“Poems from In Between Angels and Animals” by Emily Cullen

EMBODIMENT   1. Maternal   I lie on the bed in darkness, wary of sudden toddler jerks (your innocent, erratic strength). Instead, you lay your head upon my cheek and in that momentary tenderness, a universe of visceral wisdom. I am held by this intuition: love free of all condition.   2. Marital   We grasp each other. Words surrender to spoor of pore. You kiss my collarbone. Sacred contours underscore quibbles and stresses. Our limbs recall a geography of catharsis; the lee of my back, the lie of your land.   Embodiment is © Emily Cullen   GALWAY MOULD   We take the damp for granted here. Blinds draw back to reveal colonies of galaxies: tiny black holes in our new collective space.   ‘It’s only condensation,’ Next Door concedes, ‘the weather’s too wintry to open the windows.’ My wooden bangle by the sill slips into a mildewed coat of green.   For fun, I bought you mouldy cheese. Last night, it took revenge on me, inducing a vivid dream of a white chandelier of mould that slowly lowered through our kitchen ceiling: a lichen lantern, till its lattices became milky spores, mouths that started to open and close.   Then I awoke, vowing to spray our wall of condensation, diffuse for good my fascination with Galway mould.   Galway Mould is © Emily Cullen   INCENSE   Wisps of opium: boa constrictors curl into curtains of late afternoon. Milky ribbons tantalise like the soft, deliberate motion of the belly dancer you admired in Turkish solitude. I remember you burning sandalwood in Illinois to set the mood. Now smoky arabesques tease then evanesce while broken trails of ash, like fossilized worms announce seduction as but a crumbling dream: brittle, grey, ephemeral.   Incense is © Emily Cullen Incense’ was published in No Vague Utopia (Ainnir Publishing, 2003) ‘Galway Mould’, ‘Embodiment’ and ‘Playing House’ were published in Emily Cullen’s second collection, In Between Angels and Animals (Arlen House, 2013).

Dr. Emily Cullen is an Irish writer, scholar, harpist and arts manager. Her first poetry collection, entitled No Vague Utopia was published by Ainnir in 2003. In 2004 she was the national Programme Director of the Patrick Kavanagh Centenary celebrations and was selected for the Poetry Ireland Introductions series. Emily was awarded an IRCHSS Government of Ireland fellowship for her doctoral study on the Irish harp. She is a qualified teacher of the harp who has performed throughout Europe, Australia and the United States. A former member of the Belfast Harp Orchestra, she has recorded on a number of albums and also as a solo artist. In addition to writing poetry, short stories and feature articles, she publishes widely on aspects of Irish cultural history and music.

Things Being Various Out now! Emily Cullen In Between Angels and Animals (Arlen House, 2013)  ISBN: 9781851320790  Paperback 96 pp 12 EURO Available from Kennys Bookshop, The Book Depository and many good book stores. More Information: The Book Depository: http://www.bookdepository.co.uk/Between-Angels-Animals-Emily-Cullen/9781851320790 Kennys: http://www.bookshop.kennys.ie/book/IE/9781851320790/In_Between_Angels_and_Animals