gayAngela Byrne was born in Dublin.   Her training includes  City and Guilds Printing, Guildford College of Technology, Surrey, UK.  She worked with The Pauper’s Press Printing Cooperative, in the East Oxford Community Workshops, Oxford, UK.  In 1987 she set up Pirateproductions, Design and Printing.  Angela returned to Ireland 1997 to settle in Conamara.  Currently, she is working on a number of projects locally including painting signs and windows for Festive days and Murals in private houses; has collaborated in a number of projects with Galway Women in Media & Entertainment.  Her Paintings and Prints have been exhibited locally and she has recently held a solo exhibition Taispeántas Pictiúr, Priontaí, Tigh an Táilliúra, An Cheathrú Rua.  

_______________________________

Poems of Love and War

Meeting

Like a Buddhist, you said,

we can free our minds,

the philosopher at the bar

counting out coins

remarking on the weather,

the only cool thing here was the talk

Struthan Tanga

Rain

Was it after Bridget’s Day

when the rain came back

and did not just fall down

It lashed around corners

swelling the streams

finding new paths to the sea

took my breath away

like you

Cinnte Dearfa

Sure and certain in the moonlight

silvered ghost of sun done for us well,

all the jewels of the earth touched my skin

your laugh spun out to the stars,

we moved together like a sunken ship

returning to the shore,

bare boned, sodden

Seeking Refuge

I like myself better

when not in love,

back in the bar

seeking refuge in hell,

cursing the natives

running down boreens,

feeling my heartbeat

breathing easy,

I like myself

Autumn

The winter of our discontent

beckons with cold fingers

to pry into every crevice

exposing all the old bones

I walk on a scarlet path

of fuchia fallen

tonight you look like a bird

eager to peck at my affections

dollar power politics

looms like a vulture

ready to swoop on

naive expectations

Tears run dry

Shapeshifting left me weary

tears run dry

will they populate Mars

with the welfare immigrants

sign up here next to the suicide bomber.