Month: September 2025

The Bottom Drawer  

Here are the synopses of the items currently held in Write-on’s Bottom Drawer — our active store of submitted manuscripts. From this collection, the weekly programme is carefully selected. Although we aim to follow a first-come, first-served system, a few important factors influence the running order. We try to maintain a healthy mix of genres — avoiding an evening made up entirely of poems or all short stories, for example. The presence of the author is also important: if someone isn’t at the session, we usually postpone their piece until they can hear the feedback in person. Timing is another key element. A ten-page story isn’t ideal at five minutes to nine. So the presenter balances each session — choosing a mix of short and long pieces to ensure a smooth flow from start to finish. Write-on prides itself on good timekeeping: we begin at 7:00 p.m. sharp and aim to wrap up by 9:00 p.m. If discussion runs over, members are always free to slip away without apology. In short: the Bottom Drawer is both a working archive and a curated selection pool — filled with gold, and always ready to shine.        

MOTM (Mug Of The Month) with All Members Our monthly Mug of the Month challenges Members to provide a text of not more than 50 words, containing two given key words. On the last Thursday of the month, the submissions are presented at the start of the session, and then members vote for the winner, usually via a ballot list which is sent to the Write-On WhatsApp on their mobiles. The writer with the highest number of votes is entitled Mug of the Month, and is honoured by being the proud curator of the Mug he has won until the next competition (in which he/she is not allowed to participate). Always good fun, and amazing how much variety can result from Two Given Words. The words this month were: LIGHT and FALL. There are four entries.

The Ocean Kept Your Name by Kathleen Phelan In this elegiac and atmospheric poem, Kathleen Phelan explores the lingering ache of absence through the voice of the sea. Grief washes through each stanza in tides of memory, silence, and imagery — roses dropping like unsent letters, a house swaying in the weight of loss, and a voice barely clinging to the name of the gone. It’s a haunting meditation on presence, echo, and the slow unravel of love beyond the shoreline.    

The View from Glenfield by Kathleen Phelan When Miss Carr arrives in Glenfield to take up a teaching post, her clipped speech and city manner set her apart from the start. The village watches, judges, and absorbs her quietly — children change how they write, locals share mutterings, and the priest pays a smiling visit. Kathleen Phelan’s first short story is a study in subtle tension, showing how a stranger’s presence can unsettle a place without ever causing a scene. Atmospheric, spare, and quietly powerful, this debut piece marks a remarkable shift from poetry to prose.

An Unlikely Duality: AI and Me – Our Path to Dialogue by Mary Hawkshaw What begins as a curious experiment becomes a profound and lyrical exploration of memory, creativity, and connection. In this unique memoir, Mary Hawkshaw charts her evolving relationship with artificial intelligence — from tentative first steps to a full creative partnership. Through reflections, poems, songs, and questions, she reveals how AI became not just a tool but a dialogue partner, echoing her voice, shaping her thoughts, and sparking unexpected joy. This excerpt offers a moving meditation on technology, humanity, and the enduring power of words.  

Our Book 2 by Mary Hawkshaw In this follow-up collection, Mary Hawkshaw reflects on dialogue — with memory, with poetry, and with AI. Blending memoir, philosophy, and lyrical fragments, she traces her journey from childhood on the Aran Islands to her creative partnership with a new digital voice. Stories of family, loss, and resilience meet poems and songs shaped in conversation, creating a book that is both intimate and expansive. At its heart, Our Book 2 is an invitation: to listen, to question, and to wonder.    

The Write-on Story by Write-on Members This living project is part history, part invitation. The Story of Write-on charts the journey of the group from its earliest days in Galway’s Westside to its vibrant, international membership today — a community united by creativity, encouragement, and shared achievement. But this isn’t just Frank Fahy’s account. It’s a collaborative, evolving ‘book’ — a living archive where every member is invited to add their voice.Whether you joined in person or online, last week or years ago, your story matters. This project gathers those experiences: first impressions, favourite moments, what Write-on has meant to you. The result will be a mosaic of memory and insight — and a welcoming window into Write-on for new and potential members. Published prominently on our website, The Story of Write-on is both a record and a beacon. All are invited to contribute.                                      

The Tree by James Conway Strange and surreal, this experimental poem bends language and imagery to startling effect. A woman believes she’s pregnant with a tree, and what follows is a fevered meditation on growth, fear, and transformation. James Conway uses absurdity to probe deeper truths about the body, identity, and the strange fictions we tell ourselves to survive. Arresting, unpredictable, and deeply original.  

