GWEN MCNAMARA
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
HAIKU
Butterfly hovers
escapes my cupped hand
hides in lighted lamp.
Butterfly flutters
engraving my opened palm,
smudges her sketch.
The opened window
Butterfly on angel wings
flowers in my hand.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BOSTON TAKEOFF -
LOGAN AIRPORT
TWILIGHT IN MASSACHUSETTS
18.8.00
The plane moves slowly towards takeoff.
Wheels crunch gnawing gravel
While I watch boats glide
On Boston Harbour,
Landscaped rustic edgings
Approaching Autumn's harvest.
I will to write
To come to terms with departure,
To glimpse last minute delight,
Boston glittering.
I visualize City Hall,
Boston Common, North End,
Window seat at wing.
Soon I'll glide like a bird
Facing North-figuratively speaking
I'll even get to see Maine.
Thundering forward on racetrack
City lights twinkle-descend.
Fuel flashes lightning in air
Flying over the ocean
Butterflies in tummy
Twilight surrenders to darkness
As we climb beyond visibility.
Beyond the firmament of familiar
Skyline sweeps westward,
Launching Sunset - red shift
Stretching, bronze to turquoise green,
Across an Indigo Sky
Cruising through the ordained
Ordinance between time and space,
Tumbling into Sunset over and over,
An undiscovered Sea~Shore.
Ebony flakes obscure vision momentary
I am lost to describe
The Splendour of this new Discovery
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Throw a Six to Start -
18.8.00
STILL SOMEWHERE
OVER THE OCEAN
I was misplaced
In the Metropolis,
Caught between city and country
Dublin and Leitrim.
Where sodden turf
Sweetened over crackling fire,
As we washed in rain barrel water
And picked hen soiled eggs,
Rode donkeys backwards while going on
Mystery tours acrosss the farm.
We lifted bales of hay
When sun bent on tanning bodies
Sweated our effort.
Surrendering to
Thick ham slices with stewed tea.
I remember you - Uncle Tom
My second father,
Clay pipe, tobacco essence,
That "hoar of a fence"
You constantly repaired.
Mid afternoon studying
The "fat lady" while
Drinking beer in Mohil.
You drew that pipe, as sucking grass
Sheaves, while reflecting still on
The "fat lady."
"I could keep her for a week,
But, I couldn't feed her for a day"
You finally mused in contemplation,
Wandering through the gardens of youth.
Years later I took that path again
to the house of over 200 years,
I stood at your coffin
To say "good bye."
Adorned in the Sunday Suit
Your 50th Wedding Anniversary Best,
I remembered with pride,
Your term as Leitrim's Lord-Mayor
Tears spilt into joined hands,
I kissed your cheeks, harder still to let go.
Now I have discovered
I am misplaced, in the
Realm of Astrology
An accidental Virgo
On the Libra Plane,
Abducted a month before my time
For birthing - drifting somewhere
Between Earth and Air, how exciting
I am comfortable with both.
Throw a six to start.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
FINAL JOURNEY
APPROACHING IRELAND
STILL IN MID-AIR - 18.8.00
HAIKU
HIGHER THAN HIGH
TUCKED BENEATH THE PLANE'S WING
HORIZON DAWNS
OVER GALWAY BAY
GREENER THAN GREEN STRETCHING
BURSTING FIERY GOLD
BEHIND FLEETING CLOUD
BENEATH ERIN'S GREEN FIELDS
DAYBREAK'S SPECKLED CLOAK
OCEAN MIST RISES
FIERY HORIZON MINGLES
WITH GALWAY BAY
STEADY AS A ROCK
THE PLANE TURNS EASTWARDS
OVER IRELAND'S EYE
HOWTHHEAD'S CANNON ROCK
SUDDENLY SPRINGS TO VIEW
FINAL RESTING PLACE
SENRU
AERLINGUS DESCEND
MALAHIDE, HOWTH SLEEPING
EARS BURST AND TINGLE
SEEK FACES IN CROWD
MORNING FATIGUE VANISHES
RELATIONS AND FRIENDS
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DJANGO
The compatible
four legged companion
lay head on lap.
His alliance
strictly to please,
to get a belly rub
or a head scratch.
Emitting warmth
to a heart
where shared silence
begot a birthed plan.
Congruent, non-verbal,
animal to man.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
©2000 Gwen McNamara
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