Month: May 2025

Welcome to our last session of the current Write-On Year! What a wonderful journey it’s been, discovering a wealth of new stories, poems, songs and – a novelty – videos that celebrate our talented and dedicated members, both old, more recent and new. Besides the creativity, we can also revel in the mutual encouragement and friendship that powers our Thursday sessions and makes each meeting a special and delightful occasion.

Over the summer, Frank will be working on the Anthology 2026, showcasing the best of the past year’s offering. In the meantime, three months of summer ‘holidays’ will allow us to sap new energy and to think about and start on novel ideas, projects, stories, poems, songs for 2025/2026.

We’ll reconvene on Thursday, 28 August, and our AGM will be held on Thursday, 4 September. See you all then! In the meantime, enjoy this evening’s offerings!

In celebration of the upcoming publication of ‘Beyond the Mountain Foot Road’, a collection of stories and poems by Mary Hodson, we are presenting a small sample of her work. These selections – two stories and two poems – showcase her extraordinary and wondrous gift for capturing emotion, memory, and meaning in deceptively simple moments.

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.

Turning Point by Deirdre Anne Gialamas is set against the chilly backdrop of a 1960s convent school. This quietly humorous and richly textured piece captures a moment of youthful misinterpreatation and inner awakening. When a teacher announces an unexpected classroom task, the narrator’s imagination takes flight in one direction, only to be grounded by a far more earthly challenge.

The Years by James Conway is a tender, meditative poem that drifts between memory and presence. It reflects on love, shared landscapes, and the quiet beauty of enduring connection. With sea-light, windows, and wild grass as its touchstones, the piece evokes a relationship gently shaped by time and the natural world. Lyrical and intimate, it invites the reader to linger in moments both fleeting and timeless.

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. This poem is also being presented as a song!

Come Take my Hand by Bill Geoghegan is a heartfelt and patriotic anthem, calling for unity, truth, and compassion in the face of division. With simple, sincere lyrics and a recurring plea for justice and peace, it celebrates democratic values and the enduring spirit of community. Framed by a prayerful refrain, it is both a love song to a nation and a reminder of the work needed to keep it whole.

Programme

Mug of the Month Five Members Competition

A Single Tear Mary Hawkshaw Video

Pertinent Nest James Conway Poem

The Years James Conway Poem

Life with a Spark Anne Murray Poem/Song

A Selection of Poems Mary Hodson Poems

Turning Point Deirdre Anne Gialamas Story

A Selection of Short Stories Mary Hodson Stories

Come Take my Hand Bill Geoghegan Song

Building up to the end of our season, our submissions list is bulging. Let’s see how many of the following exciting, moving and inspiring items we can cover this session! Have an enjoyable meeting!

Child’s Play by Póilín Brennan is a tender and reflective poem capturing a fleeting, bittersweet moment of watching children at play. While young friends tumble onto the green, lost in stick wars and carefree joy, the poet – quietly bearing private sorrow – observes from a distance, caught between absence and presence. Gentle, poignant, and deeply human, this piece honours both the healing power of play and the quiet strength it offers to those who watch from the edges. This poem has also been turned into an evocative, inspiring song with the help of AI.

The Ship by Joyce Butcher is a gripping story that begins as a long-awaited river cruise through Eastern Europe but quickly unravels into something far more sinister. When the narrator and her husband awaken to find themselves alone on a moving cruise ship, a surreal and unsettling journey begins. With no crew, no passengers, and no way to steer the vessel, they face rising panic, disappearing options, and a harrowing mystery that builds toward a dramatic and unexpected conclusion.

The Invitation by Mary Hodson is a gentle and nostalgic story abut the enduring bond between a grandfather and his grandson. When a simple phone call leads to a spontaneous fishing trip, Granda finds himself revisiting the joys of past adventures while preparing for a new one. Amid the humour of misplaced gear and mischievous mice, the story unfolds as a heartwarming celebration of shared memories, quiet companionship and the timeless magic of a day spent by the water.

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.

Jessica (revised) by Anne McManus is a tender, perceptive short story about love, family and the quiet burdens carried between generations. Narrated by Kate, a devoted aunt, the piece begins light-heartedly with a reluctant shopping trip to find a dress for Jessica’s upcoming wedding. Beneath the easy rapport, however, deeper worries surface. Jessica, who lost a leg in an accident, confides fears that her fiancé Robert may be motivated more by guilt than love. Kate offers warmth, wisdom, and gentle encouragement but is painfully aware of the limits of her role. Subtle and compassionate, this story explores what is voiced, what remains unspoken, and the quiet courage it takes to face an uncertain future.

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. This poem is also being presented as a song!

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.

Whistle Call by Deirdre Anne Gialamas captures a child’s innocent yearning and vivid imagination on a cold winter morning. Young Clara, frail but full of anticipation, peers out at the snowy landscape awaiting the arrival of local women on their silent march to Mandensbury and the Big Factory. In their white attire, to her they appear angelic, and she dreams of the day when she, too, will wear their attire with pride. Her reverie is broken by the harsh call of daily chores and school. This story tenderly explorees childhood aspirations set against the stark realitiesof rural life.

Programme:

Child’s Play Póilín Brennan Video

The Ship Joyce Butcher Story

The Invitation Mary Hodson Story

Lightening James Conway Poem

The Journey I cannot Name Mary Hawkshaw Poem

Jessica (Revised) Anne McManus Story

Easter 2025 by Tom McMahon Poem

Life with a Spark Anne Murray Poem

Pertinent Nest James Conway Poem

Whistle Call Deirdre Anne Gialamas Story

While Frank is on holiday, we’re delighted to have Mary Hodson as moderator on Thursday.