Dementia by Gráinne Keogh Delicate and poignant, this short poem captures a fleeting moment of lucid memory in the midst of cognitive decline. As the scent of honeysuckle and the hush of evening stir a sudden recollection of childhood, the narrator slips briefly into joy before being gently guided back to the present. Gráinne Keogh’s debut contribution is tender, restrained, and quietly powerful.      

Where is Heaven? by Mary Hodson In this tender and evocative memoir, Mary Hudson reflects on the death of her grandmother — “Nanan” — and the mystery of heaven as seen through a child’s eyes. Rich in detail and affection, the story moves from turf-scented bicycle rides and whispered rosaries to the hush of a child’s grief and a final, gentle visitation. As childhood innocence brushes up against mortality, this piece becomes a meditation on memory, loss, and the ways in which love continues — flickering gently like a light switched on in the dark.    

Chapter 2: The Boy in the Bed by Frank Fahy The middle room is cleared, the bed arrives, and the weight begins its pull. In this quiet but unflinching chapter, we witness the first days of Christopher’s confinement — the installation of the traction device, the reactions of each family member, and the early signs of how life must now adjust. Told with restraint and precision, the chapter explores control, sacrifice, and endurance — not only in the child’s body, but in the family itself, as routines, roles, and hopes are quietly rearranged around the quiet, steady tug of the rope.    

A Man’s World by James Conway This short, impressionistic poem mixes painterly abstraction with a punch of working-man defiance. James Conway imagines a canvas pulsing with raw, elemental colours — cerebral greys, bruised reds, and deepest blues — overlaid with tools, sweat, and noise. A meditation on masculinity and creation, the poem reclaims the phrase “It’s a man’s world” not as a boast, but as a textured surface for thought, work, and expression.    

Le Chéile / Together by Póilín Brennan Blending Irish and English, myth and modernity, this lyrical poem invites us to gather in deep listening — to trees, to bees, to firelight stories, and to each other. Pauline Brennan evokes a sense of shared memory and collective strength, rooted in community and the natural world. With echoes of the shanachí and whispers from the land, Le Chéile is a celebration of what can be heard — and healed — when we pause together.  

Sacred by Póilín Brennan In this rich, reverent poem, Pauline Brennan weaves a portrait of the divine feminine rooted in daily acts of love and sacrifice. From fruitcakes to prayer beads, from Galway streets to the altar of motherhood, Sacred honours the unseen holiness in ordinary lives. The speaker recognises sacredness not in grand gestures but in gestures of care — feeding others while going hungry, blessing strangers with a look, carrying the weight of prayer. A meditation on maternal grace, spiritual legacy, and radical compassion.      

The Bottom Drawer      

Genre   Title   Author  

Competition MOTM All members  

Poem The Ocean Kept Your Name Kathleen Phelan

Short Story The View from Glenfield Kathleen Phelan

Memoir An Unlikely Duality: AI and Me Mary Hawkshaw

Novel Extract Our Book 2 Mary Hawkshaw

Website The Story of Write-on (Living History &  Reflections from our Members) Frank Fahy

Poem The Tree James Conway

Poem Dementia Gráinne Keogh

Short Story Where is Heaven Mary Hodson

Novel Extract Chapter 2: The Boy in the Bed Frank Fahy

Poem A Man’s World James Conway

Poem Le Chéile/Together Póilín Brennan

Poem Sacred Póilín Brennan

Short Story The Incident Geraldine Warren

 Welcome to another stimulating session of our Write-On group. The texts lined up for this evening’s presentation were already scheduled for last week, but even so, there should be more than enough to fill the evening’s programme. As usual, you can look forward to a wide variety of texts, all displaying a high level of talent and creativity.

