Callan House

Leave the sack of Oranges by the door.
The big grey dog will spill them.
There will be the sound of small thunders.
This resonance of hardwood floors-
An alarm clangon. A night music of settling.
A hateful morning enemy. Steppingstone rugs
a hop-scotch journey to create fire.

There mythic in the far corner,
an unblinking owl-eye orb.
A pause.
Then the step-
off-a running on heels-a bend-a grab
a quick return to the safety islands.

A moment for a quick prayer
to the picture of schoolteacher St. Pat.
an unthinking thumbnail
pierces the perfect orange skin.

The floor sphere is the first split,
placed upon the rack,
tortured, skin broken, bled dry.
Later-
there will be icy Collins
and neat De Valera whiskey
but now comes the big grey dog, and sleepy shufflers
to drink the sunshine blood.

^

Biography

Seamus Delmont was born in Co. Kilkenny and lived near the small village of Callan until he was 16. His family moved to America in March of 1976. He
currently resides in Denton Texas where he teaches and is taking a PhD. in creative writing at the University of North Texas. His work has appeared in The North Texas Review, Connections, Zephyr, and others. He is also the
Production editor for the American Literary Review.