a short history of nation-building

There are no snakes in Ireland;
Saint Patrick, having cast them out,
declared a nation born again
before it was a nation. And after

the seeming fall of tribal glee
shamrock lectures or

a new breed
slithering insidious

young Patrick allayed
and allowed potatoes.

Famine followed so
boats were in order

and, “There are no snakes!”
but there are
the side-winding trails
of our fathers and
discarded fruit.




Michael Geier is an undergrad at Brown University. Geier means vulture in German.


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