Congratulations to Michael Laskey, who's won the King's Gold Medal for Poetry. Here's a link to the essay I wrote on his work for The Friday Poem...
thefridaypoem.com/michael-lask...
"No one puts their children in a boat unless the water is safer than the land
Remember that this is what the European Parliament, including the Fine Gael MEP’s, voted for. Horrible. Just horrible.
"The force that drives...out onto the waves,
must be stronger than the sickening worry in the pit of the mothers’ stomach,
as she places a toddler between her knees in the bilge,
the golden glow of Europe delivered via satellite,
must cloud again the eyes..."
paperneverrefusedink.com/2017/12/06/5...
Landed in the post today @stuhennigan.bsky.social
Really looking forward to this!
Thank you.
There are no less than 11 Herons in this photo. That's a record in the one spot (for me anyways!)
👏
Happy Birthday!
Not a care in the world with them.
Hope your having a wonderful Christmas break Bill.
👏 Happy Christmas.
I was out tonight with the dog. Its a fine a night as you could ask to follow Christmas Day, the clouds are flittering under a bright waxing crescent moon. I remembered the moon on old cranes and sleeping ships of the dockyard.
paperneverrefusedink.com/2018/08/24/t...
Under the tree today on the Great Island @dedalusdenaries.bsky.social
You get an honourable mention! Looking forward to Late Heaney!
So many wonderful poems fit for the Christmas season, when those that wander come home. He'd appreciate the crisp night we're having under a bright waxing crescent.
Snap!
I always watch it again on Christmas Eve!
Happy Christmas to you and yours @gavreilly.com
Thank you
Happy Christmas!
I have the great pleasure to say that this will be my first Christmas as Regional Technical Lead for the Ireland Region of the RNLI To all my friends and family may you have a very Happy Christmas and a peaceful New Year. As we close out 2025, a year of significant change, I have…
Excellent use of alt text
Comhghairdeas. Best wishes for your new home.
I could not agree with you more.
My own thoughts this morning are a mirror of yours.
A good day for hope across the sea, let's hope it spreads.
"There's a crack in everything that's how the light gets in."
It's the hope that kills you Philip. And also it's the engine that keeps is all going.
Heaney is always appropriate at times like this.
"History says, don’t hope
On this side of the grave.
But then, once in a lifetime
The longed-for tidal wave
Of justice can rise up,
And hope and history rhyme."
How fantastic! Thank you so very much. Delighted to see you launch day arrive.
Hi Susan, please pardon me. I didn't get that and I've been off here a few days. Please DM or Whatsapp as I'm not certain which email address you may have sent to. Looking forward to speaking with you.
Thank you very much Paul. Likewise. What a great gathering. Such fine poet to be in company with.
Matt
@matthewmcsmith.bsky.social
kindly asked if i'd reshare these here as well.
It means so much when you read a poem and find that it has been remembered after several years.
Thank you Matt and Black Bough!
Diolch yn fawr iawn!
You can find the full downloads and much more here:
www.blackboughpoetry.com/publications
I got to read these two poems as kindly published in
@blackboughpoems
Issue 2 'Lux Aeterna' & 3 'yolk'.
paperneverrefusedink.com/2020/09/26/b...
Thank you to
@blackboughpoetry.bsky.social
&
@matthewmcsmith.bsky.social
for a wonderful evening of poetry this evening.
What a treat to listen to @saraswatinagpal.bsky.social
incredible reading of her amazing poems.
www.blackboughpoetry.com/louise-mache...
thank you.
"...seized my
remnant life in a miracle
of decision between white-
collar hands and shook it
like a cheap watch in
my ear and threw it down
beside me on the earth floor
and rose to my feet."
