bhuail mé le gaeilgeoirí,
mo chairde dhílis – zúm, ar líne!
an Ghaeltacht an Oileáin Úir
bhí fhoilsiú chláir chun muid staidéar.

shuigh mé síos le ríomhaire –
thaitníonn an ghriain taobh amuigh –
ach nuair a d’oscáil mé é lán
bhí fadhb beag le rang agam:

níor thug mé faoi deara roimhe seo
na fuaimeanna a shíneodh!:

tógáil agus tógáilí,
otharchairr, na póilíní,
comharsanna a taobh amuigh
a bpáistí scáirt a béiceann iad;

carranna a toirneach nós,
gluasrothair a bhualadh bos –
éitléain sa spéir,
ghearr fear an féar,
scairtear crainn as’a duilleoga air!

ach ar mo scáileán ríomhaire
bhí oiléan cáirdiúil gaeilgeoirí,
le linn an glór sin as an tsráid,
mo chairde chloistéail mé foighneach;

bhain mé taitneamh leo ainsin,
ach nua-aimsearach a thárla linn:
nuair a muintir, múinteoir caint sa rang,
bhí an domhan iomlán freisin ann.

zúm
2021
written during Tumseachtain Gaeltacht an Oileáin Úir
recited for Daltaí na Gaeilge
Finalist; Highly Commended in the Frances
Brown Multilingual Poetry Competition
Published in the Finn Valley Voice

(read more for English translation and accolades)

zoom

I met up with the Gaeilgeoirí,
my dearest friends! on zoom! online!
the Gaeltacht in Canada
had class that week to spend with us.

sat down with my computer I,
the sun was shining bright outside!
but when I turned on my microphone,
small problems with the class arose:

how could I have before ignored,
the noise come from the street each morn!

builders and their dread machines,
an ambulance, wailing police,
and neighbors chatting right outside,
shouting children not that far behind.

cars like thunder peales fanned,
a motorcycle clapped its hands,
planes in the sky,
grass mowed to piles,
leaves from their trees ripped out in kind,

but bless; on my computer screen,
a friendly island Irish seen,
between that din come from the street
my friends had patience then for me.

I enjoyed it wholly; all my friends,
but a modern problem happened then:
when the students, teacher class to share,
the whole world was also there

zoom
2021
written during North American Gaeltacht Immersion Week
recited for Daltaí na Gaeilge (Students of Irish)
Finalist; Highly Commended in the Frances
Brown Multilingual Poetry Competition
Published in the Finn Valley Voice