Tattoo:Tatú

I have been reading the poetry collection 'Tattoo:Tatú' by Nuala Ní Chonchúir for the last few weeks. With poetry I tend to read a collection in short bursts spread over a long time. I became interested in this collection when I read some poems of hers on the Poetry International Web.

The collection has several poems with versions in both Irish and English. For somebody like myself with reasonably good Irish it certainly makes the Irish versions of the poems more accessible and it is an idea that deserves imitation.
There are a number of poems like the title pair, 'Enclosed' and 'Nessa as Frida' where I enjoyed both versions equally. In other cases I thought that the English version was better, a particular highlight being 'Body Haiku':

Folded between my
thighs, an oyster, with edges
that quiver, frill, pulse

Lying between your
legs, an orchid, that blossoms,
blooms on the stalk, wilts

On the other hand there are also instances when the Irish version really stands out. The poem 'Ó' is a favourite:

clúdaím mo bholg
tugaim mo dhroim duit
craiceann nach
bhfuil craptha

The collection is very broad-ranging in style and content. I think that the poet's great strength is in her celebration of sexuality and the human body with all its imperfections. She also has a very good eye for humour as in 'Venus in a Bottle':

Legless but harmless
stretched on the Métro platform
bottle in her hand.

My main criticism of the collection is the fact that there are a number of poems with references to works of art that I know nothing about and people that I had never heard of (e.g. Harry Kernoff). There is a strong case for footnotes to explain the references. I like poetry that can stand on its own irrespective of the context in which it was written.
Having said that there are many fine poems in the collection and I would recommend it to anybody interested in reading some fresh, new poetry. Nuala Ní Chonchúir has agreed to answer some questions I have on her collection so I hope to publish this on the blog soon.