Billy Mills
from Paper Places
Alt Pallars
at this height nothing
matters words repeat
meaningless noise
code broken stone
flows beyond
perception expressing
proteins select these
simple things
Annacotty
this small world
does not exclude
the greater
house
a spread of houses
a plethora
words flow
here sing
lost now
oh westron wind
& wagtail
hesitates
before
the sound
of mowing
Bettystown
which brings:
diversity
which brings:
survival
nothing
replicates
days
endless
lapping
sand
Carnsore
dig
a trench
this deep
& long enough
scaffold
& plank
to build
convenience
& they
will come
play here
this power
turns
& turns
Castleconnell
this river
this constant thrum
these rocks & islets
these birds
grey heron
mute swan
mallard
dipper
grey wagtail
sparrow
a place
grown &
made
these trees
this bend
a cycle
(what happens here)
fields slip
over
defences
park & wall
direct the eye
to cows
& trade
shaped
this flow
Coonagh Roundabout
such clarity under
dawn not
rose
things etched
good
& beautiful
air drained
morning
is reason
order floats
carved in
water
bare
branches
glow
Billy Mills: Born Dublin 1954. Now living in Limerick. Founder and co-editor (with Catherine Walsh) of hardPressed Poetry and the Journal. Books include 5 Easy Pieces (Shearsman, 1997), A Small Book of Songs (Wild Honey, 1999), and What is a Mountain? (hardPressed Poetry 2000). See http://gofree.indigo.ie/~hpp/