Best Gael Poems
A leprechaun looking for gold
'neath the shimmering shamrocks of olde
(with the luck of a Gael)
found ten bottles of ale
somewhat green as if covered with mould.
3/15/2017
SHADY LADIES
Hostas
Gael Turnbull(1928-2004,a Scottish doctor-poet created the imagist Spaces form in his collection Briefly (1967) a two line poem with a larger than usual space
Turnbull called poems using his device ‘Spaces’, and noted of these ‘The visual “space” is,a pause or hesitation, even a temporary dislocation of attention’ .
The mist lifts slowly
A new vista is unveiled
Gael Turnbull(1928-2004,a Scottish doctor-poet created the imagist Spaces form in his collection Briefly (1967) a two line poem with a larger than usual space
Turnbull called poems using his device ‘Spaces’, and noted of these ‘The visual “space” is,a pause or hesitation, even a temporary dislocation of attention’ .
See this now:
Easter 1916
Two
roads dissapated from
blacktop to
gravel to
dirt.
Two roads driving through the Emerald Isle parralell to one
another-
or was it X and why?
a perverse axis, perpendicular, split in
the tumultuous fit?
Its almost like the rising never happened, its
almost like the battle wasn't won.
A bloody easter, a bloody nation,
freedom bought by fusillade and flame, fear flown
from the muzzle of a patriot's gun.
And now a new flag rises in hope of victory and final peace.
It is an Irish banner
a radiant pennon of Green, of
Orange,
of White,
A flag of dreams for paddies just like me,
waiting for the call to arms,
the march towards victory.
Clan-na-Gael at your doorstep, baby!
Clan-na-Gael armed and ready!
You can wash that down with a protestant cake!
empty slides in the park
chatter fills the school bus
Gael Turnbull(1928-2004,a Scottish doctor-poet created the imagist Spaces form in his collection Briefly (1967) a two line poem with a larger than usual space
Turnbull called poems using his device ‘Spaces’, and noted of these ‘The visual “space” is,a pause or hesitation, even a temporary dislocation of attention’ .
Scot Dane Gael Celt all went into the meld
Brit and Moor aye even more it took to make
This Erin brood that kills itself
All in the name of Christ
Who was this chief
This pure white thief to take
To set this price
Who’s stolen Irish fame
And in its place in name of grace
Has caused her so much shame?
Has some fool put out druid eyes
Removed their tongues
Cut off their ears
To cause this foolish waste of tears
Celt warriors would despise?
Where is the love of growing green
The taste of love so seldom seen
In other races who have been
Less noble less inspired
Is grudging blood too proud to say
We’re bloody sick and tired?
No Irish lad should have to carry
burdens meant to break him
Stand up and spit into God’s eye
and tell him you forsake him
Embrace your kin and worry not
about a heaven’s fears
Hold Truth and Honor high and dry
And wade through Shannon’s tears
To live and laugh and love and die
In long thick Irish years
WINTER SPORTS
Snow falls
The hills are alive
Gael Turnbull(1928-2004,a Scottish doctor-poet created the imagist Spaces form in his collection Briefly (1967) a two line poem with a larger than usual space
Turnbull called poems using his device ‘Spaces’, and noted of these ‘The visual “space” is,a pause or hesitation, even a temporary dislocation of attention’ .
A bird’s eye view
conversation overheard in a park
somewhere near you
Hey, Ori ... what’s up?
Nothing much, Marque.
Just flying low, bro.
Big Ollie, the Ruby Cleaners rooftop dove,
shared some bad popcorn news.
Oh, yeah. What’s the latest bird flu blues.
He said that fake plague sho’ feels real.
I crowed: Amen, Big Ollie! Ain’t too many humans
in the park giving us our morning meal.
Funny you should mention that ill subject matter downwind trash.
Marque, the sparrow twins: Ida and Edie,
spoke the same truth at the Old Gael Pub St. Paddy cancelled bash.
It’s a shame, Ori ... it surely is.
Some skyscraper bipedal giving us po’ avians
the hard asphalt gleaning biz.
Mr. Sherwood, griot-rapping Robin in the hood,
chirped the same sad, Friar Tuck uncharitable tale as well.
Those oxy-carrier humans ain’t leaving many peanut shells.
COVID-19 weather report sho’ don’t look good.
It seems the community spread folded the picnic table attitude.
Nowadays, them parrot-talking owl eyes seem frightfully rude.
Yeah, Marque ... bro’ it sho’ seems that way to me.
The pecks are snow geese light,
guess it’s goose-stepping, premature departure time
to take an early migration flight
Ori, I cede wish those humans an E. Poe, “Raven,” fare well goodbye:
Nevermore
comes the crumb elation when the Laugher high-roller cormorant cry.
I am not trying to make light the pain and suffering going on globally.
I just wanted to put a smile on any sad hearts.
— Romantic Warrior
How
beautiful...............an image
suddenly...............conceived
an instant..............thought
following...............a terminal
caesura.................pause
hesitation..............or dislocation
of attention...........written
read by.................a seeing eye
or said
aloud
Columnar style after Gael Turnbull(1928-2004,a Scottish doctor-poet.
Turnbull created the imagist Spaces form in his collection Briefly (1967) a two line poem with a larger than usual space
Turnbull called poems using his device ‘Spaces’, and noted of these ‘The visual “space” is,a pause or hesitation, even a temporary dislocation of attention’ .
See my imagist Spaces poetry examples first posted here 2007
A kingdom of the Gael
Lying well outside the Pale !
Subjects of an Ardri Lord
From Clare to Kerry
And Cork to Waterford
I love manly men.
I love men in tartan kilts
who wear them effusively.
What is under them?
Do they wear short pantaloons
that will not show under kilts?
Or just in the buff
that will allow air to flow
and cool what suspends beneath?
Regardless, I love
manly men in tartan kilts
who move with cool confidence.
I toast Scottish kilts,
and the bare-kneed manly men,
and Gael clans to which they’re bound.
May they never lose
their bold, cocksure demeanor
and ever display their plaids.
A window pane shatters
Nobody makes a home run
Note:'spaces' is an imagism form .It has a title and three line ,the middle being blank and left to the readers imagination. I labelled it 'spaces' as the middle line is an unsaid poignant pause or image.
Gael Turnbull(1928-2004,a Scottish doctor-poet created the imagist Spaces form in his collection Briefly (1967) a two line poem with a larger than usual space
Turnbull called poems using his device ‘Spaces’, and noted of these ‘The visual “space” is,a pause or hesitation, even a temporary dislocation of attention’ .
Scot and Gael
Pict and Brit
Even Cymru
Thrive in grit
No Back up
Not a bit
‘tis Celtic
Stubborn
Writ.
Fired in adversity
Tempered in
Ice cool
Deliberation
Honed in
Tribal
Code
One with
Earth Mother
Ever on call
HISPANIC REVERBERATIONS
Blue-bells
Note ; furore in Uk gardn circles over invasion of foreign immigrant blue-bells
over native inhabitant..much like the grey/red squirrel discussin.k
Gael Turnbull(1928-2004,a Scottish doctor-poet created the imagist Spaces form in his collection Briefly (1967) a two line poem with a larger than usual space
Turnbull called poems using his device ‘Spaces’, and noted of these ‘The visual “space” is,a pause or hesitation, even a temporary dislocation of attention’ .
Gael Turnbull-
imagination fills the space