Day: March 26, 2025

Our session this week will open with the popular Mug of the Month Competition. Members have submitted a text of maximum 50 words, including the given key words ECHO and HAVEN. After the presentation, members can vote for their favourite entry on their smartphones – the winner will be the proud holder of the Mug for the following four weeks. This time we have seven entries, and with the usual high standard, deciding who to select will not come easily!

Metamorphosis by Póilín Brennan is a poetic tribute to our Write-On Group, illustrating the transformative journey of creativity and community. Rich in symbolism and elemental imagery, the poem charts the process of artistic growth – from uncertainty and silence to expression, voice, and connection. Each stanza reflects a step in this evolution, much like a chrysalis unfolding into flight.

Brian’s Bank Balance by Anne Murray is a sharp and witty tale set in the world of banking – both financial and emotional. Brian is a creature of habit and caution, closely guarding his finances and living a life of routine. But one seemingly innocuous visit to the bank throws his predictable world into delightful disarray. The author explores how a single moment can shift one’s perspective on security, generosity and even the meaning of wealth itself.

The Day the Sea Turned Black by Anne Murray is a hauntingly poetic reflection on an environmental tragedy witnessed through the eyes of a child. Set against the backdrop of a once-vibrant seashore, the piece captures a moment when the familiar beauty of nature is marred by a creeping darkness, both literal and symbolic. Anne’s evocative language and deeply visual imagery draw the reader into a world where nature speaks in silence, and the consequences of human carelessness ripple across generations.Hair Today – Gone Tomorrow Deirdre Anne Gialamas

Hair Today – Gone Tomorrow by Deirdre Anne Gialamas is a witty, sharply observed tale that captures the social pressures and self-consciousness of adolescence through the lens of a simple haircut. When school picture day arrives, our young narrator is suddenly burdened with a disastrous fringe that triggers a cascade of self-doubt, internal drama, and desperate attempts to regain control over a rapidly unravelling situation. With humour and heart, the story explores themes of identity, image, and the quiet heroism it takes to face public scrutiny in the schoolyard.

Adam and Eve’s Breeze by Póilín Brennan is a lyrical and mystical meditation on land, memory, and ancestral wisdom. Set among the stone figures known as Adam and Eve in Saggart, the poem follows a mother and her children as they engage in a quiet, sacred ritual – asking permission from the land, offering water and gold, and listening to the whispers of wind and stone. Through rich imagery and Irish-language phrases, the poem evokes themes of spiritual connection, balance between the masculine and feminine, and the subtle power of intention. Myth, magic, and maternal love are woven into a timeless moment of reverence and joy.

Our discussion theme this evening encourages members to present a work that has a special meaning for them. The outcome of such moments is often a reverberation of similar feelings and the recalling of further evocative texts. In such discussions, the true feeling of community within our group finds its ideal manifestation.

This Thursday, you can expect a selection of absorbing new texts, the agony of having to decide who to vote for in a list of equally excellent offerings, and the revelations generated by the discussion of works chosen for their personal meaning in the life of the presenter.

Look forward to yet another varied, unusual and inspiring session on Write-On!

Programme

Competition Mug of the Month 7 Entries

Poem Metamorphosis Poilin Brennan

Poem The Day the Sea Turned Black Anne Murray

Poem Adam and Eve’s Breeze Póilín Brennan

Short Story Brian’s Bank Balance Anne Murray

Short Story Hair Today – Gone Tomorrow Deirdre Anne Gialamas

Discussion Can you present a favourite or interesting story for discussion? All Members

Discussion Latest developments in the world of AI All Members