An Irishman Explains Himself

[Reilley]

It is my own decision, my own preference
My choice to be either liked or admired.
I have decided that fitting in is not nearly the same
As discovering where I belong.

And so I wander this world, and I watch.

I’ve seen the moments when dawn snuck up on the rooster
Witnessed the many times a good woman took him back
And the times he let her down again.
I was horrified but not surprised
To learn how much bad there is,

If you choose to seek it out.

And I’ve been present at moments of such wonder,
Such magnificent intricacy
And statistical anomaly,
That I weep for their transience.

They’ve often happened at the dinner table.

There has been growth, and reversal,
Pain and pleasure, fortune and hunger
And the boundless sundry wants and desires
Of someone who has always faced life
Leading with his chin.

I cherish my solitude.

Sometimes I’ll hop a ride and end up somewhere else;
Just because I can. I’ve slept under a blanket of stars
All alone, with nothing between me and the heavens
But the mistakes I’ve made.

If I never cross the line how do I know where it is?

I’ve come to believe that of all man’s endeavors,
Of all the inventions, practices, rituals, customs or habits -
The finest and most complete form of communication
Possible between two souls
Costs nothing more than the time it takes.

I believe in kissing.

[eiken]

Reilley,
Are you Irish? O'Reilly is a popular Irish name so I guess this is where your name originates if you are Irish. This was an interesting format - four lines, then one. I am quite new to writing so I have quite a bit to learn but I liked the one liner between the verses. I did not understand the poem fully, it moved from one topic to another, I did not get the connections or the title unfolding, explaining. I got the discovery of self, the badness of life, the wonder of life, the pain of life. I am not sure about kissing being such a wonderful communication tool but I won't argue with you.

[Reilley]

Hi Eiken, thanks for the comment. As St. Patrick's day rolls around once more, I revisit this poem. 

Each of these stanzas is a facet of the Irish personality, at least in my experience. That is the connection. An Irishman see his world as a series of stark contrasts or revelations, and rarely does he change his core values. Perhaps it is something inherent in our makeup, but I have been this way since I was a kid. 

Your mileage may vary.

[Brigid Briton]

Hiya Reilley,

Great poem! I especially love this line: "nothing between me and the heavens but the mistakes I’ve made"

I'll be turning that one over and over, using it to jump start...what? I'll think of something.



Brigid

[eiken]

Reilley,
Two years or more on and I am here reading this again and I guess I have developed as a reader and a writer and understand it much better. I really enjoyed it this time round and it is almost St. Patrick's Day here and I love the facets of the Irish personality through your eyes I have core values and I would never change them either. I guess it is in Irish women too. I thought of Joyce when reading your poem. I am a member a group of volunteers who work at the Joyce Tower in Dublin and we read Joyce together every Wednesday, great fun and I have learned so much about his play on words, his use of language, characters and values too.

[twriter44]

I imagine a slightly detached wanderer moving through life and partaking, giving and receiving and appreciating, but never quite committing and then moving on. Very nice indeed.