Bio
Born in Maghera, County Derry, Northern Ireland, Jo Burns is a 39 year old biomedical scientist and mother of three.
She has resided in Chile, Scotland, England, and now lives with her family in Germany.
To date, her poems have been published by A New Ulster, The Taj Mahal Review, Greensilk Journal, The Artistic Muse,
Poetry Breakfast, The Galway Review, The Honest Ulsterman, featured in The Irish Literary Times, Poetry NI P.O.E.T Anthology,
Dove Tales Anthology Identity, The Literateur, Lakeview International Journal of Arts and Literature, and is forthcoming
in Four x Four, and Poetry Pacific. Two Pamphlets Picasso's Women and Vermächtnis were highly commended by
Munster Lit Fool For Poetry Chapbook Competition 2016. Her work has been longlisted for the
Over The Edge New Writer of the Year 2016.
Jo Burns
Francoise Gilot Leaves Pablo
You wanted to be the one whose borders can't be altered.
But your leached soil topped by fresher feels conquered
Young mulch, fertile, creadient, feeding him fat, stronger.
You bleed from the prick of the pinned second prize. Conquered.
You have lost your played madrigals on canvas. It's over.
You've packed your pride into smaller dreams. Those dreams conquered.
Less brilliant than he, yet no terror to waste, you've freed the colour.
In swift lines, no concern for the man you have just conquered.
Your life plays out beyond his frame, beyond his perception.
You look at your own new reflection. You know you've conquered.