, for Séamus Hosey Like an island fisherman, the tarred hump of the currach lying light under his legs, you never learnt to swim, said the sea couldn’t be trusted. Now you wash and sway like an unwieldy flotsam, losing your way through the fish-shoals, bladderwrack and hordes of glutinous jellyfish. The plunge and suck of the sea heavier than a blue whale pressing down on your bones, pulls you through fathoms, each one the distance between a fingertip and a fingertip on your outstretched arms. First published in The Black Mountain Review; then in Tattoo~Tatú (Arlen House, 2007) Links to the other Wet and Dry Posts: <a href="#" onclick="new Ajax.Request('/commentaries/ricrawlins-the-award-for-least-crap', {asynchronous:true, evalScripts:true, method: 'get', parameters: {authenticity_token: encodeURIComponent(AUTH_TOKEN), display:'center'}}); return false;" title="Ric &#8211; The Award for Least Crap">Ric – The Award for Least Crap</a> <a href="#" onclick="new Ajax.Request('/commentaries/farryl-last-red', {asynchronous:true, evalScripts:true, method: 'get', parameters: {authenticity_token: encodeURIComponent(AUTH_TOKEN), display:'center'}}); return false;" title="Farryl &#8211; Red">Farryl – Red</a> <a href="#" onclick="new Ajax.Request('/commentaries/kittyblanche-eugene-and-the-second-coming', {asynchronous:true, evalScripts:true, method: 'get', parameters: {authenticity_token: encodeURIComponent(AUTH_TOKEN), display:'center'}}); return false;" title="KittyBlanche &#8211; Eugene and The Second Coming">KittyBlanche – Eugene and The Second Coming</a> <a href="#" onclick="new Ajax.Request('/commentaries/seanbwparker-the-wolfman-is-soft-inside', {asynchronous:true, evalScripts:true, method: 'get', parameters: {authenticity_token: encodeURIComponent(AUTH_TOKEN), display:'center'}}); return false;" title="Sean &#8211; The Wolfman is Soft Inside">Sean – The Wolfman is Soft Inside</a> <a href="#" onclick="new Ajax.Request('/commentaries/indieoma-wash-n-dry', {asynchronous:true, evalScripts:true, method: 'get', parameters: {authenticity_token: encodeURIComponent(AUTH_TOKEN), display:'center'}}); return false;" title="Jacki &#8211; Wash &#8216;n&#8217; Dry">Jacki – Wash ‘n’ Dry</a> <a href="#" onclick="new Ajax.Request('/commentaries/indieoma-tarantula-showers', {asynchronous:true, evalScripts:true, method: 'get', parameters: {authenticity_token: encodeURIComponent(AUTH_TOKEN), display:'center'}}); return false;" title="Karim &#8211; Tarantula Showers">Karim – Tarantula Showers</a> 2009-07-14T15:36:04-04:00 false false 839

nuala-n-chonch-ir-wet-and-dry-3-poems

Death, Water and Woman L’Inconnue was not plucked from the river by la Brigade Fluviale, like a freshwater trout. She was not propped on a slab in the morgue’s window to be peered over by hungry Parisians. She did not pick woman’s preferred mode of suicide – a languid drowning; men, they say, prefer the rope. No, her Junoesque vigour and serene smile give her away: she was quite well when her death-mask was shaped. First published in Mannequin Envy Galway While Galway swells both sides of the stony Corrib, her macaronic voice echoes with car-horn, horse hoof and the tok-tok of harbour boats, drunk with Spanish sailors. All the air is fish-reeky where Nimmo’s Pier points a long lazy arm to Black Head, and the suck of the sea pulls the eye to Salthill, soaked under April storms. Skirling origami swans decorate the Claddagh basin while Galway settles her night-shawl down, boats and birds safe at her breast. And her poets – all of her poets – are upfront about love. First published in Galway – City of Strangers ed Michael O’Loughlin Through the Deep, for Séamus Hosey Like an island fisherman, the tarred hump of the currach lying light under his legs, you never learnt to swim, said the sea couldn’t be trusted. Now you wash and sway like an unwieldy flotsam, losing your way through the fish-shoals, bladderwrack and hordes of glutinous jellyfish. The plunge and suck of the sea heavier than a blue whale pressing down on your bones, pulls you through fathoms, each one the distance between a fingertip and a fingertip on your outstretched arms. First published in The Black Mountain Review; then in Tattoo~Tatú (Arlen House, 2007) Links to the other Wet and Dry Posts: Ric – The Award for Least Crap Farryl – Red KittyBlanche – Eugene and The Second Coming Sean – The Wolfman is Soft Inside Jacki – Wash ‘n’ Dry Karim – Tarantula Showers

Death, Water and Woman L’Inconnue was not plucked from the river by la Brigade Fluviale, like a freshwater trout. She was not propped on a slab in the morgue’s window to be peered over by hungry Parisians. She did not pick woman’s preferred mode of suicide – a languid drowning; men, they say, prefer the rope. No, her Junoesque vigour and serene smile give her away: she was quite well when her death-mask was shaped. First published in Mannequin Envy Galway While Galway swells both sides of the stony Corrib, her macaronic voice echoes with car-horn, horse hoof and the tok-tok of harbour boats, drunk with Spanish sailors. All the air is fish-reeky where Nimmo’s Pier points a long lazy arm to Black Head, and the suck of the sea pulls the eye to Salthill, soaked under April storms. Skirling origami swans decorate the Claddagh basin while Galway settles her night-shawl down, boats and birds safe at her breast. And her poets – all of her poets – are upfront about love. First published in _Galway - City of Strangers_ ed Michael O'Loughlin Through the Deep, for Séamus Hosey Like an island fisherman, the tarred hump of the currach lying light under his legs, you never learnt to swim, said the sea couldn’t be trusted. Now you wash and sway like an unwieldy flotsam, losing your way through the fish-shoals, bladderwrack and hordes of glutinous jellyfish. The plunge and suck of the sea heavier than a blue whale pressing down on your bones, pulls you through fathoms, each one the distance between a fingertip and a fingertip on your outstretched arms. First published in The Black Mountain Review; then in Tattoo~Tatú (Arlen House, 2007) Links to the other Wet and Dry Posts: "Ric - The Award for Least Crap(Ric - The Award for Least Crap)":/commentaries/ricrawlins-the-award-for-least-crap "Farryl - Red(Farryl - Red)":/commentaries/farryl-last-red "KittyBlanche - Eugene and The Second Coming(KittyBlanche - Eugene and The Second Coming)":/commentaries/kittyblanche-eugene-and-the-second-coming "Sean - The Wolfman is Soft Inside(Sean - The Wolfman is Soft Inside)":/commentaries/seanbwparker-the-wolfman-is-soft-inside "Jacki - Wash 'n' Dry(Jacki - Wash 'n' Dry)":/commentaries/indieoma-wash-n-dry "Karim - Tarantula Showers(Karim - Tarantula Showers)":/commentaries/indieoma-tarantula-showers

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Wet and Dry - 3 poems false

2009-07-15T09:34:51-04:00

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