(after Jack B. Yeats)

1

"from memory

the body of O'Donovan Rossa

lying in state in the city hall Dublin

4 brown yellow candles

in black candlesticks

a crucifix

Irish Volunteer

standing close to head of coffin

"as soon as anyone in the line

came level with

Rossa face

they bent and looked

at it

then the Volunteer touched

them on the arm

and said pass on

the Volunteer then took

2 paces back to his position

by that time another of the line

was opposite the face

the Volunteer

stepped forward and

touched them

on the arm

2

the body of O'Donovan Rossa

surrounded by faceless men

hats in their hands

the body of O'Donovan Rossa

on a low black catafalque

three faceless statues

and a faceless crucifix

stare down on the Rossa face

the statues with folded arms

the Volunteer leans on his gun

the body of O'Donovan Rossa

3

faceless men

only a few strokes

of the pencil

they form a perfect circle

hats held to their chests

hats held to their stomachs

hats dark against their legs

the catafalque

the circle of men

their hats

4

what happens

when he bends his head

over the Rossa face?

what happens

when the Volunteer

touches his arm?

what happens

when he signs his monogram

lays down his pencil

and raises his head away?

I come in through the window

5

the Volunteer

leans on his gun

his hat is on his head

he is not looking

down at the dead face

the attitude of his body

is a watchful ease

is it a sign

of his respect

that he will not look?

that he leans on his gun?

6

the attitudes of the body

last only a moment

the faceless head

bends over the casket

for a moment

the Volunteer

touches him on the arm

7

respect

fo the dead for the living

of the living for the dead

of the artist for the single step of time

pass on

8

the body of O'Donovan Rossa

for a moment

breathing and blinking

for a moment

darkened by seeping earth and rain

for a moment

staring up at a faceless man

from memory

APOLOGIA: This poem is taken from a sketch of the same title,

made by the Irish artist Jack B. Yeats in preparation of a full rendering,

never painted. The first section of the poem is a paraphrase of Yeats's note

on the back of the sketch; the remainder is a description of the sketch itself.