saoirse

at the beginning of time there was a girl
in a melamine bowl
she had no family, no friends
and was on the dole
she was sat there in a corn flake swirl
a milky, sugared doll
her belongings were mere odds and ends
oh, what a poor little soul!

her name was saoirse
though people hardly remembered
yearning between dearth and plenty
buried under stone in the garden of rasure

at noonday’s predoom was a woman cold
in a gumball machine
for the merriment of boozers
in a stinky shebeen
she would shiver nude and candy bold
a pert and tart cuisine
a laughing stock even for losers
oh, buy her a tall glass of poteen!

her name was saoirse
though people hardly remembered
yearning between dearth and plenty
buried under stone in the garden of rasure

at the end of all things there was a crone
in a bottle discarded
fighting her battles all over again
in weakness, unguarded
she inhaled a black wind through her bones
and all she’d once regarded
her last sigh was for the land of cockaigne
where life is ample tabled and lardered

her name was saoirse
though people hardly remembered
yearning between dearth and plenty
buried under stone in the garden of rasure

by TETIANA ALEKSINA & TONY SINGLE
© All rights reserved 2020

34 thoughts on “saoirse”

  5. This poem was deep…
    I had to read it multiple times to wrap my thoughts around it. I had to look up the title as well as how to pronounce it, along with looking up 10 other words and the meanings used in the poem. It was like going on a literary journey for deeper knowledge and understanding, which is really what a poet hopes will happen when a reader dives into explore their work. My take on the poem is this…the girl lived an empty and sad life, not connecting to anything or anyone except “a drink” which she hoped would bring her freedom, but it provided an empty return on her investment, rather it kept her bound, lonely, and not free as she hoped to be. I’m reminded of the plight of people living with addiction and the emptiness it brings and eventually sadness and death to such a “poor soul”. Thanks for the journey!

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    • My friend, I hope you’ll believe me when I say that you have brought the biggest smiles to our faces. You completely ‘got’ the story of this poem, and we’re as pleased as punch! Thank you so much!

      Liked by 2 people

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