Poems from StAnza 2007

Poets and others attending who wrote poems during StAnza 2007
are invited to send them to the Webmaster. All rights are reserved
to the authors.

Gwyneth Lewis, Poet-in-Residence StAnza 2007, wrote this poem
after visiting the fishing boat The Reaper.

Sea Virus

I knew I should never have gone below
but I did, and the fug of bilges and wood
caught me aback. The sheets of my heart
snapped taut to breaking, as a wind
stronger than longing filled the sail
inside me. To be shot of land
and its woodsmoke! To feel the keel
cold in a current. To see the mast
inscribing water like a restless pen
writing a fading wake. It’s true,
I’m ruined. Not even peace will do
to keep me ashore now. Not even you.


Copyright © Gwyneth Lewis 2007

Aine Connolly is a StAnza regular.

A Quidful of Poets-100p 

One hundred poets
tongued and grooved
take the floor
chic to cheeky
in a marathon word-dance
syllable stomp
a romp with paso doble
entendre and flights

of insight that seem
to barely land
before they set away again,
call their own steps
tentative or walking
holy ground; footfalls
of breath sound in and out
and in again to keep apace
with wondering.
Jackboots thunder
in the line-dance of war,
catch the unexpecting
ack-ack, ack-ack, ack-ack
till safer distance beckons.
An occasional pirouette
or slickshoed tango
flutters hearts for...who knows
what love’s longing brings?
And just beyond the parquet
never doubt there is the unrequited
partnership with death
foot-tapping a solo.
Flashback, closeup.

The reel runs out. Still.

Copyright © Aine Connolly 2007

Back to AfterWords