Lรก ‘le Bhrรญde
Dhรบisigh an ghrian sinn
an mhaidin รบd,
solas รณrga
ag stealladh
‘is ag scairdeach
isteach ar an urlรกr,
ag slaparnach
thuas na fallaรญ,
ag sruthlaรญonn
an doras sรญor-oscailte isteach.
Nรญor thuigeamar
ar dtรบs
cad a bhรญ ag titim amach.
Nรญor aithnรญomar
torann buรญ na Grรฉine.
Ach chuimhnรญos
go tobann ar na bhfocail a dรบraรญs,
mar draoi:
“Tiocfaidh an Ghrian thar nais ar Lรก ‘le Bhrรญde.”
Agus d’รกrdaigh dรณchas,
รกrsa, pagรกnaigh im’ chroรญ,
inรกr suรญ sa leaba,
Brรญd nรณ Danรบ,
an lรกmh in uachtar ag an tEarrach,
bhรญ an Geimhreadh, gruama caite.
“Tiocfaidh an Ghrian thar nais ar Lรก ‘le Bhrรญde.”
St.Brigid’s Day
The sun awoke us.
Like a fanfare
or a burst of wild laughter.
Playfully.
Unfamiliar.
Spilling in along the floor.
Splashing up the walls.
Streaming in through the always-open door.
We didn’t - at first- know what was happening,
Didn’t recognise the bright clamour of the sun.
Then we remembered the words
That you, druidlike, had spoken:
“The Sun will come back on St.Brigid’s Day.”
And a welling of Hope,
Pagan and Pure,
Came rising inside us,
Sitting in bed,
Brigid or Danรบ,
The Winter defeated:
“The Sun will come back on St.Brigid’s Day.”
Paul ร Colmรกin
Paul ร Colmรกin lives and works in West Cork,Ireland. He was a winner of the inaugural Poet’s Podium, 1995 run by Samhlaรญocht Chiarraรญ and is a regular contributor of poems in both Irish and English to journals and anthologies both in Ireland and abroad. He was selected for the Poetry Ireland Introductions Series 2017.
He is a musician, songwriter and visual artist and runs Working Artist Studios in Skibbereen, which presents exhibitions, poetry evenings, an annual Poetry Marathon and other art events.
www.paulocolmain.com
Irish Writing :: Table of Contents, May 2017
