Month: October 2025

Our Bottom Drawer has been filled up with a whole new collection of stories, novel extracts, poems, memoirs, songs, plays, reflections – a wonderful testimony to the diversity of styles, interests and creativity of our group. Don’t miss what promises to be another stimulating and satisfying evening’s entertainment!

A reminder: the coming Sunday is the deadline for submissions to the Mug of the Month competition. The key words which must be included in the 50-word (max.) text are EXERCISE and WALK. Send to annemurraypost@yahoo.ie .

The Arrest – A Student Nurse’s Lesson by Mary Hodson In this powerful memoir piece, a first-year nursing student in a London hospital faces a moment of crisis when a patient suddenly deteriorates under her care. What follows is a deeply human account of fear, instinct, and the unexpected kindness of those around her. With vivid details of the 1970s hospital hierarchy and the emotional terrain of early training, this story offers readers a window into the making of a nurse — not in the classroom, but in a single unforgettable moment that tests her courage and shapes her calling.     A Short Experimental Play by James Conway   In this surreal, darkly comic café scene, three voices — or perhaps just one fractured voice — bicker, reminisce, and unravel over stale cakes, imagined waitresses, and the memory of a long-departed minder. What begins as a tribute spirals into something stranger: a theatre of memory, madness, and self-interrogation. With wit, bite, and flashes of real tenderness, Conway’s play challenges identity and the unreliability of truth — all over a pot of coffee and a cake fished from the bin.     After Dada’s Letter by Helena Clare   When Delia receives a letter from home, her fragile sense of safety is shaken. In the quiet Scottish countryside where she and her children have taken refuge, something ancient and unsettling still stalks them — a force tied to a family curse, a ghostly old woman, and a child who walks with unseen companions. This haunting story delicately blends folklore, maternal love, and the strange gifts children sometimes carry. Rooted in the rhythms of rural life, it explores how fear can pass from one generation to the next — and how courage can too.   Losing My Glasses by Kathleen Phelan   In this quietly radiant poem, a lost pair of glasses becomes a portal to a softer, more painterly world. Through drifting fog, blurred edges, and the memory of Monet and Turner, the speaker discovers not confusion but a fleeting kind of clarity — a gentle unravelling of precision in favour of presence. A meditation on vision, ageing, and grace, this piece reminds us that sometimes, the blur shows us what sharpness cannot.   My Teddy Bear by Kathleen Phelan A gentle rhyme about childhood comfort and the quiet loyalty of a beloved toy. Told with tenderness and simplicity, this poem evokes the timeless bond between a child and their teddy bear — a companion who guards, listens, and stays, even when the years move on. A warm and nostalgic piece sure to stir hearts of all ages.   The Writing Workshop by Kathleen Phelan   In this playful and affectionate send-up of creative writing groups, Kathleen Phelan captures the chaos, charm, and biscuit-fuelled brilliance of writers trying (and failing) to be profound. With dream clouds, lost pens, poetic sheep, and a tutor on the brink, this witty piece will resonate with anyone who’s ever stared down a blank page — and found laughter waiting instead of genius.   Creation by Póilín Brennan [No synopses required at the request of the author.]     Foundling Girls – Chapter 2 by Mary Rose Tobin In this rich and textured chapter, daily life at the Foundling Hospital unfolds through classrooms, sewing benches, and the echoing tones of hymn practice. Lucy, Polly, Hetty and Clara each work to shape their futures — and preserve traces of their pasts. From needlework to music drills, the girls are schooled in obedience and precision, yet each one holds a secret token of identity hidden close. Through whispered confidences and fleeting moments of grace, Lucy begins to imagine transformation — the dream of becoming something new, not just mended. This chapter weaves discipline, friendship, and longing into a vivid portrait of girlhood under watchful eyes.   Chapter 2 – The Boy in the Bed by Frank Fahy   The long-anticipated return from hospital is anything but triumphant. In this taut and quietly powerful chapter, Christopher O’Shea is delivered home not by ambulance but by van, strapped to a stretcher and carried awkwardly through the narrow staircase by strangers and family alike. Told through the silent weight of glances, effort, and unspoken fear, this episode captures the emotional dislocation of homecoming — a boy altered, a house changed, a family straining under the new reality. With spare prose and unflinching detail, this chapter deepens the novel’s exploration of physical vulnerability and emotional silence.     There Comes a Time by Tom Doyle This thoughtful reflection explores life’s turning points — those moments of transition that invite (or force) us to change course. With graceful insight and gentle wisdom, Doyle examines how personal crises, epiphanies, synchronicities, or tipping points can become opportunities for growth rather than defeat. Drawing inspiration from thinkers like David Brooks and Louis L’Amour, he reminds us that even in adversity, we can “suffer our way to wisdom.” A resonant and uplifting meditation for anyone standing at life’s crossroads. Slopum Cum Dasum by Tom Doyle A wry and warmly nostalgic memoir, Slopum Cum Dasum captures the clash between generational values through the lens of one painted door. Doyle recalls his father’s almost holy devotion to craftsmanship — a perfectionist whose painstaking three-month mission to paint the front door became the stuff of legend on their Phibsboro street. But when the narrator, now a bell-bottomed teenager, attempts to repaint that same door in a bold shade of green, the result is swift maternal outrage and the unravelling of what once gleamed with pride. Told with wit, affection, and a painter’s eye for detail, this essay is a tribute to both the art of doing things well — and the inevitability of messing them up.   Lost Souls – A Song by Mary Hawkshaw This darkly comic gospel ballad follows three souls who arrive at Heaven’s gate, each expecting a reward for their past deeds — one for faith, one for service, one for wealth. But the reception they get is far from what they imagined. With sharp rhymes and a twist of satire, Lost Souls explores what really counts when the final reckoning comes. Not everyone makes the cut — not even for Hell. Did We Survive? – A Letter to the Future by Mary Hawkshaw In this moving personal meditation, Mary Hawkshaw writes across time to an imagined future reader, asking whether humanity has survived its own contradictions. Blending memory, media, and moral questioning, the piece reflects on invention and indifference, beauty and brutality, the thrill of creativity and the burden of witnessing. It is both a letter and a lament — and a powerful call to remember what we were, and what we might still become. 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.

