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Best of Irish Poetry 2010
Editor: Matthew Sweeney

Songs of Earth and Light
Barbara Korun poems translated by Theo Dorgan

Done Dating DJs
by Jennifer Minniti-Shippey
Winner, 2008 Fool for Poetry Competition

Richesses: Francophone Songwriter Poets
Edited and translated by Aidan Hayes

Munster Literature Centre

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MICHAEL COADY

Michael Coady lives in the town of his birth, Carrick-on-Suir, Co. Tipperary and was elected to Aosdána in 1998. His most recent publications by Gallery Press include All Souls and One Another— each integrating his poetry, prose and photographs. A Litany for Monsieur Sax, a new book of similar multi-genre format, is due from Gallery Press later this year.

The Inside-Out Beckett Umbrella

1.

What’ll you have to drink?

I got good news today.

The doctor gave me

the all-clear.

Said the heart is sound–

absolutely A1

as long as I’m

going downhill.

2.

Peg Power the actress bumping into

old Dan Callaghan, the blind fisherman,

he somewhat confused

in the middle of the old bridge

that spans the unforgiving river

between Carrick Mór and Carrick Beg.

Are you all right Dan?

—I’m grand,

only I don’t know

which way I’m facing

or whether

I’m coming

or going.

3.

Any luck with the horses?

– Only bad,

but if I didn’t have

bad luck

I’d have

no luck at all.

4.

Rucksie Ryan

one Monday morning

wheeling his bicycle

out of the cemetery,

a wooden cross

tied to the crossbar,

strong evidence of wet clay

on the base

of the shaft.

—No doubt you’re wondering.

You could say that.

—I’m taking it home

for servicing. They’re giving

showers for later on.

5.

I wish I could spit

like The Outlaw Josey Wales.

    Bwwitt! 
   
Gets the hound-dog             

right between the eyes

    Bwwitt!
                            
Some actor, Josey Wales,             

I mean Clint Eastwood.

     Bwwitt!
               
Right between              

the eyes.

6.

She never believes me,

so the only way

we can get on

is for me to feed her

on a diet of fresh

lies every day.

7.

That Main Street ironmonger

gone crazy for the girl

who takes the bets

skips out of the bookie’s

after plunging all again–

then dances, yes, dances

across the street

to his emporium, intoning

Wonderful, Wonderful Day

from Seven Brides for Seven Brothers

for all who have ears to hear

this forever breaking news

that the world

is still so tenderly

and savagely enraptured by

the holy ghost of lust

that a slip of a girl

(as ever thus in days

of yore or yet to come)

a mere slip

of a girl can still

organically inflame even

a Main Street ironmonger

so as to leave him baritoning

to hammers, saws and chisels,

chains and spirit-levels,

locks and six-inch nails–

Beautiful,         glorious, 	    heavenly, 	    marvellous,
               
Wonderful,     	wonderful, 	wonderful,   	wonderful,
             
Wonderful, wonderful day!          

8.

Three married men

in the same street

in love with me

at the one time.

What did I do?

I wouldn’t give tuppence

for any of them.

Billy was my only one

and he

dropped dead on me

one day

at the head of New Street.

I never

got over him

and never

will.

The curse of God

on him

for leaving me down

the way he did.

©2009 Michael Coady

Author Links

Aosdána Bio

Coady at Poetry International Web

Coady at Gallery Press

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