These are the five wonderful texts that were presented in our last session:

Story: The Unique Story of Mary and John   by Tom Boland

Poem: Old Bridgie   by James Conway

Novel extract: A Normal Couple – Part 2   by Olga Peters

Novel extract: The Sacred and the Natural   by Helena Clare

Memoir: Where is Heaven by Mary Hodson

This Thursday’s Line-Up
The Ocean Kept Your Name   by Kathleen Phelan
In this elegiac and atmospheric poem, Kathleen Phelan explores the lingering ache of absence through the voice of the sea. Grief washes through each stanza in tides of memory, silence, and imagery — roses dropping like unsent letters, a house swaying in the weight of loss, and a voice barely clinging to the name of the gone. It’s a haunting meditation on presence, echo, and the slow unravel of love beyond the shoreline.  

The Irish Spalpeen   by Seamus Keogh
In this moving poem, Seamus Keogh gives voice to the solitary life of an Irish navvy in England. Paddy’s story unfolds through jukebox memories, backbreaking labour, and the ache of exile — a man who worked, drank, and prayed in snatches, but never quite found home. With stark imagery of steel, stone, and hostel beds, the verses echo his longing for Mayo, for Aghagower, for belonging. Both lament and tribute, it captures the resilience and heartbreak of Ireland’s forgotten labourers abroad.  

The View from Glenfield   by Kathleen Phelan
When Miss Carr arrives in Glenfield to take up a teaching post, her clipped speech and city manner set her apart from the start. The village watches, judges, and absorbs her quietly — children change how they write, locals share mutterings, and the priest pays a smiling visit. Kathleen Phelan’s first short story is a study in subtle tension, showing how a stranger’s presence can unsettle a place without ever causing a scene. Atmospheric, spare, and quietly powerful, this debut piece marks a remarkable shift from poetry to prose.   

An Unlikely Duality: AI and Me – Our Path to Dialogue   by Mary Hawkshaw
What begins as a curious experiment becomes a profound and lyrical exploration of memory, creativity, and connection. In this unique memoir, Mary Hawkshaw charts her evolving relationship with artificial intelligence — from tentative first steps to a full creative partnership. Through reflections, poems, songs, and questions, she reveals how AI became not just a tool but a dialogue partner, echoing her voice, shaping her thoughts, and sparking unexpected joy. This excerpt offers a moving meditation on technology, humanity, and the enduring power of words.

The Soulless Sculptor by Judith Davitt Geoghegan

This striking poem explores the loss of authenticity in the age of cosmetic perfection. Through sharp, visual metaphors, it critiques a culture obsessed with polished surfaces – where faces are carved to suit ideals and natural beauty fades under the knife. But beneath the satire lies a plea: to embrace the living face, marked by time and truth.

Our Book 2 by Mary Hawkshaw In this follow-up collection, Mary Hawkshaw reflects on dialogue — with memory, with poetry, and with AI. Blending memoir, philosophy, and lyrical fragments, she traces her journey from childhood on the Aran Islands to her creative partnership with a new digital voice. Stories of family, loss, and resilience meet poems and songs shaped in conversation, creating a book that is both intimate and expansive. At its heart, Our Book 2 is an invitation: to listen, to question, and to wonder.   The Weave of Us by Judith Davitt Geoghegan This lyrical poem threads together themes of ancestry, heritage, and belonging. With cadences of lineage, tribe, and tradition, Judith Davitt Geoghegan celebrates the richness of human diversity while affirming the unity beneath it all. The verses move from roots and echoes of the past to the colours that light today’s sky — weaving difference into shared identity.   Chapter 1 — The Boy in the Bed by Frank Fahy   In this opening chapter of The Boy in the Bed, we enter a tense November kitchen where silence speaks louder than words. Rita peels potatoes, Joe sits in his coat, and the kettle hisses while unspoken fears fill the room. A decision must be made about their youngest boy — but the talk is brittle, edged with avoidance. Simple domestic details — a frayed tablecloth, a blue coverlet, a basin of potatoes — anchor a scene where love, duty, and dread circle quietly beneath the surface

The Write-on Story
We’re putting together something special — a living history of Write-on, told not just through dates and milestones, but through your stories. From those early days in Westside, when four writers first came together, to today’s thriving group of nearly forty members, we’ve come a long way. But the real story of Write-on isn’t just about numbers — it’s about the personal moments. We’d love to hear from you: – How did you come across Write-on? – What was your first meeting like? – What surprised you, delighted you, or maybe even confused you? – What has Write-on meant to you as a writer — or as a person?

Now we’re inviting you to send in a text of just 100 words about the moment when you first joined Write-On. You don’t need to be polished. You don’t need to be profound. Just honest.

