Month: April 2025

It’s the last Thursday of the month, the traditional date for our Mug of the Month Competition. Five contestants with texts including the words SPARK and TANGLE will be vying to become the latest Mug champion. Good luck to all entrants!

The closing date for the next Mug of the Month Competition is earlier than usual: 10 May. The new key words are RING and SHOW. Entries as usual to annemurraypost@yahoo.ie.

Lightning by James Conway is a fierce and vivid poem capturing the primal drama of a storm at sea. With imagery that crackles and churns, Conway evokes a world caught between chaos and calm – where boatmen hover in suspense, waves obey unseen forces, and lightning reveals the storm’s hidden intent. Nature becomes both a stage and a warning, as we sense the hush before fury finds its voice.

The Journey I Cannot Name by Mary Hawkshaw invites us on an interior journey that slips ‘between words, like mist through memory’. It charts moments rather than miles as she explores identity, inheritance and the porous border between an ageing mind and boundless imagination – a quest that starts in quiet uncertainty and blossoms into a vast, dream-like ‘mansion’ of insight, leaving us before an open doorway where wonder eclipses fear.

Reaching for the Moon and Stars by Anne Murray paints a celestial lullaby for newborn Luna and her shining sister Stella, as sun-kissed parents Dave and Jill reach past daylight’s warmth toward a sky where hope ‘soared on silent wings’. With tender images of moonbeam eyes and a family’s growing galaxy, Anne weaves a dream-bright hymn that celebrates love expanding beyond the night – a poem now set to music, ready to light up tonight’s double presentation.

Easter 2025 by Thomas McMahon blends zesty lemon crepes, palm-ash devotion and the bright song of a yellow finch into a light-hearted hymn to renewal. Thomas layers fluffy chicks, woolly lambs and cheeky chocolate ‘surgery’ with prayers for loved ones and golden daffodils – a joyful nod to the feast that follows Lent, inviting everyone to praise the Lord and, above all, ‘smile’.

Life with a Spark by Anne Murray celebrates half a century beside a quick-witted electrician whose bright hands power everything from appliances to family life. Anne charts laughter, setbacks and seven lively ‘sprongs’ as the couple move to their own rhythm – an affectionate portrait glowing with humour and hard-won resilience.

Pertinent Nest by James Conway is a lyrical meditation on joy, music, and the quiet power of nature. As a blackbird sings at dawn, its song captivates the world around it – free from structure, rich in emotion. Conway’s imagery transforms the street into a stage, the trees into listeners, and the morning into a moment of rebirth. This is poetry as celebration: tender, hopeful, and tuned to the rhythms of spring.

A Memorable Night by Josephine McCann tracks a frazzled letting agent who secures a rare evening of silk sheets, chilled champagne and solitary bliss. But a chance meeting with the magnetic Marco plants a flicker of unease that shadows her much-anticipated ‘night of self-pampering’, as Josephine entwines sensual detail with gathering tension – blurring comfort and peril in a tale where dream and danger might share the same key.

Oui, Oui by Deirdre Anne Gialamas sweeps us onto the Champs Élysées with a newly qualified nurse whose London credentials hardly prepare her for the perfumes, protocols and pitfalls of 1979 Paris. Deirdre drifts from chic daydreams to daunting duties –babysitting a champagne-loving socialite, dodging a rogue agency, and strugggling to order a simple baguette – in a witty, self-deprecating memoir that captures the sparkle and grit of saying ‘oui’ to adventure in the City of Light.

Once more, we can look forward to a memorable evening of scintillating texts from our creative and talented members!

Programme:

Competition Mug of the Month Five Entries

Poem The Journey I Cannot Name Mary Hawkshaw

Poem Lightening James Conway

Poem Pertinent Nest James Conway

Poem Life with a Spark Anne Murray

Poem Easter 2025 Thomas McMahon

Song Reaching for the Moon and Stars Anne Murray

Short Story A Memorable Night Josephine McCann

Short Story Oui, Oui Deirdre Anne Gialamas

With eight magnificent entries this evening, we can look forward to a stimulating and varied selection of works by our members. We’re particularly pleased to welcome back James Keogh after a long absence, with a chapter from his exciting novel set in Ireland in the early 1900s. While Mary Hodson caters for humour, the remaining entries display a strong poetic seam, whether in verse or in prose.

