(A Villanelle, with apologies to Derek Mahon)
I am just staying inside and may be some time
Within the four stout walls of a bungalow.
What could be more ridiculous, less sublime?
No dog-walking, no gentle hills to climb;
This cabin fever’s worse than vertigo.
I am just staying inside and may be some time
Under house arrest, although I’ve done no crime,
Condemned by Harris, Holohan & Co.
What could be more ridiculous, less sublime?
Waging a deadly war with dust and grime
And painting the bathroom (cream and indigo!)
I am just staying inside and may be some time.
No high-stool pints, not even a lager-and-lime,
Just endless Maura and Daithi, Talk to Joe;
What could be more ridiculous, less sublime?
A virtual life on Zoom, WhatsApp, FaceTime,
The wall clocks on a permanent go-slow;
I am just staying inside and may be some time.
What could be more ridiculous, less sublime?
……….
Michael Durack lives in Tipperary, Ireland. His work features in journals such as The Blue Nib, Skylight 47 and Poetry Ireland Review. Publications include a memoir, Saved to Memory: Lost to View (2016) and a collection, Where It Began ( Revival, 2017.) A second collection, Flip Sides, is forthcoming from Revival Press.