Boland Flashcards
(28 cards)
Nothing unusual about the
clip clip casual-WH
Iron of his shoes as he stamps death
like a mint of the innocent coinage of the earth-WH
His breath hissing, his snuffling head
Down. He is gone. No great harm is done.-WH
I pause, wait, then
to breathe relief on the sill-WH
of distant interest like a maimed limb
only a rose which will now never climb-WH
He stumbles on like a rumour of war, huge
Threatening. Neighbours use the subterfuge-WH
Of curtains. He stumbles down our short street
Thankfully passing us. I pause, wait,-WH
The rose he smashed frays-Wh
Ribboned across our hedge-WH
A cause ruined before
, a world betrayed-WH
yesterday I knew no lullaby
But you have taught me overnight to order/ This song.
from your unreasoned end it’s reason
it’s rhythm from the discord of your murder
It’s motive the fact you
cannot listen
Names for the animals you took to bed,
tales to distract, legends to protect
And living, learn,
must learn from you, dead
Child of our time,
Our times have robbed you of your craddle
Sleep in a world
your final sleep has woken.
these Irish, give them
no coins at all; their bones need toil
one out of every ten and then
another third of those again women
anything may have caused it,
spores, a childhood accident
Sick, directionless
they worked
The wretches work till they are quite worn,
then fester by their work
Barren, never to know the load of his child in you,
what is your body now if not a Famine Road
He has become a typhoid pariah,
his blood tainted
They stitched blooms from ivory tulle
to hem the oyster gleam of the veil
