Waking Eyes / Dúiseacht Súl
Howard Lawn
ForSai Editions
ISBN 0954103858
Rugadh údar na ndánta sa chnuasach seo sa Daingean i gCiarraí. Tá corrdhán i nGaeilge, corrcheann i nGearmáinis, dhá cheann i bhFraincis, ceann amháin i nGréigis, an chuid eile i mBéarla. Is díol suime an nóta ar an údar i bhFraincis atá scríofa ag Claudette Martin ina dtagraíonn sí do scannall mór i dToulouse na France a raibh baint ag an údar leis agus don dóigh suarach ar thréig sé a bhean agus a iníon óg. Tá meas aici ar Howard mar fhile ach ní mar fhear nó mar athair.
The author of the poems in this collection was born in Dingle in Kerry. A few of the poems are in Irish, a few in German, two in French, one in Greek and the rest in English. Of particular interest is the note on the author in French written by Claudette Martin in which she refers to a huge scandal in Toulouse with which Howard was connected and to the despicable way in which he deserted his wife and young daughter. She has high regard for Howard as a poet but not as a man or father.
Garry Bannister –
Thaitin ilghnéitheacht na ndánta sa chnuasach filíochta seo go mór liom. Baineann na téamaí le coincheapa an eiseachais, le heaspa réaltachta an domhain ábhartha seo ina mairimid, le ceisteanna bunúsacha na beatha agus le fealsúnacht Plato, Nietzsche, Wittgenstein agus Derrida.
Níor bhuail mé choíche go pearsanta leis an fhile seo ach deirtear go bhfuil cónaí ar Lawn le blianta beaga anuas in Dresden sa Ghearmáin agus go mbíonn sé le feiceáil ansin i gceann de na páirceanna poiblí ag aithris a chuid filíochta do lucht siúlta timpeall.
Bhí cnuasach eile dá dhánta amuigh aige ‘Amhráin na Marbh’ ach de réir dealraimh tógadh as na siopaí é mar bhíothas ag gearáin faoi.
Is fiú an cnuasach seo a léamh, áfach, cé nach bhfuil mórán dánta as Gaeilge ann, tá flúirse díobh i dteangacha eile ann. Ní dóigh liom gur féidir file na hÉireann a thabhairt ar Lawn, ach b’fhéidir file Eorpach a scríobhann cuid dá fhilíocht i nGaeilge.
I like the variety of poems presented in this collection of Lawn’s work. Many of the themes concern existentialism, the lack of any reality within the material world in which live, the basic fundamental questions of life, along with poetic meditations on the philosophies of Plato, Nietzsche, Wittgenstein and Derrida.
I have never personally met this poet although a Gaelic writer friend of mine who was visiting Dresden in Germany told me that he had met him there proclaiming his poetry to any passer-by who would listen, in one of the public parks in Dresden where he apparently has been living for the past number of years.
Lawn has another book of poetry out entitled ‘Songs of the Dead’, however, I believe that this was removed from many of the Irish bookshops due to the fact that it was considered to be totally unacceptable to many of those who bought it.
Although there are only a few poems in Gaelic, there are a plethora of other European languages in this collection. But perhaps Lawn might be considered, not so much an Irish poet, but rather a European poet who happens to write some of his poems in Gaelic.