Poetry by Colin Ryan
Romhat
Do lámh ar an murlán
sa seomra bán
frámaí na bhpictiúr lán
de neamhláithreacht
solas gan ghrian
ina sheasamh san fhuinneog
agus bláth neamhbhásmhar
ar an mbord
gan a fhios agat fós
roimh oscailt an dorais
cén chonair cén sos atá romhat
cén easpa
Your hand on the knob of the door / in the white room / the frames of the pictures / full of absence / a sunless light fixed in the window / an immortal flower / on the table / and you not knowing / before the opening of the door / what path what peace lies before you / what thing is lacking
Abhaile
táim (a dúirt sé) ag dul abhaile
agus dhiúg sé an ghloine
ag imeacht thar tairseach amach
tá tú (a dúirt mé) sa bhaile cheana
féach troscán do bheatha
ach d’fhág sé slán againn, eachtrannaigh
táim (a dúirt sé) ag dul abhaile
agus chonaic mé i mbun aistir é
ag déanamh orainn ó chathair i bhfad ar shiúl
ag filleadh ar fhód anaithnid
I (so he said) am going home / and he drained the glass / departing over the threshold; / you (so I said) are already at home / see the furniture of your life / but he said goodbye to us, strangers / I (so he said) am going home / and I saw him travelling / towards us from a distant city / returning to a place not known
COLIN RYAN
Colin is a Melbourne poet, scholar, Irish language speaker.
