Aluine's Gardens Poem by Christine Elizabeth Murray

Before the house
behind the sea,
a garden.

Before the mountain
behind the house,
a circuit of trees.

Before the small house
behind the grey sea,
A strip of lawn enclosed with box.

Before the tall mountain
behind those six white walls of house,
rows of young alders a circuit make.

Before the house of three steps up
behind the rocky strand down to the sea,
a wild field conceals her garden’s bloom.

Before that shadow the reek casts onto green fields
behind the grass rolling and tumbling to rocky beach,
her lawn encloses varieties of bees.

Before Croagh Patrick,
the Reek,
a mazed world wherein shadows flit.

Before the house where grasses tumble to rocky shore,
behind the sound where gather the gulls, a small ingress,
a light step to rose’s bloom, lawn of green.

Before the cloud-shrouded reek
behind the house with fish in the windows,
there is a forest of trees, a flitting child.

Before the small house where wind’s flute and bassoon
mocks the squake of gulls,
a strip of lawn to where butterflies play.

Before the sheltering reek
and behind this small house of gardens,
a simple circuit of trees.

Birds sing there.