July’s Poem of the Month comes from Dermot Healy’s forthcoming Collected Poems 
Sea-fire
It catches on calm days
away out on the Atlantic;
just a small flame
racing inland.
The billows smoke
each side of the boat
and a school of mackerel sparkle.
Waves send up stars.
The roar of flames is steady.
Sea-fire!
At the edge of an oar
beyond the lead line of the net.
Inishmurray is going up!
And all beyond Inishmurray!
And at the alt
white ash comes in with the tide.
Air thickens with salt.
Between here and Mayo
the sea has been torched.
Soot strikes the lava.
A long time
before the cold blue stretches out
and the moon cools
in the white swell.
Sea-fire! Even the words would do
if there never was that leap of light
beyond the dripping net.
from Collected Poems (2018)
by Dermot Healy
