Night is whispering
In the reeds.
The waters are dark
And eerie,
And the weeds
Have turned to silver.
Hark!
There is a sudden
Flutter of wings,
And a mallard rises
Into the dusk.
The shattered silence rings
With its squak,
And the hush of husk of night
Has descended.
The Road to the Point
Curling between the mountains and raced by streams
That dance along beside you, silently you go,
Pondering, and the marble on your surface gleams
In the sunlight. the misty clouds are drifting low
Above you, while at your edges, ferns and heather
Blend their beauty with the lonely bog and the sky-
The heart of a dreamy island. And together,
As we wander to the sea, the gulls above us cry.
These poems by Sonia Kelly (nee Mc Mullin) were written during WW2.
For information on the areas round Cartron lake and Mayo environs google maps and the Irish Ordinance Survey are excellent. Sonia is still writing and has just published another book ,Doris: Ecstasy for the Elderly, Sonia Kelly, 2008, Authorhouse.
The two poems that I have just published come from a small book of poetry published by Arthur H Stockwell Limited. Elms Court, Ilfracombe, N. Devon… Duration Address. I was delighted to see the small book of poems and to read them whilst in Mayo. Another piece on this blog entitled ,The Philosopher and the Birds discusses in the briefest way possible the relation of Wittgenstein to the area of Rossroe. The Poet Richard Murphy‘s relation to the area is described in his book, The Kick.
I suppose that the only workable link to the wonderful Murphy poem on Wittgenstein in available through using the search engine on the right. I enjoy Murphy’s ability to encapsulate the geography and quality of light (and silence) in the areas of Mayo that have become both familiar and intoxicating to me anyhow.
Chris Murray 