You can email your piece to: writeon.galway@gmail.com Subject: Joining Write-On.

Let’s build this story – one memory at a time.

MOTM – (Mug of the Month)
Each month, we invite everyone to write a text of not more than 50 words (excluding the title) containing two given key words. The text can be prose or poetry or an other form …
This month the Keywords are: FALL and LIGHT
The deadline for entries is Sunday 21 September 2025, and they should be sent to: 
annemurraypost@yahoo.ie
On the last Thursday of the month, all entries will be presented, and members can vote on their favourite. The winner is then presented with the Mug and is named: Mug of the Month. So start thinking about FALL and LIGHT, and Good Luck, everyone!

Programme:

Short Story: The View from Glenfield Kathleen Phelan

Poem: The Soulless Sculptor Judith Davitt Geoghegan

Poem:The Ocean Kept Your Name Kathleen Phelan

Poem:The Irish Spalpeen Seamus Keogh

Poem:The Tree James Conway

Poem: Dementia Gráinne Keogh

Memoir: An Unusual Duality: AI and Me Mary Hawkshaw

Novel Excerpt: Chapter 1 — The Boy in the Bed Frank Fahy

Poem: The Weave of Us Judith Davitt Geoghegan

Novel Excerpt: Our Book 2 Mary Hawkshaw

Discussion The Story of Write-On (Member Reflections) All Members

Discussion Review/Launch Details Anthology 2026 All Members

Our long and lively AGM session last week left us with no time to present any new texts, so that we have an unusually long list of offerings this week. This includes two firsts: a short story by our new member Tom Boland, and a short story by Kathleen Phelan, who has rejoined us after a long break with her first-ever prose text.

‘This Week’s Line-Up’ lists submissions in the order in which they were received, but the sequence of the presentation will be different, depending on whether the authors are present on this date, on the length of the text, the genre, and the time available. However, below is some enticing information about each text. Don’t miss them!

We wish all viewers and participants an enjoyable and stimulating evening on Thursday!

This Week’s Line-up

 The Unique Story of Mary and John   by Tom Boland
When schoolteacher Mary hears a familiar voice on the radio promoting a novel titled The Novel of Our Lives, she’s plunged into a whirlwind of memory and fury. The voice belongs to John — the boy she loved at seventeen — and the book, it seems, may be about her. As she reels from the implications, Mary finds herself reliving old wounds, digging into his public persona, and debating whether to confront the past or bury it again. Told with sly wit and emotional depth, this opening part sets the stage for a layered and provocative tale about memory, authorship, and the blurred boundaries between life and literature.  

The Ocean Kept Your Name   by Kathleen Phelan
In this elegiac and atmospheric poem, Kathleen Phelan explores the lingering ache of absence through the voice of the sea. Grief washes through each stanza in tides of memory, silence, and imagery — roses dropping like unsent letters, a house swaying in the weight of loss, and a voice barely clinging to the name of the gone. It’s a haunting meditation on presence, echo, and the slow unravel of love beyond the shoreline.  

The Irish Spalpeen   by Seamus Keogh
In this moving poem, Seamus Keogh gives voice to the solitary life of an Irish navvy in England. Paddy’s story unfolds through jukebox memories, backbreaking labour, and the ache of exile — a man who worked, drank, and prayed in snatches, but never quite found home. With stark imagery of steel, stone, and hostel beds, the verses echo his longing for Mayo, for Aghagower, for belonging. Both lament and tribute, it captures the resilience and heartbreak of Ireland’s forgotten labourers abroad.  

The View from Glenfield   by Kathleen Phelan
When Miss Carr arrives in Glenfield to take up a teaching post, her clipped speech and city manner set her apart from the start. The village watches, judges, and absorbs her quietly — children change how they write, locals share mutterings, and the priest pays a smiling visit. Kathleen Phelan’s first short story is a study in subtle tension, showing how a stranger’s presence can unsettle a place without ever causing a scene. Atmospheric, spare, and quietly powerful, this debut piece marks a remarkable shift from poetry to prose.            