There will be no Write-On session on 24 April, when we take our traditional Easter Break on the Thursday after Easter Sunday. So, while Mug of the Month entries should have reached Anne Murray by Sunday, 20 April, the competition itself will take place a week later than usual. The key words to be included in your 50-word text are TANGLE and SPARK.

Welcome to Write-On’s Zoom Session on Thursday evening, sit back, relax and enjoy! These are our pieces for this evening:

Swing, Miss, Repeat by Mary Hodson
Maura and her friend Kate embark on their first golf lessons, armed with confusion, sarcasm, and a questionable understanding of the rules. As they hack, splash, and laugh their way through the course, what begins as a comedy of errors blossoms into unexpected joy. A delightful tale of friendship, humility, and finding your swing – eventually.

The Rise and Fall of Gertrude Wall by Deirdre Anne Gialamas
In this witty and satirical poem, society’s obsession with reinvention is laid bare through the tale of Gertrude Wall – transformed, renamed, and ultimately undone by the pressures to be someone else. With playful rhyme and biting humour, the piece explores identity, class, and the absurdities of social aspiration.

Lightning by James Conway is a fierce and vivid poem capturing the primal drama of a storm at sea. With imagery that crackles and churns, Conway evokes a world caught between chaos and calm – where boatmen hover in suspense, waves obey unseen forces, and lightning reveals the storm’s hidden intent. Nature becomes both a stage and a warning, as we sense the hush before fury finds its voice.

The Stained Collar – Chapter 1 by Seamus Keogh plunges us into the tense hush before a storm, where history and resistance smoulder just beneath the surface. Widow Mamo O’Connor commands her household and comrades with sharp wit and an iron will. As whispers of a ‘training’ in Merlin Woods stir memories of bloodshed and sacrifice, an old weapon is unearthed – one tied to the Easter Rising and stained with personal loss. Past and present collide in this opening chapter, where old ghosts wake and the next battle quietly begins.

Pertinent Nest by James Conway is a lyrical meditation on joy, music, and the quiet power of nature. As a blackbird sings at dawn, its song captivates the world around it – free from structure, rich in emotion. Conway’s imagery transforms the street into a stage, the trees into listeners, and the morning into a moment of rebirth. This is poetry as celebration: tender, hopeful, and tuned to the rhythms of spring.

The Birds Told Me by Deirdre Anne Gialamas is a tender, spiritual piece where the natural world becomes messenger and companion. As birds gather in quiet communion, their presence seems to offer answers to questions unspoken. With gentle reverence, Deirdre invites us to listen not just with ears but with soul – to sense meaning in wingbeats, breath, and the hush between calls. A poem of stillness, wonder, and quiet wisdom.

Persuasion by Anne McManus
A sharp and self-deprecating tale of one woman’s reluctant plunge into the world of alternative medicine – complete with Epsom salts, grapefruit, olive oil, and an unforgettable coffee enema. With wit and just the right dose of disbelief, the story charts the hilarious consequences of friendship, ageing, and the enduring power of peer pressure.

Breath by Anne McManus
A poignant and delicately layered poem capturing the tender moment between a parent and child – where a simple act, like blowing bubbles mirrors the deeper truth of letting go. With lyrical grace, the piece evokes both the wonder of beginnings and the quiet sorrow of inevitable separation.

Programme:

Poem The Rise and Fall of Gertrude Wall Deirdre Anne Gialamas

Poem Breath Anne McManus

Poem Lightening James Conway

Poem Pertinent Nest James Conway

Poem The Birds Told Me Deirdre Anne Gialamas

Short Story Swing, Miss, Repeat Mary Hodson

Short Story Persuasion Anne McManus

Short Story The Stained Collar, Chapter 1 Seamus Keogh

Almost There continues the story of Delia and her children on their emigration from Connemara to her sister’s home in Scotland in the late 19th century. The small group have now reached the last lap of their arduous journey. The narration brings us loving detail for emotions, scenery, and protagonists, painting a clear image of a complex situation in bygone times. The reader is left with hope for the future of Delia and her boys.

Swing, Miss, Repeat shows us Maura and her friend Kate on their first golf lesson, armed with confusion and a questionable understanding of the rules. As they hack, splash and laugh their way through the course, stretching the patience of their instructor to the limit, they eventually realise that what began in ignorance and chaos has evolved into an unexpected joy.

