Jones Irwin
Interdisciplinary translation by attendees of Pinky Thinker Press LIVE! 2024
Accidental Deaths At Thessaloniki (or Not)
After Sakis Serefas
Poem by Jones Irwin:
I
Around 1930, in the Upper City
Aristidis got jealous
Claimed Dimitris had stolen his wife
Said ‘one of these days, I‘m going to take his fucking life’
True to his word, he did.
This jealous husband, or at least he tried hard.
Fired three bullets at the adulterer’s drasted head.
Bad fucking shots. All missed. Dimitris survived fully intact.
What a disappointment. No Accidental Death. Shit!
II
Be careful of frying fish
Outside in the summer
When the sun gets hotter
And the moods the anger
Anastasia took the BBQ grill
And whacked Perikles on the poor head
He dropped down dead
We said there was no point
in wasting good food
So we ate the tasty fish heartily
And toasted good old Perikles
A fun guy but never a perfect husband
Poetic Translation by Bailey Benoot:
I
Encircling the mid century,
A man holds truth in his heart.
His passion tips the scale to logic.
Enthralled in notions of revenge,
drunk with rage, driven by ideas of
“honor”.
Effort is no match for accuracy.
After all, a man cannot shoot what is
not there.
II
Proceed with caution, for the driest
season can light a spark. Swelter
clouds the sharpest of minds.
Swelter gives strength, and drives
reaction. The fire of discomfort has
left a victim in its’ wake. We can still
cook with what is left of the embers.
Dance translation by Charly Santagado
Dance translation by Bailey Benoot
Dance translation by Charly Santagado
Jones Irwin teaches Philosophy and Education in Dublin, Republic of Ireland. He has published poetry most recently in Espacio Fronterizo (Borderland/ Espace Frontière), and with Moonstone Press and Tofu Ink Press. He has been working on a long series of Metafiction which is published with The Decadent Review. His longer poem ‘What Will Happen Then?’ won the Tofu Ink Press Poetry Prize for 2023. His vision is of a postmodern existentialist. He has just started a role as resident Poetry Critic and Columnist with Red Ogre Review and continues to publish a series of short texts on poetics with R.O.R.
He is currently working on a new book of haiku poems based on the concept of ‘’#American Haikus’ developed originally by the Beat poet Jack Keroauc and working with English artist Gemma Rose to develop a hybrid poem-drawing set of texts. His first Chapbook of poems, entitled 'GHOST TOWN' was published by Moonstone Press, Philadelphia, US, in later summer 2022. His second Chapbook of poems, entitled ‘Deep Image or a Painting by Jeffrey Dahmer’ will be published by Tofu Ink Press in 2024.
