Seamas Carraher- A Poem

THE PALACE OF LOVE

for Niall Quinn, on his journey

i’m walking in my dream

through a fabulous palace

of touch

the courtyard hums

with the

electricity of longing

danger dances

outside

the walls

but

i am not this old man now,

my skin is fresh

and the cells

of my mind

shiver with newness

the nightmare has ended

and i’ve woken up new!

only i sleep

and this world

is a dream

and in my dream

down a long corridor

my mind stills tells me

“you must...you should...you better...”

and in that dark prison

all the dead men of my youth

hang from twisted ropes

from light fittings and ceilings

but here

my skin is fresh

my cells tingle

with the electricity of life

and everything is lit

with the ache of longing.

In my dream

only my body can speak

its words lit with wonder

their tongues spitting fire

this must be a language

that knows fear

but not war

so i lay down

i lay down deep

inside

and i am a river

that can never be stopped

a dance of light and touch

and desire

of mingling and miracle

both body and soul.

Now my hands

are like birds

and they fly through the rooms

of your soul

their wings beating

beating

i calm your fears

in the only way i know

and we are lost forever

in this place

we have somehow

never forgotten.

In the Palace of Touch

i am not this old man

with a heart of stone.

i am sensuous

and music

and my limbs are supple.

my words are lips

see how they swell with desire!

my words are a river

like rain or water

see how they soar like birds!

And i am always

travelling

endlessly

across the emptiness

to meet you here.

i wake.

And the room

is filled with birds falling

to the floor

and the news is harsh and peels

the wallpaper from the walls

and i am heavy and cold

and i reach

for

a

cigarette.

Séamas Carraher was born in Dublin, Ireland in 1956. He lives on the Ballyogan estate, in south County Dublin, at present.

Recent publications include poems in Carcinogenic Poetry, Naphalm & Novacain, The Camel Saloon, ditch, Bone Orchard Poetry, Istanbul Literary Review and Pemmican. Previously his work has been published in Left Curve (No. 13, 14 & 20), Compages, Poetry Ireland Review, & the Anthology of Irish Poetry.