Photo by Bev Rennie
IMELDA MAGUIRE
Only One
It is wild,
and it is precious—
this life,
this blink of the cosmic
eyelid,
this time.
Precious it all is, what surrounds me—
green waving stuff,
chirping things,
everything that tastes sweet,
or tart, or salt;
everything that tastes.
I know I have only one,
one chance to open my eye,
to see this wildness,
to run into a single day,
arms open,
chanting a song of gladness,
an alleluia to the sky
yes, arms open.
How to Bring an Orchid Back to Life
Sit with it and breathe
in its silence.
Look, and see.
Tell it, I see you, I see
your light
tell it how you see it
clearing the way,
drawing good to it.
Oh, soften your heart to it,
watch its buds
swell and burst,
like your heart does.
Stay with it,
caress it,
offer it sips of sweetness,
grains of your good.
Love it.
Open
(for Jean Tuomey)
Like a saint in a frescoe,
haloed in light,
and golden, face upturned,
arms outstretched, palms upward,
receiving
what falls—
blossom from the rowan,
coiled shells, pearl and bead,
grain,
a feather drifting downward,
white, plain.
What may fall,
whatever may fall,
these gifts, these treasures,
unasked, unsought,
cause tears to spill,
unchecked,
into the bowl of the world.
Bio: Irish poet Imelda Maguire lives in Donegal, the far north-west corner of the country. Her poetry has been published widely in journals and anthologies in Ireland. She has read at Poetry Ireland’s Introductions series, and at various literary festivals and events throughout the country. A retired counsellor, she facilitates creative and personal development activities with individuals and groups. Her first collection, Shout If You Want Me To Sing, was published in 2004 by Summer Palace Press. Her second collection, Serendipity, was published in 2015 by Revival Press.