Ronnie McGinn's Poetry Page

Our poem this week comes from George Moore who teaches literature with the University of Colorado, in Boulder.

George writes superb poetry. His writing is original, elite and sophisticated but above all it is reachable and has a readability that stands on its own. Thank you George!

George tells us that he only recently found our Poetry Page, but has been familiar with the Irish Examiner for quite some time. He's published a bit recently in Ireland, in Riposte, and the Dublin Quarterly this last year. And here in the States, he's had poems in The Atlantic, Poetry, Colorado Review, North American Review, Orion, and internationally of late with The Queen's Quarterly, Blast, The Antigonish Review, and elsewhere.

Nominated twice last year for a Pushcart Prize, and this year and last for "Best of the Web" as well. He was also nominated this year for The Rhysling Poetry Award, and have been a finalist, for The National Poetry Series, The Richard Synder Memorial Prize, The Brittingham Poetry Award, and The Anhinga Poetry Prize. Recent collections include, All Night Card Game in the Back Room of Time (Pulpbits 2007) and Headhunting (Mellen, 2002).

Audition

This architecture's slower than gods
to change. But history nudges it.
Edges of remnant narthex walls protrude
where once they held up roof beams.

The old monks found an outer edge even
to the world, and clashed with contemporary
culture hounds, everyone hunting them
for the right mind, the spiritual thread.

The corbelled dry-stone masonry predates
the Roman archways, and tympanum
decorated with the more ancient Celtic
zigzags remains, a path through time.

So the old faith collapses like slate
into the spaces we leave behind. But
something new is sea-stirred by the wind
through an open coat, through your hair.

© George Moore