****
Burren Sunset
for Ann Kenny
****
Winter burned her sunset here
against the bare black bones
of ghastly trees she pointed
a silhouetted finger and cursed
the summer’s youthful radiance
then fell ashamed to wind-scraped knees
her sky in full crepuscular blush
beyond karst and leaden landscapes
after the tearful tantrum
of the wild Atlantic rain.
****
From On Corkscrew Hill by Stephen Murray (2017). Copyright © Stephen Murray
****
Stephen Murray was born in Ireland in 1974 and moved to London in 1975. His formative years were spent living with his mother and sister in Erin Pizzey’s historic shelter for battered wives in West London. As a teenager, whilst living in a children’s home, he was twice a runner-up in the W.H. Smith Young Writer of the Year Awards. In 2005 he was crowned Cúirt Grand Slam Champion. He has performed his work as guest reader at many of the world’s most famous poetry venues. He currently lives and writes in County Tipperary where he works as director of Inspireland, teaching poetry and creative writing to young people across the country. This is his second collection, following 2011’s House of Bees.
Visit the Salmon Poetry Online Bookshop www.salmonpoetry.com to read more about this collection, including more sample poems