Portrait of Matthew Sweeney

Matthew Sweeney was an Irish poet, known for vivid, surreal, and narrative poems. His collections include The Bridal Suite, Black Moon, and My Life as a Painter.

Matthew Sweeney

Blue Shoes

Secker and Warburg, 1989.

Turning his telescope on the moon
Magnus considers his alibi -
himself and Sarah in Regent's Park
stuffing the squirrels with nuts
till one twister bit his thumb...

From the poem The Alibi, about a man who needs a convincing explanation for his bloodstained shirt.