Poem
Nothing I Can Do
| Title | Nothing I Can Do |
|---|---|
| Author | Michael J. Whelan |
Instances of Publication
A published appearance of this poem.
| Collection/Anthology | Year of Publication | Medium | View Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rules of Engagement | 2019 | Print Collection | View Details |
Translations
Connected translations of this poem.
| Title | Author | Collection/Anthology | Year | View Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smaointe i gCaife i nGlaschú | Liam Prút | Cnap-Uaisle | 2008 | View Details |
Publication Instance Details #2134
Collection/Anthology Details
| Collection/Anthology | Rules of Engagement |
|---|---|
| Date of Publication | 2019 |
| Publisher | Doire Press (Ireland) |
| Page Number(s) | 14 |
Publication Overview
| Translation | Is Multilingual | Explicit Irish Context? | Ekphrasis | Has Paratext? | Reference to News, Media or Technology |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
No |
No |
Yes |
No |
Yes |
No |
Details
| Human Rights Issues | |
|---|---|
| Irish Context | |
| Languages | |
| Genre | Short Lyric |
| Medium | Print Collection |
| Paratext Text | Inis Fail wadi: dried up riverbed/valley |
| Notes | This poem is likely based upon the pet-speaker's memory of his time on peacekeeping mission. Arabic word 'Wadi' would indicate somewhere in the Middle East, likely the Lebanon, due to the poet's being posted there. Magpies and blackbirds are fighting in this poem - magpies are attacking and killing blackbird chicks. This brings back memories of the Lebanon to the speaker - he feels disempowered by it. There is nothing he can do to stop the chicks being killed, as he was powerless to stop same in the Lebanon. Inis 'Fail' might be 'Inis Fáil', a mythological name of Ireland - or could it be deliberately misspelled to refer to fail - his failure to protect these children? |
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