Poem of the Week: “Turn Again” by Ciaran Carson

Turn Again 

There is a map of the city which shows the bridge that was never built.
A map which shows the bridge that collapsed; the streets that never existed.
Ireland’s Entry, Elbow Lane, Weigh-House Lane, Back Lane, Stone-Cutter’s Entry—
Today’s plan is already yesterday’s—the streets that were there are gone.
And the shape of the jails cannot be shown for security reasons.

The linen backing is falling apart—the Falls Road hangs by a thread.
When someone asks me where I live, I remember where I used to live.
Someone asks me for directions, and I think again. I turn into
A side street to try to throw off my shadow, and history is changed.

–Ciaran Carson, from From There To Here (2019)