No further north by DS Maolalai

No further north

DS Maolalai

Walking the cliffside
on cold Malin Head
at its northernmost point
above Ireland. Watching the seabirds
in their spiral of ribbons
and their knowledge of no
further north. The scratch-
painted white patterns
reading EIRE on rocks,
preserved as deterrents
to WWII bombers.
The northern Atlantic,
writhing as it turns
about headlands.
Your hand in my pocket
curled like a coast
on the rocky shores of my
knuckled hand.


About the Author

DS Maolalai has been nominated eight times for Best of the Net and five times for the Pushcart Prize. His poetry has been released in two collections, Love is Breaking Plates in the Garden (Encircle Press, 2016) and Sad Havoc Among the Birds (Turas Press, 2019).