We measure her measuring will she come in,
will her carriage pass through the doorframe.
We’ve registered this kind of thing before,
uncertainty at the threshold.
But no need for her - between two words- to hesitate,
she’ll be swallowed anyway, into this kingdom of heat
There’s a scatter of us here already,
salmon-eyed and sweating,
the coffee in our coffee-pots sweet and ineffectual.
A few of us monitor the clock on the wall
but most wouldn’t give you spilt milk for the hour,
stationed here between drowsiness and roaring,
the hunger sucking at us, braon i ndiaidh braon,
the matter slurped out of each bone
Oh how this cursed acoustic titillates and stabs,
the whispering and the shrieks and jibber-jabber
And still she cogitates athwart the doorframe
But the only way out for her is to come in.
Címid í ag tomhas an raghaidh sí isteach:
méid na trucaile trí fhráma an dorais,
Chonaiceamar a leithéid roimhe seo,
éiginnteacht ar an tairseach,
Ach ní gá di bheith idir dhá chomhairle,
slogfar í ar aon nós isteach i ríocht seo an teasa.
Tá scata again anseo cheana,
súile éisc orainn is sinn ag cur allais;
Tá an caife sa phota lag agus bog
is tá dream ag faire go géar ar an gclog,
Formhór againn beag beann ar an uair
just ag maireachtaint ó néal go búir,
An t-ocras ag diúl orainn le fada, le stáir,
an smior súite as gach cnámh,
Gleo damanta na háite seo ag réabadh,
cogarnaíl is geabaireacht is scréachadh.
Tá sí fós ar an tairseach ag faire isteach
ach níl aon dul siar aici ná aon teacht as.