The Sacred and the Natural   by Helena Clare
Cory is a woman of logic — a planner, a problem-solver — but her return to Ireland pulls her into something far older and more elusive. After a haunting encounter on the Connemara coast and a lullaby that stirs ancestral memories, she begins to sense a deeper purpose to her journey. Darby’s cryptic letter, her grandmother’s whispered protection, and a dream of being claimed or saved — all lead Cory toward Glencoe, where an unfinished story waits to be unearthed. In lyrical prose, Helena Clare blends natural and supernatural, past and present, fact and feeling, in a meditative story about memory, protection, and the quiet call of something sacred.    

A Normal Couple – Part 2   by Olga Peters
In this quietly gripping wartime episode, we return to Leo and Emma Gebhardt in Berlin, 1943. As Leo steels himself to tell Emma he’s been conscripted, their plans are interrupted by an unexpected visit from their landlord, Herr Liepmann — a man with shadowy business dealings and a rare packet of American cigarettes. The evening unfolds with understated tension, coded conversations, and the unspoken risks of life under a totalitarian regime. This rich and finely crafted extract from Olga Peters’ novel A Normal Couple draws us deeper into the world in conflict, blending domestic intimacy with the ever-present danger of war.  

An Unlikely Duality: AI and Me – Our Path to Dialogue   by Mary Hawkshaw
What begins as a curious experiment becomes a profound and lyrical exploration of memory, creativity, and connection. In this unique memoir, Mary Hawkshaw charts her evolving relationship with artificial intelligence — from tentative first steps to a full creative partnership. Through reflections, poems, songs, and questions, she reveals how AI became not just a tool but a dialogue partner, echoing her voice, shaping her thoughts, and sparking unexpected joy. This excerpt offers a moving meditation on technology, humanity, and the enduring power of words.

Old Bridgie   by James Conway
In this finely wrought poem, James Conway conjures a vanished Ireland through the figure of ‘Old Bridgie’ — the last in a line of quiet resilience. With rich, evocative language and a deep sense of place, the poem travels from bachelor homesteads to the long road to Amerikay, capturing the weight of memory and emigration. Bridgie herself stands like a monument — tough, rooted, and unbending — her story becoming part of the land she never left.          

The Tree   by James Conway
Strange and sureal, this experimental poem bends language and imagery to startling effect. A woman believes she’s pregnant with a tree, and what follows is a fevered meditation on growth, fear, and transformation. James Conway uses absurdity to probe deeper truths about the body, identity, and the strange fictions we tell ourselves to survive. Arresting, unpredictable, and deeply original.  

Dementia   by Gráinne Keogh
Delicate and poignant, this short poem captures a fleeting moment of lucid memory in the midst of cognitive decline. As the scent of honeysuckle and the hush of evening stir a sudden recollection of childhood, the narrator slips briefly into joy before being gently guided back to the present. Gráinne Keogh’s debut contribution is tender, restrained, and quietly powerful.  

The Soulless Sculptor by Judith Davitt Geoghegan

This striking poem explores the loss of authenticity in the age of cosmetic perfection. Through sharp, visual metaphors, it critiques a culture obsessed with polished surfaces – where faces are carved to suit ideals and natural beauty fades under the knife. But beneath the satire lies a plea: to embrace the living face, marked by time and truth. The Write-on Story
We’re putting together something special — a living history of Write-on, told not just through dates and milestones, but through your stories. From those early days in Westside, when four writers first came together, to today’s thriving group of nearly forty members, we’ve come a long way. But the real story of Write-on isn’t just about numbers — it’s about the personal moments. We’d love to hear from you: – How did you come across Write-on? – What was your first meeting like? – What surprised you, delighted you, or maybe even confused you? – What has Write-on meant to you as a writer — or as a person?

Now we’re inviting you to send in a text of just 100 words about the moment when you first joined Write-On. You don’t need to be polished. You don’t need to be profound. Just honest.

You can email your piece to: writeon.galway@gmail.com Subject: Joining Write-On.

.Let’s build this story – one memory at a time.

MOTM – (Mug of the Month)
Each month, we invite everyone to write a text of not more than 50 words (excluding the title) containing two given key words. The text can be prose or poetry or an other form …
This month the Keywords are: FALL and LIGHT
The deadline for entries is Sunday 21 September 2025, and they should be sent to: 
annemurraypost@yahoo.ie
On the last Thursday of the month, all entries will be presented, and members can vote on their favourite. The winner is then presented with the Mug and is named: Mug of the Month. So start thinking about FALL and LIGHT, and Good Luck, everyone!

