Wheatear
Poem Beginning with a Line of J. M. Synge
Brown lark beside the sun Supervising Carrigskeewaun In late May, marsh marigolds And yellow flags, trout at the low Bridge hesitating, even The ravens' ramshackle nest-- Applaud yourself, applaud me As I find inside the cottage A wheatear from Africa Banging against the windowpane And hold in my hands her creamy- Buff underparts and white rump And carry her to the door And she joins you beside the sun Before skimming across the dunes To mimic in a rabbit hole Among silverweed and speedwell My panic, my breathlessness.
From Snow Water by Michael Longley. Copyright © 2004 by Michael Longley. Reprinted by permission of Wake Forest University Press. All rights reserved.