Before I see the smokerunning from the house like a scared dog,before I remember the caramel in the pot,the stove plate I might have forgotten to turn off,before I think of Juno asleepin the last room of the cottagefifty metres away,before I birdfly the dune,the road back to the house,burst through the front door,before I lift my t-shirt to block out the fumes,slam shut the kitchen door with its long tongues of fire,and door after door down the corridorto hold back the smoke,sprint my hair loose, yank at the last knob,which won’t open, which won’t open, which won’t openuntil I twist the other way,and stumble in, gasping,lift her out of the bed,nestle her face to my chestso her green eyes are covered,the way they bring horses out of a fire,and Juno’s legs grip around my waistas I plunge back through the reekseeping from door chinks and fractures –before I see it all,I stand on the brow of the sand duneand say this is the end of the world. Afric McGlinchey’s collections include The Lucky Star of Hidden Things and Ghost of the Fisher Cat (both Salmon). She is a winner of the Hennessy Award

Source: The Irish Times June 04, 2021 22:52 UTC