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| Art by J. Adam McGalliard |
Níl cuma rómhaith air ar seisean
ar seisean tá droch-chuma air an-dona go deimhin
ar sé chomhair mé dhá cheann is tríocha díobh ar scamhóg amháin
sular éiríos as
dúrtsa leis go raibh áthas orm nár mhaith liom fháil amach
go raibh níos mó ann ná an méid sin
an fear creidimh thú ar sé an raghfá ar do ghlúine
i ngarrán foraoise agus ligean duit féin cabhair a lorg
nuair a bhainfeá eas amach
cáitheadh ag séideadh in aghaidh do ghnúise is do ghéag
an stopfá agus tuiscint a lorg ag móimintí den saghas sin
ní go fóill arsa mise ach tá rún agam tosnú inniu
ar sé tá an-bhrón orm ar sé
is trua nach bhfuil scéala eile agam duit
áiméan arsa mise agus dúirt seisean rud éigin eile
nár thuigeas agus nuair nach raibh fhios agam cad eile
a dhéanfainn agus nuair nár theastaigh uaim go ndéarfadh sé
arís é agus go mbeadh ormsa é a thuiscint i gceart
d’fhéachas air sin uile
ar feadh nóiméid is d’fhéach seisean ar ais agus is ansin
a léimeas is chroitheas lámh leis an té a thug rud éigin dom
nár thug aon neach eile ar an saol seo riamh dom
seans gur ghabhas buíochas leis fiú tá an nós chomh seanbhunaithe.
What the Doctor Said by Raymond Carver
He said it doesn’t look goodhe said it looks bad in fact real bad
he said I counted thirty-two of them on one lung before
I quit counting them
I said I’m glad I wouldn’t want to know
about any more being there than that
he said are you a religious man do you kneel down
in forest groves and let yourself ask for help
when you come to a waterfall
mist blowing against your face and arms
do you stop and ask for understanding at those moments
I said not yet but I intend to start today
he said I’m real sorry he said
I wish I had some other kind of news to give you
I said Amen and he said something else
I didn’t catch and not knowing what else to do
and not wanting him to have to repeat it
and me to have to fully digest it
I just looked at him
for a minute and he looked back it was then
I jumped up and shook hands with this man who’d just given me
something no one else on earth had ever given me
I may have even thanked him habit being so strong