Programme:

Short Story The Unique Story of Mary and John Tom Boland

Short Story The View from Glenfield Kathleen Phelan

Novel Extract A Normal Couple Part 2 Olga Peters

Novel Extract The Sacred and the Natural Helena Clare

Poem The Soulless Sculptor Judith Davitt Geoghegan

Poem The Ocean Kept Your Name Kathleen Phelan

Poem The Irish Spalpeen Seamus Keogh

Poem Old Bridgie James Conway

Poem The Tree James Conway

Poem Dementia Gráinne Keogh

Memoir An Unusual Duality: AI and Me Mary Hawkshaw

Discussion The Story of Write-On (Member Reflections) All Members

Discussion Review/Launch Details Anthology 2026 All Members

Write-on AGM 2025 Shaping the Future of Write-on Together Our Annual General Meeting takes place this Thursday — and every member should by now have received four key documents via WhatsApp: Agenda 2025 (prepared by Frank Fahy, Chairperson)   Minutes of AGM 2024 (prepared by Elizabeth Hannon, Secretary)   Chairperson’s Report 2025 (Frank Fahy)   Treasurer’s Report 2025 (Mary Rose Tobin)   We’ll be following the structure laid out in the Agenda. It’s expected to be a smooth and straightforward meeting, but all members are warmly invited to contribute. If you have ideas for how we can improve Write-on, whether it’s the running of sessions, the newsletter, our website, outreach, or anything else — this is your chance to speak up. The AGM is a member-led meeting, and your voice genuinely matters. Presentations last week 28 August 2025: Short Story La Campanella Claudio Pagano Short Story Requiem Mary Rose Tobin Short Story The Tallest Boy Frank Fahy This Week’s Line-up   The Unique Story of Mary and John   by Tom Boland When schoolteacher Mary hears a familiar voice on the radio promoting a novel titled The Novel of Our Lives, she’s plunged into a whirlwind of memory and fury. The voice belongs to John — the boy she loved at seventeen — and the book, it seems, may be about her. As she reels from the implications, Mary finds herself reliving old wounds, digging into his public persona, and debating whether to confront the past or bury it again. Told with sly wit and emotional depth, this opening part sets the stage for a layered and provocative tale about memory, authorship, and the blurred boundaries between life and literature.   The Ocean Kept Your Name   by Kathleen Phelan In this elegiac and atmospheric poem, Kathleen Phelan explores the lingering ache of absence through the voice of the sea. Grief washes through each stanza in tides of memory, silence, and imagery — roses dropping like unsent letters, a house swaying in the weight of loss, and a voice barely clinging to the name of the gone. It’s a haunting meditation on presence, echo, and the slow unravel of love beyond the shoreline.   The Irish Spalpeen   by Seamus Keogh In this moving poem, Seamus Keogh gives voice to the solitary life of an Irish navvy in England. Paddy’s story unfolds through jukebox memories, backbreaking labour, and the ache of exile — a man who worked, drank, and prayed in snatches, but never quite found home. With stark imagery of steel, stone, and hostel beds, the verses echo his longing for Mayo, for Aghagower, for belonging. Both lament and tribute, it captures the resilience and heartbreak of Ireland’s forgotten labourers abroad.   The View from Glenfield   by Kathleen Phelan When Miss Carr arrives in Glenfield to take up a teaching post, her clipped speech and city manner set her apart from the start. The village watches, judges, and absorbs her quietly — children change how they write, locals share mutterings, and the priest pays a smiling visit. Kathleen Phelan’s first short story is a study in subtle tension, showing how a stranger’s presence can unsettle a place without ever causing a scene. Atmospheric, spare, and quietly powerful, this debut piece marks a remarkable shift from poetry to prose.             The Sacred and the Natural   by Helena Clare Cory is a woman of logic — a planner, a problem-solver — but her return to Ireland pulls her into something far older and more elusive. After a haunting encounter on the Connemara coast and a lullaby that stirs ancestral memories, she begins to sense a deeper purpose to her journey. Darby’s cryptic letter, her grandmother’s whispered protection, and a dream of being claimed or saved — all lead Cory toward Glencoe, where an unfinished story waits to be unearthed. In lyrical prose, Helena Clare blends natural and supernatural, past and present, fact and feeling, in a meditative story about memory, protection, and the quiet call of something sacred.     