They say you still stand upright
inside this mound of stones,
since before the time of Christ,
sea billowing behind you like a cape,
mantle of trees and mountains
stretching as far as your eye can see,
a weapon upright in your hand,
to fend off the unwelcome,
sure to come from the shadows
between earth and sky.
I sit down beside you,
scan the land I was born in,
know for fact what is
beyond the shadows.
You do not ask me.
I do not tell.
I try to imagine your world,
like so many who came before me,
who created a land out of legend,
merged space with longing,
let meaning and story rhyme.
[Named for the mythical Irish queen]
Billy Fenton writes poetry and short stories. His work has been published in the Irish Times, Poetry Ireland Review, Bangor Literary Journal, Crannog, Galway Review, and Cattails. He was shortlisted for a Hennessy Award in 2018, and for a Write by the Sea Poetry award in 2019. He can be found on Twitter @BillyFenton7
