Poetry Day Ireland 2020

It has been a privilege to read from The Holding Cell on Poetry Day in Ireland, 30th April 2020, which was dedicated to Eavan Boland who died on Monday of this week.

I share my reading and as the day comes to a close I think of Dr Abdullah al-Hamid, who sadly died in prison last Friday, and all those who have been silenced. Maria McManus and others have facilitated writers writing to those who are not free to write their own words @WingsLetters

The organisers are: Viviana Fiorentino (Italy), Maria McManus (Northern Ireland), Nandi Jola (South Africa), Csilla Toldy (Hungary).

If you would like to participate, go to these Facebook and Twitter links.My small poem for Dr Abdullah al-Hamid is posted here on Twitter

Listen

Thanks to Joy Redmond, Liz Quirke, Niall McArdle and Ruth McKee for setting up the Pendemic Online Journal where my poem 'Listen' is published.

Lullaby from the Woods - Poetry and the Pandemic

The poem below is in response to a poetry prompt for a 'lullaby' from the poet in residence at Poetry Ireland, Catherine Ann Cullen.  I went for a walk in our local forest and composed the poem orally and recorded it as I 'wrote' it.   This process was a first for me.  I hope you and your babies like it.

I would love to hear from anyone who reads or plays it to their baby or a person of any age.





Lullaby from the Woods

To the woods today 

I walked, and talked
to the birds and the bees
the rabbits and fox
and when I had stopped talking
I stood and listened



to the wind                  through the trees



and the birds               and the birds                and the birds



and the wind carried me home                    to sleep               to sleep              to sleep.