Archive of poems by Anne Kelly

She stood directly in front of my car
Riddled with familiar markings.
In a nearby field a woman raked hay
We nodded in recognition.
The sheep then moved to one side
Allowing me to pass.

I was on my way to Bunacurry village
To unfamiliar sights and sounds.
The sheep had caught me unawares
Her markings and my own at once restored.
My inner landscape peopled forever
With women and fields and sheep.

Light summer dresses, women raking hay,
The sky an open season full of wonder.
The sea sparkling and dancing nearby
Animals grazing and chomping
Young lambs bursting with energetic fun
The women laughing and chatting easily
Someone coming with tea and pancakes.

The sheep had stopped me in my tracks
And gazed directly towards my eyes
Seeming to call for my attention
Awakening my inner sense of place.
I drove on to Bunacurry village
To a poetry workshop, of all things
Carrying the textures of the past
Waiting to be released in song.

by Anne Kelly

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