[1371] Girl in a Wheelchair Dancing to U2 in Lansdowne Stadium 1997

Guest poem sent in by Sarah Hughes <sarahhughes3000@>

In a clearing near midfield
she is tossing her hair, waving her arms,

catching hold of, taking for a wild spin
a new constellation, The Chariot.

The Centre holds. Big wheels rattle and hum.
Sparks fly from her.

 	-- Mark Granier

Note: "The Chariot" in line 4 is italicised.
This appeared in Granier's book AIRBORNE, published by
Salmon Poetry (Cliffs of Moher, Co Mayo) in 2001.

[The allusion in the fifth line is to Yeats's "The Second Coming":
  "Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold" - martin]

I think this poem is simply about freedom, cutting
loose, busting out to join in the dance. I was at that
concert too, it was deadly!

The following links have reviews and some more of his
poetry.

http://www.writerscentre.ie/anthology/granier.html
http://www.salmonpoetry.com/airborne.html

ciao
Sarah

[Martin adds]

The poem reminds me in a way of Benet's "Winged Man" [Poem #609], for
its use of "cosmic" imagery to suggest an exuberant magnificence of
spirit. The phrase "The Centre holds" gave me a sudden vision of a
luminous, laughing figure, alone in a dark field while the universe
revolves around her. Beautiful.


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From: "Anustup Datta" <anustupd@>

And the next allusion in the same line is to U2's (arguably) greatest
album - "Rattle and Hum".

Regards
Tups