With a long list of items, be prepared for surprises – with only four exceptions, you are receiving no preparatory information about the contents of most of the presentations! However, rest assured that the high standard we’ve grown accustomed to from our contributors will ensure an entertaining and stimulating evening!

Child’s Play by Póilín Brennan is a tender and reflective poem capturing a fleeting, bittersweet moment of watching children at play. While young friends tumble onto the green, lost in stick wars and carefree joy, the poet – quietly bearing private sorrow – observes from a distance, caught between absence and presence. Gentle, poignant, and deeply human, this piece honours both the healing power of play and the quiet strength it offers to those who watch from the edges. This poem has also been turned into an evocative, inspiring song with the help of AI.

Coop by Deirdre Anne Gialamas is a sharp, darkly witty story of strained domestic life and simmering frustration. John, overlooked at work and mercilessly nagged at home, clings to routine and quiet endurance. Yet beneath the surface, something is shifting. As years of resentment begin to stir, the balance between submission and rebelling start to tilt. Both blackly humorous and painfully astute, this portrait of a marriage teeters deliciously between the tragic and the absurd.

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.

And nine further items !!

Programme:

Charlotte Bronte – A Medical Casebook Dr Michael O’Dowd

The Road to Where Josephine McCann

Come Take my Hand Bill Geoghegan

Coop Deirdre Anne Gialamas Short Story

Child’s Play Póilín Brennan Poem

Child’s Play Póilín Brennan Video

Life with a Spark Anne Murray Poem

Writer’s Block Deirdre Anne Gialamas

Almost There Helena Clare

The Invitation Mary Hodson

You Are Mary Hodson

I’m Finding it Hard to Explain Why Mary Hawkshaw

The Ship Joyce Butcher

Our writing year is gradually drawing to a close, which is reflected in this evening’s programme as contributors vie to have their works presented before the end of the season. And what a strong list of items it is!

This May, 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 – two words which offer multiple possibilites for challenging the imagination! We expect a close contest to round off the literary year! Entries as usual to: annemurraypost@yahoo.ie.

These are tonight’s items:

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.

Ode to Garlic by Judith Davitt Geoghegan is a witty and affectionate tribute to one of cookings’s most divisive heroes. Mixing playful humour with a touch of reverence, the poem celebrates garlic’s paradoxical power: banishing colds, fending off vampires, transforming bland dishes, while perhaps dooming romantic moments. Judith’s ode reminds us that in garlic’s unmistakable aroma lies both joy and health, proving that sometimes the boldest flavour bring the richest rewards.

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.

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.

Child’s Play by Póilín Brennan is a tender and reflective poem capturing a fleeting, bittersweet moment of watching children at play. While young friends tumble onto the green, lost in stick wars and carefree joy, the poet – quietly bearing private sorrow – observes from a distance, caught between absence and presence. Gentle, poignant, and deeply human, this piece honours both the healing power of play and the quiet strength it offers to those who watch from the edges.

Jessica by Anne McManus is a tender, perceptive short story about love, family and the quiet burdens carried between generations. Narrated by Kate, a devoted aunt, the piece begins light-heartedly with a reluctant shopping trip to find a dress for Jessica’s upcoming wedding. Beneath the easy rapport, however, deeper worries surface. Jessica, who lost a leg in an accident, confides fears that her fiancé Robert may be motivated more by guilt than love. Kate offers warmth, wisdom, and gentle encouragement but is painfully aware of the limits of her role. Subtle and compassionate, this story explores what is voiced, what remains unspoken, and the quiet courage it takes to face an uncertain future.

Coop by Deirdre Anne Gialamas is a sharp, darkly witty story of strained domestic life and simmering frustration. John, overlooked at work and mercilessly nagged at home, clings to routine and quiet endurance. Yet beneath the surface, something is shifting. As years of resentment begin to stir, the balance between submission and rebelling start to tilt. Both blackly humorous and painfully astute, this portrait of a marriage teeters deliciously between the tragic and the absurd.

Whistle Call by Deirdre Anne Gialamas captures a child’s innocent yearning and vivid imagination on a cold winter morning. Young Clara, frail but full of anticipation, peers out at the snowy landscape awaiting the arrival of local women on their silent march to the Big Factory. To her, they appear almost angelic in their crisp white uniforms, a vision of adult life she longs to join. Dreaming of the day she too will wear their attire with pride, Clara’s reverie is broken by the harsh call of daily chores and school. Poignant and delicately drawn, this story tenderly explores childhood aspirations set against the stark realities of rural life.

Baile Beyond by Deirdre Anne Gialamas (writing as Ludditeyanne) is a playful and nostalgic letter celebrating the tactile joys of writing on paper in a digital world. Brimming with humour and personal confession, the nartator reflects on a lifelong bond with pen, paper, and the quirks of old habits – offering warmth, wit, and a fond glimpse of a personality both defiant and endearing. Light yet tender, this charming missive speaks to the comfort of simple pleasures and the quiet rebellion of staying true to oneself.

Programme:

Poem Lightening James Conway

Poem The Journey I Cannot Name Mary Hawkshaw

Poem Ode to Garlic Judith Davitt Geoghegan

Poem Pertinent Nest James Conway

Poem Easter 2025 Thomas McMahon

Poem Life with a Spark Anne Murray

Poem Child’s Play Póilín Brennanary Hawkshaw

Short Story Jessica Anne McManus

Short Story Circled Deirdre Anne Gialamas

Short Story Coop Deirdre Anne Gialamas

Short Story Whistle Call Deirdre Anne Gialamas

Short Story 3 Baile Beyond Deirdre Anne Gialamas