‘Messenger’ by Kerrie O’Brien

An old woman comes to collect
The book of poems she has ordered
I tell her I love Mary Oliver
Even though I haven’t read much by her
She looks at me smiles brightly
Beaming she is giddy
Closing her eyes she
Gives the words
Up on her toes, slightly swaying
Singing the Red Bird to me
With such passion, urgency
She is declaring
Love
Eyelids two quivering walnut shells
Years fall away
This young girl
In trance, this red waterfall of
Joy
She looks at me again, at my eye
This seer, gracing my life
She has noticed the mark
Still there after months
And she says, were you angry?
I tell her I was, I was
And nearly fall into her arms

From issue #2: spring/summer 2016

About the Author
Kerrie O’Brien is a writer from Dublin. Her first collection of poetry, Illuminate, was published by Salmon in 2016. Visit www.kerrieobrien.com for more.