Poem Of The Week 'Would You Like To Be At Sea Tonight?' by Peter Mc Closkey

Would You Like To Be At Sea Tonight?

Monday, November 07, 2005, WSW F9,
backing south west to south and moderating F6 or 7 later


Would you like to be at
sea tonight?

It is in the extreme that
I feel safe,
Tossed, turned and thrown – on watch.
There is that silent unity – visible on the swell
Of mast and aspect light.

Here in the leaf tossed streets of
The city,
Is that what you prefer?
To be a lost and lonely soul
On a washed up concrete shore.

The lads are out there – John and Mick
Bearing into it at six knots
The screams are too loud for talk
So, Mick takes the wheel
Pulling on a fag.

You probably think they’re mad
Or hard, don’t you?
We are in between, you and me,
Uncertain in our certainty
I’m not safe, are you?

Peter Mc Closkey lives in Moveen, near Kilkee, Co. Clare. He is originally from the Ennis Road, Limerick. Having previously worked in sales, as a represantative covering the western seaboard, and most recently as a commercial fisherman, he is now a full time mature student at Mary Immaculate College In Limerick, studying for a BA in Liberal Arts. He has one book of prose published and has also contributed to Sunday Miscellany on RTE Radio 1. His short story, The Walking Machine, was published in the RTE collection 2003 / 2004. He is 36 years old.