AMYAmy Barry writes poems and short stories. Her poems have been published in anthologies, journals, and e-zines, in Ireland and abroad. Her work has been read on radio. She loves traveling and trips to India, Nepal, China, Bali, Paris, Berlin, have all inspired her work. She lives in Athlone, Ireland.

One Night in Gorakhpur

By late evening, the sun
threw a rich golden light on
the deserted town, Gorakhpur.

Destiny pushed me on this
solitary journey. I missed
the only train to Delhi. Stranded,

in the tiny room, two rodents,
size of cats hid under the bed,
mosquitoes as big as birds.

Itching with dust,
cold and tiredness,
I stood on the bed all night.

When magenta dawn
suffused the mist-laden morning,
I raced to the station,

and slept the bunk bed sleep
of the exhausted,
all the way to Delhi.

 
In perpetuum

I sit in my room
late into the night,
raindrops smatter
the sloping window,
I think of my beloved,
I bring him closer to me
through my poems-
to document our love,
to remember
every moment,
every word,
every touch
and images,
words that rope
and haul memory back.

Only words carry
memory of our love
forever.

 

The Hotel by the sea

Light streaks through the window,
catches dust drifting through the air,
I struggle for breath,
paralysed by expectations.

Every man and woman
has a secret,
his secret is me,
my secret is loving him.

The sun at the window changes,
we have to leave,
make our separate ways.

 

Our Story

Life stories live in our blood and bones,
time passes, new experience,
new story arrives,
this is our story,
a fatal romance.

Love and dreams are over,
passion flees, our time is past,
in silence, we breathe each other’s names,
our hearts Antarctic, void and cold,
yet weep we not, nor torment our dazed hearts.

Fate collides here, deep emotions churn,
abrasive words tingle exotic promise,
the joy of love we taste so sweet,
time to smile,
a perfect indelible story.

 

Oh…Tsunami

With swirling rage you came,
one morning on Boxing day,
with arrogance and great mischief,
your unkind visit of a few minutes,

filled our hearts and minds-
with flames of anger and bitterness.

You took away the vibrant colors of sunshine-
refreshing heavenly blue of morning glory,
hot-pink creepers that draped the balconies,
courageous red hibiscus, the national flower.
fragrant orchids that clung the coconut palms,
flamboyant scarlet flame of the forest.

You battered the coast,
stripped the land,
tore the trees,
swayed the buildings,
flooded the streets,
crushed the village.
You left us cold and homeless.

In silence,
I knelt on the muddy ground,
watched, listened-
some wept with all their might,
some never cried- not yet,
some spoke in whispers,
some wandered- a sleepy trance.

Oh…tsunami!
You had been so heartless-
you brought us hell, left us with nothing.
Only, grey colours of unpleasantness.