Inspired by Ronsard’s ‘Le Printemps n’a point tant de fleurs’, the sorrow in my heart outweighs the beauty in nature. The blackthorn flowers that bloom in springtime are fewer in number. Lesser are the transforming golden woods of autumn. The boundless summer sky doesn’t hold as many fluffy white clouds. Compared to my anguish, winter presents far less bitter days filled with rain, sleet, and chill. The Corrib’s tarnished count of silver salmon, the hills and lakes that Kerry reveals, and the pilgrim steps at Gougane Barra are all outdone. Roaring Water Bay’s creeks and Cape Clear’s starlit skies also fall short. In relation to my torment, the fuchsia bushes on Achill are sparser. For it is you – my one true love, who causes such overwhelming sorrow in my heart.
James Harpur has recently published ‘Darkness Between Stars’ in association with John F Deane via Irish Pages Press and ‘The Examined Life’ by Two Rivers Press, to name a few.
