CILLIAN HORKAN

Cillian Horkan - Aspiring Writer
Cillian Horkan, son of Tina and Kieran Horkan, was anything but ordinary. Cillian was an Irish boy through and through. He was born in Dublin in 1976 and immigrated with his family to Sydney, Australia at the age of twelve. This change of country and leaving his beloved Ireland caused a dislocation of both body and spirit which affected him deeply. In time the situation released a wealth and also depth of serious creative talent.

Cillian had a talent, which lay deep within, coming forth in poetry and songwriting at the age of sixteen. By the time Cillian died tragically at the age of twenty-seven he had released three CDs of music. His music like his poetry was very varied both in style and content. Some of Cillian's poems are controversial and others have a depth and richness of content rarely found in someone so young. Even the poetry editor of "The Australian" newspaper spotted his talent and had one of Gillian's poems published in the Weekly Review of 23-24 May 2004.

Cillian's music is currently being performed by his band "Killean" in Praque. This has been organised by his musical collaborator Milan Svab. The music has been showcased on a Czech radio station, TV video/musical clips and during live gigs.

Cillian was someone who felt too deeply. He questioned the meaning of life too acutely and loved too passionately. His music and poetry reflect these qualities.

We are delighted to present a few of Cillian's poems on Book Creators Circle. Cillian Horkan's music on CDs can be obtained by phoning the following numbers 04 21429 366.

Tina and Kieran are currently working on the manuscript with Cillian's book to be released this year and launched at the Book Creators Circle EXPO - 22 SEPTEMBER 2012.

TINA AND CILLIAN HORKAN

»» ALL POEMS »»

©CILLIAN HORKAN

Nagasaki
See no reason why the world
Keeps spurning me
The sun it falls
Within the dark
And if the stars are souls
They hang suspended there
Aloof and stone like
In the air.

O no
The siren's shriek is shrill
I know the bomb has come
To kill me and my family

And I am Aurora

The wind erupted in the dark and the fury
The sky was blistered, taut and black
And in the school yard where the lifeless children
Shadows stain the front and back.

O no
The siren's shriek is shrill
I know the bomb has come
To kill me and my family

We went down to the burning river
I wrote my name on every page
And all the children with their eyes were blistered
The sky a perfect shade of wax.

O no
The siren's shriek is shrill
I know the bomb has come
To kill me and my family

Why do you never listen to me?

NOTES - NAGASAKI
Cillian loved the innocence of children and hated the thought of them suffering or being hurt in any way.

This poem refers to the atomic bomb destroying children. But in many ways it is also about the effect it had on others and
how he felt this devastating thing had killed part of him and his family. One can assume Cillian is referring to his family,
the family of humanity.

Also composed into a song.

Too Young To Read Dante
So - into your arms I fell
And you - you fell back
With a smile wry and strange
- It was always a Grecian urn.

You breathed fire
I stretched most like a cat
For I'd left my soul - oh
"the cat sat on the mat"

Your prose, most exposed and osmotic
Your thesis - so riddled with wonder
On your cusp very problematic
And we're perennially sinners
Wise guys discussing Dante.
(Published in The Australian Weekend Review 23-23 May 2004)

NOTES -
TOO YOUNG TO READ DANTE
Cillian knew the writer Dante and also his work. In this poem Cillian is telling society not to judge youth and that even youth can appreciate Dante.
Cillian also refers to man and includes himself when he says 'we're perennially sinners'. An interesting concept for a young man to know his limitations, to admit them and then write about them in such a profound poem.

Cillian knew that he, like everyone else, is capable of resinning and being shallow
'Wise guys discussing Dante'.
Cillian's poetry could be an osmosis, an interchange or merging of opposing thoughts, actions and feelings.

Pure Love
I got on my knees to write this
And you are one with all that is
Beyond sunset and the milky whisper of night.

Before thought dream subconscious
I see you
with a love that is brilliant and beyond sexuality.

It's pure love.

I could hold your heart in my hands
We could merge like a star.

I know the rivers of mind
Will collapse and bring me before Jesus.

I want you to be there
When the world ends
Old like a diamond.

I want you to turn to me and say
"I knew it was you all along"
As we vanish
Infinite
Not even real.

NOTES -
PURE LOVE
Cillian's deep nature and love of romance are evident in this poem. He loved women, loved being in love and had a beautiful romantic nature.
He also had a deep sense of unity, the merging of things and the ultimate coming before Jesus - love.

Romantic love seems to have for Cillian its beginning and end with goodness. In his praying or hoping he wishes that his love would merge and be pure love in eternity.
'I could hold your heart in my hands ... We could merge like a star'.

Lost God
There are dead flowers
All over our room
And we sit withing the dark
But we can see the moon
It casts a ghost-filled light on the windows in our room
And I can see me in the mirror
And I have a candle lit
And it's twelve o'clock
It's midnight
And my mind it shifts
Head is another world
And I'm looking for a past life
Because I don't like the one I've got
And our souls
Are in the wardrobe crying out and blistered
We are ugly again.

A lost god and you're so savage
Savage god is all I've got
A lost god and you're so tragic
Lost god is just my lot.

The moon bloomed red itching veins scarlet segments
Orange slices don't you know?
But it is just s rock
Huge it is
Over the sea
Reflects the light on me
And all the fishes below
They are swimming to and fro
And maybe that's
Where life all started
On a moon-drenched night
Slept beneath the sleeping sand
An expanse of starts
So deep science cannot speak
It has to use mathematics
O Sylvia Plath
Where were you
When I was around?

A lost god and you're so savage
Savage god is all I've got
A lost god and you're so tragic
Lost god is just my lot.

NOTES -LOST GOD
Some might say that Cillian struggled with his attempt to search for meaning in life, death and the universe.
Others might say that he knew the many faces of God, thus understood God and had a particular relationship with this 'god' -
'A lost god and you're so savage Savage god is all I've got'.
The poem further reinforces this suggestion of Cillian's relationship and deeper understanding of God because he sees it as 'So deep science cannot speak It has to use mathematics'.

Also composed into a song.

We Love You - George W
I don't believe in make believe
There's voices that I can't conceive
There's wisdom in the ancient trees
And disease in the breeze.

She took me to the milky moon
I burnt it on my silver spoon
And all too soon
The flowers wilt
And I was left with guilt.

But

We're really into thought control
And if you want we can save your soul
And if you like we can save your soul
And if you like you can buy a magazine
filled with the latest French cut fine clean cuisine
Specifically
Designed with DNA to
Make you feel hunky dory USA OK
Or if you want you could be an idiot savant
We only want what's best for you.
Because

We love you
We love you
George W.

And so I fell in love with her
She'd lie there like a cat and purr
And tell me of such fairy tales
And a love that's soft and blue
Like water on a tropical beach
Thru touch and kiss did love me teach
And now she is torn inside
Her love is mine with pride.

NOTES -
WE LOVE YOU-GEORGE W
Cillian's strong sense of justice and injustice comes through in this poem. He can see that we have the power of indoctrination and 'thought control' at various levels.
He also shows his great mistrust of man's intention and that lies permeate life.
'We only want what's best for you ...we love you we love you George W.'

Though Cillian does not believe in fairy tales and make believe, he tells us in the end of this poem that maybe it is all make believe. He shows us that all that remains is the love we have been taught and the love deep inside - 'Her love is mine with pride'.

CILLIAN HORKAN - Aspiring Writer/Songwriter
BOOK CREATORS CIRCLE