brendan behan

Brendan Francis Behan (in Irish, Breandán Ó Beacháin) was an Irish poet, short story writer, novelist, and playwright. Behan, who died in the mid-60's, wrote in both Irish and English. As a man of words, you would probably not expect him to also be a volunteer in the Irish Republican Army, but if you're familiar with Irish politics, you'll know that being an Irish republican and using their native tongue is intimately intertwined, owing to repressive actions by the British over Gaelic's use.
For most of his life, Behan was a drunk, a fact he rarely denied ("I only drink on two occasions -- when I'm thirsty and when I'm not."). Still, behind his willingness to play the comic buffoon for his audience was the ability to capture the essence of the human experience. One such insight was in describing the Irish word "uaigneas."
In Irish, this word is an adjective, meaning loneliness. And to give it the shade of meaning an Irishman would give it, the word comes from the Irish word for a grave (uaigh). Would you like to say the word out loud? Depending on the region of the country, it's either pronounced "oo-ig-nas," or "oo-ig-nach" (the "ch" like that in Scottish "loch.").
Anyway, Brendan Behan wrote his version of a Haiku on "uaigneas." Since he'd rather it be displayed in both English and Irish, I will do it here as well. Here it is:

Blas smeara dubh'

treis baisteach

ar bharr an tsleibhe

I dtost an phriosuin

Feadaoil fhuar na traenach

Cogar gaire beirt leannan

don aonaran.

=========================================

The taste of blackberries

After rain

on top of the hill.

In the silence of the prison

The cold (sharp) whistle of the train.

The laughing whispers of two lovers

To the lonely.

=========================================

What else could I say to that? Let the images sink in and I think you'll see what I mean. Anyway, I challenge you to find equally starking illustrations.
Behan died at age 41. It was reported that the route to his final resting place was lined with thousands of people, people who probably felt his words sink in too.

--Laura
(p.s. -- thanks to Micheal O Murchu for the etomology lesson)