Thursday, September 24, 2009

The Thing Is



Shameless self-promotion

The launch will take place in Waterstone's Dublin on Thursday, 15 October, 6 pm, along with Vona Groarke, Tom French , Kerry Hardie and Eiléan Ní Chuilleanáin.

Any excuse to get a viol on the cover. The particular excuse in this case is provided by Captain Tobias Hume, mercenary soldier and composer for the viol.

Music for Viols
(Tobias Hume’s Good Againe)

Good again
this night, this late
to hear that tune and fall
again, the slow dark drag,
texture
of thickly branched trees
swaying above water,
of sound moving
from the farthest pit
to pour down.
God and the devil
must play the viol.
The door of the world
swings open
on Hume’s excited figure.
After sadness, hunger,
royal blindness
to the great shame of this land
and those that do not help me
after a bellyful of snails
and the sniping of lutenists
good again to stand
with the night
in Jordi’s hands
and listen
and walk in
as far as the tune will go.

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