Francis O’Hare was born in Newry, Co. Down, in 1970. His first full collection, Falling into an O, was published by Lagan Press, Belfast, in 2007. A further pamphlet collection was published by Lagan Press in 2009, entitled Alphaville. He published his second collection, Somewhere Else, with Lagan Press in 2011. In the same year, he also published a collection in America, with Evening Street Press, Ohio, entitled Home and Other Elsewheres. A new collection, Sailing To Omeath, was published by Arlen House, Dublin, in January 2020. He has published poems in various magazines in Ireland, the U.K., and the United States, including Poetry Ireland Review, Evening Street Review, Glasgow Review of Books, The Galway Review, PN Review, The Blue Nib, and The Yellow Nib.

The Realists

Appear to have reality on their side.
They’re never the guy on the cross getting crucified.
No, they’re always the ones in the crowd below,
Having a chat, networking, enjoying the show,
Or pulling the strings in the background from some seat
Of power in local government, the Roman senate,
Or Temple sanctum. Your average realist stays
Well away from leaps of faith. It pays
To keep both feet on the ground. No so-called Son
Of God, with ragged robe and blinding vision
Of His Father’s Kingdom somewhere in the sky,
Could touch their souls, persuade their minds to fly
Beyond the usual bread-and-butter issues
We all hold dear. I hope to Christ they lose.