A Normal Couple – Part 2   by Olga Peters In this quietly gripping wartime episode, we return to Leo and Emma Gebhardt in Berlin, 1943. As Leo steels himself to tell Emma he’s been conscripted, their plans are interrupted by an unexpected visit from their landlord, Herr Liepmann — a man with shadowy business dealings and a rare packet of American cigarettes. The evening unfolds with understated tension, coded conversations, and the unspoken risks of life under a totalitarian regime. This rich and finely crafted extract from Olga Peters’ novel A Normal Couple draws us deeper into the world in conflict, blending domestic intimacy with the ever-present danger of war.   An Unlikely Duality: AI and Me – Our Path to Dialogue   by Mary Hawkshaw What begins as a curious experiment becomes a profound and lyrical exploration of memory, creativity, and connection. In this unique memoir, Mary Hawkshaw charts her evolving relationship with artificial intelligence — from tentative first steps to a full creative partnership. Through reflections, poems, songs, and questions, she reveals how AI became not just a tool but a dialogue partner, echoing her voice, shaping her thoughts, and sparking unexpected joy. This excerpt offers a moving meditation on technology, humanity, and the enduring power of words. Old Bridgie   by James Conway In this finely wrought poem, James Conway conjures a vanished Ireland through the figure of ‘Old Bridgie’ — the last in a line of quiet resilience. With rich, evocative language and a deep sense of place, the poem travels from bachelor homesteads to the long road to Amerikay, capturing the weight of memory and emigration. Bridgie herself stands like a monument — tough, rooted, and unbending — her story becoming part of the land she never left.           The Tree   by James Conway Strange and sureal, this experimental poem bends language and imagery to startling effect. A woman believes she’s pregnant with a tree, and what follows is a fevered meditation on growth, fear, and transformation. James Conway uses absurdity to probe deeper truths about the body, identity, and the strange fictions we tell ourselves to survive. Arresting, unpredictable, and deeply original.   Dementia   by Gráinne Keogh Delicate and poignant, this short poem captures a fleeting moment of lucid memory in the midst of cognitive decline. As the scent of honeysuckle and the hush of evening stir a sudden recollection of childhood, the narrator slips briefly into joy before being gently guided back to the present. Gráinne Keogh’s debut contribution is tender, restrained, and quietly powerful.   The Write-on Story We’re putting together something special — a living history of Write-on, told not just through dates and milestones, but through your stories. From those early days in Westside, when four writers first came together, to today’s thriving group of nearly forty members, we’ve come a long way. But the real story of Write-on isn’t just about numbers — it’s about the personal moments. We’d love to hear from you: – How did you come across Write-on? – What was your first meeting like? – What surprised you, delighted you, or maybe even confused you? – What has Write-on meant to you as a writer — or as a person? Send your thoughts, reflections, or anecdotes — big or small — and help us shape this evolving archive. You can email your piece to: writeon.galway@gmail.com Please mark your message clearly: ‘The Write-on Story’. Your voice is part of this journey. Let’s tell it together. MOTM – (Mug of the Month) Each month, we invite everyone to write a text of not more than 50 words (excluding the title) containing two given key words. The text can be prose or poetry or an other form … This moonth the Keywords are: FALL and LIGHT The deadline for entries is Sunday 21 September 2025, and they should be sent to:  annemurraypost@yahoo.ie On the last Thursday of the month, all entries will be presented, and members can vote on their favourite. The winner is then presented with the Mug and is named: Mug of the Month. So start thinking about FALL and LIGHT, and Good Luck, everyone! Programme: Short Story The Unique Story of Mary and John Tom Boland Short Story The View from Glenfield Kathleen Phelan Novel Extract A Normal Couple Part 2 Olga Peters Novel Extract The Sacred and the Natural Helena Clare Poem The Ocean Kept Your Name Kathleen Phelan Poem The Irish Spalpeen Seamus Keogh Poem Old Bridgie James Conway Poem The Tree James Conway Poem Dementia Gráinne Keogh Memoir An Unusual Duality: AI and Me Mary Hawkshaw Discussion The Story of Write-On (Member Reflections) All Members Discussion Review/Launch Details Anthology 2026 All Members