Poem Of The Week 'The Celtic Queen' by Barney Sheehan

Barney Sheehan with poet Knute Skinner on a recent visit to the White House Poetry Revival

The Celtic Queen

Your Peter Zellor Card
With all the little timber-coloured boats,
Came through the Greystones Manor door,
Sailed from the letter box,
Sat upon the worn out Wilton carpet
Upside down—in peace and perseverance.

A messenger of time and circumstance,
Waiting patiently for my demise
Or my return.

I saw it from the kitchen sink
When I came in
And ran slowly towards it.
Was it a tax bill, a chain letter,
Or just plain blasphemy.

Or was it something I could lean upon and joy.

I looked at it—the stamp and then the scrawl.
I dragged it open—slowly tentatively.

Glory be to God on high
And on earth—and I pondered
To those who deserve it.
The swinging, lively, rolling
Mantling reservation of Stranolar.

In handwriting as a Renoir or Lavery
Bold as an Eskimo bear
Elegant and smooth as the dolphin on Inisheer.

That you are alive and well
With your imperturbable spirit,
Still waltzing to the music of life,
Still moving across the the continent of thought,
Sends me to my monastic settlement
With ease, humour and forgiveness
For my lack of faith in a beautiful friend.

Presumption is a foolish expectation of salvation
Without making the necessary means to obtain it.

No sound from the queen of hearts
For two long years and now
A melody and graphic art to match.

Now all we need is an orchestra, acoustics and a palace floor.
Or fairy fort in a forest.
There is after all little wrong with dreaming.

Your Peter Zellor card,
Came through the Greystones Manor door,
Sailed from the letter box,
Sat upon the Wilton carpet
Upside down—in peace and circumstance.

Waiting for my demise
Or my return.

Barney Sheehan is the founder of the White House Poetry Revival. In a varied career as salesman, craftsman, would-be politician and poet, Barney has been responsible for putting Limerick on the poetry map. A talented poet in his own right, he is a member of Cuisle Limerick International Poetry Festival committee.