THE KILKENNY INVOLVEMENT CENTRE AND RECOVERY COLLEGE SOUTH EAST HAVE PRODUCED A WONDERFUL ANTHOLOGY OF POETRY AND PROSE. ‘WHITE TWINE AND OLD SUITCASES’ COMPRISES OF 128 PAGES AND 60 AUTHORS AND IS COMPLEMENTED BY SOME WONDERFUL PHOTOS AND ARTWORK BY TASK CAMERA CLUB. IT IS PRINTED BY MODERN PRINTERS. IT IS DEFINITELY RECOMMENDED READING FOR ALL LOVERS OF POETRY. THE KILKENNY OBSERVER IS HAPPY TO RUN THE POEMS EACH WEEK TO PROMOTE CREATIVE WRITING AND TO HIGHLIGHT THESE WONDERFUL CENTRES. AVAILABLE IN ALL KILKENNY BOOK SHOPS. €10
Our Shaking World
I’m shackled to the Earth.
My hands and feet are bound by ropes of steel,
And though they are chained, my hands shake along with my heart and the world that surrounds me.
Why must my world shake?
The words on the page all jumble up before being melted away by the tears from which I shed, plummeting, upon the pages.
Summer days saddened with grief for my beautiful Earth, dying but not yet dead.
With screams that sound like song, and tears that fill oceans.
Why must my world shake?
A cloak of shame and guilt drapes over the shell of my grieving soul, as I fall to my knees with what seems to be the weight of the world laid upon my shoulders,
As I too am an accomplice to this heinous crime.
My one question I ask repeatedly with no answer, is it so bad that I should fear the truth?
I ask again.
Why must the world in which I walk through life on shake?
Ciara Kilkenny
Mo Chuan
Cuan na mara,
Mo chuan,
Cuan na clamháin,
Cuan cloigíní na gCaisearbháin,
Féileacáin lá ‘s oíche ann
tearmainn ‘s mé i sáinn.
Mileanna gabhair
Mo mheabhair a chruinniú,
Aon ní gur fiú a lua
is tú mo chuan,
Cuan na mara,
Mo chuan.
Tá dóchas ann,
Tá tú ann i mo theannta,
Thug tú
Thuig tú
‘s tá tuiscint agat fós,
Ar chroí-lár m’anaim ‘s ábhar m’áthais,
An spéir breac le néalta cois abhainn ag pógadh,
Cuimhní aoibhe,
I dtús m’oige i measc baois m’óige ag stánadh ar do ghleoiteacht,
Ba bheag seans a bhí agam leat nuair a chonaic mé thú ag teacht,
An caoi gur shiúil tú gur bhog tú chugam,
‘s me ag seasamh ann go lochtach,
Mála scoile ar mo dhroim,
Ag fanacht ar shíob dtín tigh bheag tuaithe tuathalach,
Thosaigh an scéal scór bhliain ó shin,
i gcúinne club oíche.
Nach bhfuil an tádh orm?
Ben Mac Caoilte
Céad Slán is Buíochas
Ár mbuíochas ó chroí le gaiscíoch na fuinseoige
Thuill clú agus cáil ó laethanta a óige,
Iománaí sciliúil téagartha cróga
Diongbhálta calma in éide Dhubh is Ómra.
Thar insint scéil a ghaiscí bhainisteora,
Fathach Fir a stiúraigh le neart ár Ré Órga,
Coirn, Craobhacha is gradam gan teora,
Fad Saoil chugat! ár laoch cois Feoire,
Gach Beannacht is Rath ort a Bhriain Mhic Óda!
Seán Mac Coisdealbha
