The Red Eye
[Inspired by “The destruction of Da Dearga’s hostel”
from Lebor na huidre (translated by Jeffrey Gantz in
Early Irish myths and sagas)]
Together they stand before Da Dearga Park.
–Are you sure you want to go ahead with this?
These are good people, and it will be terrible
to hurt them. They have worked all of their lives
and it is not their fault. –Sorry, mate, a deal’s
a deal. We did the same to mine, remember?
This is how the world works now, this is how it’s done.
(It is approaching night and the midges’ flight;
the one to the other passes the device.)
–There’s no need to go in, I can see from here:
we can get it done back at your office –You’re sure now?
–I am positive, and I’ll fly out on the red eye.
Fin Keegan‘s recent poetry appears in Propel (England), Howl, Channel, Drawn to the Light Press, Swerve (all Ireland) and the Amsterdam Quarterly; his poems were also shortlisted for the Overton Poetry Pamphlet Prize in 2024 and the Bournemouth Writing Prize and Fish Poetry Prize the year before. He lives on Clew Bay in the West of Ireland.
The Marbled Sigh 