You’ve reached the summit, there’s
the lake all the talk was about,
slap on top, an eye, it stares back
at you - “Hello” - innocent.
The fawn, seems, led Fionn tip here,
into the lake - her scut’s a wand –
hero emerges “three days later”,
mop matt white that was blonde,
should she meet you, the fawn
will say - “Your hair’s already white,”
and bockety three-score-and-ten
won’t for once, have answer pat.
Helluvan education already,
third-way up the mile climb
to the shabby cairn (just slid arsy-
versy off it), I utter the crime
of looking back, ten counties
and a tranche of sea possess me,
suction plasmic, custody of the eyes
thereafter, Enclosed Order Custody,
that’ll l’arn ye. Should mention,
caught the sound (same dunt)
of the mountain, feral, atropine,
felt- God’s truth - arteries dilate,
o, one bonny bony clarion. Pass,
friend. Reconnoitre. From cairn
northward to the lake’s a mess,
bog, bog-hole, lake worn
now, lonesome, wants someone,
asks - aches - for engagement,
“Gullion,” they say, from Dubh Linn,
the black pool,” she’ll stir, tantruin,
threap recognizances
down your throat should you deny
her due regard, La eile, Petals,
and I mean that, haven’t I
made obeisance to the genius
loci, met you - we have met
furthermore, a shower threatens,
wicked fond of the rain, call it
quits for this pilgrimage,
wave to the lake, start the descent,
facilis decensus but for drag
of the vista, knees on the spit,
|
a quaternity takes my fancy,
vista’s maw one with the sound
of the mountain, both, intimately
kin to the lake, all tied
to the fawn, The Ineluctable Fawn,
“Your hair, Sir, is already white” –
“But in your power, Gentlest One,
to alter that, transform every last
rib...” Untutored lips, I doubt
my lips would dare the words.
Stumbled here on the ascent,
don’t fret, you’re fine bar the knees,
they’re cooked. Blessed tree-fine.
An apple (organic). Mineral water
(still). And a waving elation.
Drive west. Summer’s an empire.
Umpire. What inveigled you the day?
The mother lived for the road,
stiffer she, got. The father, easy,
did sums, watched light fade
as it fades now on drumlin
duck-eggs, greeney blue in surcease
of August. Watershed of the Erne.
Mark of the planter, bountiful trees.
Home. By the fire. One quiet
house. Key in the door, man,
a poor housekeeper. And yet.
Torrid pavilions towards dawn.
Empire. Umpire. Down to the wire.
OED, open month, close eyes,
flip the pages, roam finger,
see what The Powers’ll send yiz
free-fall finger finds Endark,
meaning “to render dark, to dim,”
after that, parenthetical, Very rare ...
OED aside. A touch. She came.
Bats delineate the garden.
Good to get out now and again,
consult augurers, their finial claim
and Gullion, wet snout of Gullion,
Recommend you to all my, children. |