Tuesday, 27 July 2021

Three Superb Poems by Margaret Kiernan

 



Ashes of Cedar Logs

 

Hip roofed, low at front, bedrooms in the loft

dappled light , shade, sweet chocolate box

door of heavy wood above a spotless stone

looks south to the timber mill.

 

Maddie is in pain, her back,

A big girl calls to patch her up

fearful four-year-old watches

from beyond the door jamb

brought along behind a bike,

bribed with a moss green beret

to ease time in that house

encircled by trees.

 

A colossal Cedar of Lebanon stands outback

Cast its dark shade wide

Rose-beds boxed-in by privet hedge

clipped tight.

 

The woodshed holds secrets, like gin traps

pole rods to reel in giant pike

Trapper’s gear, un-used ferret pens full of rust

Bandsaws hang trapped upon a wall

above a chopping block, the axe stuck.

 

It will soon be dark

I watch the road to see Pappy going home-

I wanted to go too

he does not

I turn go inside

walk through the door

in that house, shushed.



Love Poem I


Heartbeats all I get what I cross the bay

I see your lights waver in the night light

Never wander.

 

Dreams in mountains of blue dissipate

In weaving grasses

The way you buckle your bags.

 

Like a rake in easy life

Last chance

Rings of gold, enough to hang myself.

 

Smelted to the big not-enough

See her in your eyes

I am a child again, watch the Constable print.

 

Wind soughs in the night

In my head

Patterns in the wallpaper are my pen.

 

Stories of American things, far away

Down the road, that one

I knew you’d go again

Alone.

 


Love Poem II


Promises slipped off your tongue

In warm salty fluid verbs

My head a silent hum

Walkaway.

 

Trapped between worlds

Dawns of jaded milky hue

Night Palms silhouette against dusky

Orange sky.

 

No space to believe

to breathe

It is all too real

I’m chasing down your green-light.

 

Age of love-letters gone, or

Traced fingered words,

Drop to lost omens

Silent unspeaking stars.

 




Margaret Kiernan writes fiction, non-fiction essay, memoir, and poetry. She has had poetry and prose published in e-book, in anthology collections, and literary journals and magazines - including, Black-lion Press, Pendemic.ie journal-C19 collection , archived at University College Dublin, The Blue Nib Lit-Journal , The Write Life Magazine, Unity Global Festival, Vox Galvia at the Galway Advertiser, A New Ulster Literary Press, The Burrow Lit. Journal, Poet-Head.Wordpress.com, Lothlorien Poetry Journal, The Galway Review and The Irish Canadian Cultural Newsmagazine, New Brunswick.

She writes with Over the Edge, Thursday writing/reading group at Galway Arts Centre, and, Ox Mountain Poets, Sligo.

She is listed in the Index of Contemporary Women Poets in Ireland, 2020. 

She holds several Educational qualifications, Including a Degree in Arts in Humanities, from Sligo IT.

Her background is in Advocacy in Human and Social Rights.

Margaret has completed numerous courses and workshops in writing, for prose and poetry.

Tutors in poetry includes, Annemarie Ni Churainn, Martin Dyer, Colm Keegan, Monica Corish, Moyra Donaldson, Noel Monahan, Kevin Higgins.

Tutors in prose includes, Claire Allan, Anne McMaster, Conor Kostick, Carlo Gebler, Malacai O’Doherty, Jan Carson, Ciara Doorley.

Margaret has four grown-up children. She lives in Westmeath with her dog Molly. She is a landscape painter. Is into Nature, walking, gardening, music, and heritage. She is working towards a First collection in Poetry.

Social Media-

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/margaretgibbonskiernan/@kiernanmargaret

Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/margaretkiernan

LinkedIn: http://linkedIn.com/in/margaretkiernan

Facebook: http://facebook.com/margaret.kiernan



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