We landed once, a shingle shore,and marched inland, meeting no resistance except a stringof wild-eyed ponies and a hare, twitching in a field as weclanked past. There for the taking, if we’d wanted.’ Wine-bruisedlips, the wife in Tivoli, he pats the couch and beckons closer. ‘The godsthat brought you here instead were smiling.’ Leg-irons,a pitching sea, the dealers wheedling for the last sesterce. John O’Donnell has published five volumes of poetry, most recently Sunlight: New and Selected Poems (Dedalus Press). His short story collection, Mr Hoo and other stories, was recently published by Doire Press

Source: The Irish Times March 21, 2026 14:52 UTC