Issue 22 of Southword, the editors and contributors

• Poetry in English is edited by Leanne O’ Sullivan.

Poetry written by , Jeffrey Alfier, Fióna Bolger, Tomas De Faoite, Kevin Graham, Richard Halperin, Brian Kirk, John Liddy, Mary Madec, Afric McGlinchey, David Mohan, Paddy Moran, Sue Morgan, Christine Murray, Paul Ó Cólmain, Caitríona O’Reilly, John W. Sexton, Michael Sheehan, Knute Skinner, Fiona Smith, Gerard Smyth, Matthew Sweeney, and Ken Taylor.

• Short Stories are edited by Ian Wild.

Short Stories are by , Lane Ashfeldt,  Armel Dagorn,  Seán Kenny, Kieran Marsh, Danielle McLaughlin, and Nuala Ní Chonchúir.

• An Ghaoth Aneas: Forlíonadh Gaeilge. Eagarthóir, Ailbhe Ní Ghearbhuigh

Filiocht : Colm Breathnach, Clíodhna Cussen, Biddy Jenkinson, Dairena Ní Chinnéide, agus  Séamus Barra Ó Súilleabháin

Prós : Mícheál Ó Ruairc

Léirmheastóireacht : Eilís Ní Dhúill agus Muiris Ó Meara

• Reviews and Criticism , edited by Patrick Cotter.

Contributors are ,Sara Baume, Philip Coleman, Dave Lordan, Jennifer Matthews, Thomas McCarthy,  Eugene O’Connell

As If

“It had not once occurred to her to ask (who) ?
Wherefrom is grace , and to whither it goes when
it departs ?

High-wordedness has stymied her sense of longing
in every colour from indigo to amber, amber to indigo.

As if , as if the jewels caught up in the blades of grass
were instead attached to the lashes of her eyes,
skewing her not-vision.

She peeked at herself in walking again and again
in that place. Only to be torn there,
back from those things most fiercely desired,

those hollowed-out things of indigo and amber,
amber , indigo, their very shadows mired by the
not-light

trees maybe,

© C. Murray , all rights reserved.