Poetry Magazines - The best collection of poetry magazines online - Simon Armitage

Poetry Library Southbank Centre - The Poetry Library housing the Arts Council Collection at Southbank Centre

« Previous item
Contents of this issue
Next item »

Roisin Tierney

print this page

Dream Endings

Horses stand and plume the air with breath.
They bow and dip their heads.
Feathers are fitted to their foreheads.
They are well feathered now!
They stamp and sweat.
And someone is getting a right send off.
Someone is getting the feathers.
See the glass carriage. O Cinderella!
Oh dream world of happy endings!
Look. A leaf is floating like a feather.
Look at that usher’s kind face.
He is dressed in tails.
He pats a horse.
Flicks from his cuff
a tiny feather. O Methuselah!
He mounts the rig.
Watch the children watching, open-mouthed.
Watch the horses shake their dressy heads.
They are ready to go now.
They are ready and willing.
The carriage is turning. O Hallelujah!
Watch red and yellow leaves floating in the air.
Watch the glass carriage disappear.
There is nobody in it.
There is nobody there.
See the blackbird fluffing his feathers.
See the boy kick a ball down the street.
It is starting to rain. They will get wet.
Xiptotlec!
There will be pall bearers.
There will be a family, lipsticked and brave.
The carriage will open and shut.
Then they’ll be off.
Recently Deceased One!
May your ceremony be simple, sincere.
Rain fills the puddles that edge your grave.
O Tinkerbell! Lao Tzu! Narnia!

Photograph of smartly-dressed man on rearing horse

Roisin Tierney was born in Dublin and has lived in London since 1985. Her poetry has been published in magazines in the UK and abroad, in several anthologies and in two pamphlets, Unfold and Gobby Deegan’s Riposte (Donut Press). She runs an occasional poetry event at The London Irish Centre in Camden Town.

Page(s) 13

Back to top