Two Poems by Damien Healy

Tofu

 

The round protein-laden pearls of gold.

Slowly warmed and soaked in a brine of saltwater.

Ground into an off-white nourishing pulp.

Allowed to settle and treated to a sprinkling of yeast.

Packed into wooden boxes and held in place with wet gauze.

Heated till congealed and cooled in a bath of slight alkalinity.

Sliced into hand-sized blocks of smooth creaminess.

Served with a topping of spring onion and ginger.

Dipped in a salty condiment which was once its’ neighbor.

White gold for the price of a bus fare.

 

 

Judgment Day

 

Irrefutable damage,

Liaisons with Lucifer,

The deeds of the victim scrutinized.

What you bring to the table either makes or breaks it for eternity.

Dealing with the small print and all that entails.

Angels and demons hovering around ready to take you with them.

Locked in discussions over written laws and how to interpret them in this day and age.

Waiting and hoping for a bright outcome.

Regrets over what one did in that short time in that ugly little place.

Resigned to accept what will be, will be.

As quick as a flash one group grabs you and off you are whisked.

 

 

 

 

Damien Healy was born in Dublin, Ireland but has been living in Osaka, Japan for the past 20 years. He holds an MA in Applied Linguistics and teaches English language at a Japanese university. He has written three textbooks for Japanese university students and has published several papers on language teaching. He has recently found the time and energy to start writing poetry again. He has had poems published in "The Weekenders" and "Ofipress".