PRIMAVERA

By Nuala Ní Dhomhnaill
Translated by Caoimhín Mac Giolla Léith

Everything changed when she passed by.
I tell you, she would make the grey stones cry for joy.
Small birds that had till then been cowed
opened their throats and piped up, loud
as a minstrel’s fife, as if they couldn’t
care less if they had a note in their heads or not.

Wildflowers that had been so humble, so shy
in asking for a place on the edges of flowerbeds,
now jostle for elbowroom. Look! The scarlet pimpernel
blinds me suddenly with its crimson starbursts.

 I too had been weeping softly on a branch,
hidden under a figleaf, in a huff,
completely fed up with life.
It would take much more than a smile
from some comely maid to entice me from my shell.
That much I had announced to one and all.

But she did it. With one stretch of her limbs,
with one joyful, proud glance over her shoulder,
she tugged at the very roots within me and left me without
a leg to stand on, my head spinning, restless and, on edge.

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April 28, 2022

Greetings,
First, let us express our sincere gratitude to you for being so generous in responding to our latest request for donations! As many of you know, the Society continues to be active in carrying out our charitable mission. We have provided aid to organizations that assist newly arrived immigrants and refugees from across the globe, many from war-torn countries or regions which have suffered natural disasters, as well as local individuals and families who just need a small grant to keep them afloat.  Helping others is one way to feel less helpless while living through these tumultuous times.

We think that it might lift all of our spirits to exercise the cultural side of our mission by sharing member or contact-chosen poems - one per month throughout the year. It is appropriate to launch this program during the celebration of National Poetry Month in the U.S., and coinciding with National Poetry Day in Ireland – today, April 28!

If you would like to be a part of this effort, please submit the name, author, and source for a poem, from any country of origin through the link button below. We will share it as an email with our members and friends, and likely on our social media platforms as well.

Wishing you a Happy and Joyful Spring!

Kathleen M. Williams President, Charitable Irish Society
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