He sees his own name on a headstone
standing inside the iron gates
of the monumental works, gold-lettered
with space left for relevant dates,
a so far meaningless 'In Loving Memory'
carved above it; but if destined
for such wear, he nonetheless
finds himself still here, above ground,
his family and friends taking him –
he shrugs – for granted unintentionally,
his grave yet to be dug, tall
wind-harried grass in some cemetery.
Still, it comes as a shock, as he
cycles home the streets of Kilmainham,
skirting the walls of the old jail,
the Patriots Inn, the Modern Art Museum,
Sally Rooney’s Beautiful World, Where Are You tops Irish and British book charts
Nanny, Ma & Me: An Irish Story of Family, Race and Home – Search for belonging in a changing society
Misfits: A manifesto for change in the entertainment industry
September’s best new crime fiction: Ian Rankin finishes off a William McIlvanney manuscript
to find his moniker, admittedly
a common one, in this stark usage
and confrontation which appears to fix
on him alone the glum message
meant for everyone. And such bad grace
about the thing, a daylight moon
in the offing, a waft of perfume,
and from a passing car a sing-along tune.
Patrick Deeley is a poet, memoirist and children’s writer. His seventh collection with Dedalus Press, The End of the World, was shortlisted for the 2020 Farmgate National Poetry Award.