In Confidence. In this completely revised version of a story presented to the group some months ago, we meet a family during a car journey from Sligo to Ennis. The piece explores the private burden of Mae, a firecely independent woman concealing her illness, especially from her nosy daughter-in-law. With quiet restraint and emotional honesty, Mae strains to retain control over her narrative – even from those who love her most. The reader is left to judge how far consideration for others should impede on one’s own desire for privacy.

Persuasion provides a humorous and self-deprecating tale of one woman’s reluctant plunge into the world of alternative medicine – complete with Epsom salts, grapefruit, olive oil and an unforgettable coffee enema. With wit and just the right dose of disbelief, the story reveals the consequences of falling to persuasion, despite one’s own mature experience taught by common sense.

The Waiting Room. In a complete reversal of roles, the narrator listens to the doctor’s complaints about the problems in his family. Wavering between humour and sensitivity, the story captures the universality of family and its challenges, regardless of one’s standing or background.

The Rise and Fall of Gertrude Wall is a witty and satirical poem displaying society’s obsession with reinvention. Gertrude Wall becomes transformed, renamed, and ultimately undone by the pressure to be someone else. Wtih playful rhyme and biting humour, the piece explores identity, class, and the absurdities of social aspiration.

Breath is a poignant and delicately layered poem capturing the tender moment between a parent and child – where a simple act like blowing bubbles mirrors the deeper challenge of letting go. With lyrical grace, the piece evokes both the wonder of beginnings and the quiet sorrow of inevitable separation.

First is a moving tribute that explores the many ‘firsts’ shared between a mother and child. With warmth and gratitude, the poem traces the emotional landmarks of a lifelong relationship, gently reminding us how love teaches, repeats and shapes who we become.

Programme

Short Story Almost There Helena Clare

Short Story Swing, Miss, Repeat Mary Hodson

Short Story In Confidence Frank Fahy

Short Story Persuasion Anne McManus

Short Story The Waiting Room Anne McManus

Poem The Rise and Fall of Gertrude Wall Deirdre Anne Gialamas

Poem Breath Anne McManus

Poem First (for Elizabeth Hannon) Her Son

Adam and Eve’s Breeze by Póilín Brennan A gentle, lyrical reflection on the fragile beauty of new beginnings and timeless longing. With evocative language and quiet power, this poem captures the hush of an ancient garden moment, where innocence lingers like a breeze between memory and myth.  Choices by Anne McManus In this quiet, reflective story, two sisters reunite after Christmas—one anchored in a fast-paced urban world of schedules and designer kitchens, the other living freely and on her own terms. Through subtle contrasts and tender moments, the narrator is gently confronted with questions of purpose, simplicity, and what it truly means to choose your life.  The Rise and Fall of Gertrude Wall by Deirdre Anne Gialamas In this witty and satirical poem, society’s obsession with reinvention is laid bare through the tale of Gertrude Wall—transformed, renamed, and ultimately undone by the pressures to be someone else. With playful rhyme and biting humour, the piece explores identity, class, and the absurdities of social aspiration.  Music in Ballintubber Abbey by Anne McManusA meditative and lyrical poem that traces the arc from ancient plainchant to modern polyphony, uniting voices of all beliefs in a moment of transcendent harmony. Set against the spiritual stillness of Ballintubber Abbey, the poem captures music’s power to dissolve boundaries and lift the soul skyward.  Brenda’s Bliss by Deirdre Anne GialamasIn this daring and imaginative story, Brenda sheds her quiet, colourless workweek persona every Friday night. With meticulous ritual and surprising flair, she slips into a private world of power, indulgence, and unexpected passions—far removed from the eyes of colleagues or curious neighbours. A tale of liberation, secrecy, and the many selves we contain.  ‘Swing, Miss, Repeat’ by Mary HodsonMáura and her friend Kate embark on their first golf lessons, armed with confusion, sarcasm, and a questionable understanding of the rules. As they hack, splash, and laugh their way through the course, what begins as a comedy of errors blossoms into unexpected joy. A delightful tale of friendship, humility, and finding your swing—eventually.  Melting Pot: An Irish Odyssey by Tom Curtin In this vibrant and often hilarious extract, the author brings us deep into the heart of a student dance where literary wit, teenage awkwardness, and the swirling emotions of first love collide. Expect fast-paced dialogue, romantic misfires, and a sharp eye for human foibles—all told with charm, insight, and an irrepressible Irish voice. Tom’s reading promises an energetic blend of humour and nostalgia that will leave you eager for more.