Dermot O'Lynn

How To Tune a Fish

Hooper found a Louisiana licence plate and went in a cage.

Sal told Tony through Billy Woods dreams to stay out of a cage. 

The Ugla Tuna swallowed Brian whole, so now he's caged forever,

beside an old jukebox which plays John's 4.33

for all eternity, please, do this in memory of me-

forgive and maybe try to live in the haunted whale 

where Jonah and Valuska lost their own selves.

You know sharks, informers and bars fish men

while Peter plays spines under cranes at dawn - 

he's a loyal pied piper, I told you before,

Knowledge of reclaimed land streets

Victor knows like the back of his hand,

now Stuart does too, as do the FRU,

who sent Nelson to Robben Island and back,

back to where Merlin gets Robin and Jack,

Lenny gets Francis, Hucker gets Murphy,

Patrick tricked Fionn, fin tricked Brody,

Luke, the Sunken Land Begins to Rise Again,

Tiocfaidh ár iasc, iasc gan fonn, iasc gan anam.

You know I try to think the best of people, really, I do,

I think every soul contains a pearl of potential, still,

if I could gut a fish, I would pick Albert,

in the manner Benito, Clara and the tiger were hung,

I'd pick and I'd pluck and I'd huff and I'd puff

on tight sediment heart strings a long time ago...

Yes, I know, I KNOW at the Bikini Atoll 

Bottom of my metronome heart, I would know...

from sucking the tip of my pizzicato thumb,

I would know, like Jeff's frequent love for Anne, 

I would know that on seaside postcards it can't be undone.

On radio static I receive lovely messages from Konstantīns which say:

The Choices You Make Today Will Live With You Forever,

there is nothing new under the mer de noms sun,

where Chris is on stage, sieving silt mountains for gold,

with Magic and Holy and Koppenberg in the cold.

Input Error

After Mary Oliver and Irene Solà

All my hairs stand on end like quills needles when
I see your face in, the crowd which reminds me I am an an
imal, that I have reflexive reactions to stimu
li that. I’m a flower or a plant I remember in school
I was asked to draw a picture of a mammal
I drew a picture of a sexless human and got in
lots (of trouble though), I still think even. Now that
I was in the right I see that smiling
naked human. I drew when I see your face in
the crowd when all my hairs stand on end like, quills needles, when
I see your face in the crowd and pheromones release
suddenly puzzlingly in the form of a memorial
dark rain, bow flow of lub, ricant met,
al which, led to, wards input error.

The Results May Surprise You

The body without organs holds the key to the bone machine.
In a darkroom to the rear of the waiting area
I opened the door to develop some lithograph x-rays,
both for my own amusement and to further our knowledge.

The results may surprise you.

I was able to determine that we have several bodies
which flow down an archetypal engine oil river
where hopes and regrets have been known to bloom
over presupposed lilies and ferns.

I know you are holding your hand to your chest.
I know your face is multi-faceted.
I know that things flow through you.
I know the results may surprise you.

Dermot O'Lynn is from Belfast. He has been shortlisted for the Mairtín Crawford short story and Fish poetry awards. His work has been featured in the journals Skylight 47 and An Capall Dorcha.