This week, our Bottom Drawer offers a beautifully balanced mix of story, reflection, and poetic pause. We wish all participants an enjoyable and stimulating evening. 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. Gene Pool by Anne McManus Set in a bustling French bar at lunchtime, Gene Pool explores a moment of quiet observation amid the clamour of conversation, clinking glasses and shouted orders. The unnamed narrator finds herself alone, surrounded by confident, talkative men who seem to belong — until a stranger sits beside her, setting off a conversation that shifts the tone from superficial to intimate. With sharp dialogue and a light but knowing touch, the story gradually reveals the vulnerabilities beneath outward bravado, touching on family, identity, and the traces of the past that shape us. A brief encounter becomes something more — a reflection on connection, coincidence, and the quiet ways in which lives intersect. Foundling Girls – Chapter 1 by Mary Rose Tobin Chapter 1 – I Know That My Redeemer Liveth   Nine-year-old Lucy lies awake in the dormitory of London’s Foundling Hospital, surrounded by the restless breath and muffled coughs of fifty sleeping girls. Haunted by dreams of a lost foster home and drawn to mysterious music in the night, Lucy begins to sense that her voice may carry more than just sound—it may carry hope. As dawn breaks over a tightly regulated world of slates, chalk, and scripture recitation, we glimpse the fierce discipline and quiet tenderness that shape the girls’ daily lives. In the chapel, beneath the painted gaze of angels and saints, Lucy hears something that will echo long after the final bell has rung.   Chapter 7 – The Boy in the Bed by Frank Fahy   A silent girl arrives without warning, carrying only a small case and a parcel. Her name is Henrietta, and she’s here to help — or so Rita says. What follows is a day of unspoken observation: Christopher in his bed, the girl moving through the house like smoke, and a household not quite sure what to make of her. She speaks little, obeys quickly, and reveals almost nothing — but by nightfall, something shifts. A spark passes between the boy and the girl with the fire-lit hands. And though neither of them has words for it yet, everything begins to change. The Weight of Small Things by Kathleen Phelan Grief doesn’t always come crashing in — sometimes it lingers in the ordinary. A boiling kettle. The way someone washes fruit. A silence before a laugh. In this gentle, precise meditation, absence is felt through ritual, memory, and the quiet rituals that survive a loss. A poem about what remains — and how, slowly, almost imperceptibly, something like peace begins to grow. There Comes a Time by Tom Doyle This thoughtful reflection explores life’s turning points — those moments of transition that invite (or force) us to change course. With graceful insight and gentle wisdom, Doyle examines how personal crises, epiphanies, synchronicities, or tipping points can become opportunities for growth rather than defeat. Drawing inspiration from thinkers like David Brooks and Louis L’Amour, he reminds us that even in adversity, we can “suffer our way to wisdom.” A resonant and uplifting meditation for anyone standing at life’s crossroads. Slopum Cum Dasum by Tom Doyle A wry and warmly nostalgic memoir, Slopum Cum Dasum captures the clash between generational values through the lens of one painted door. Doyle recalls his father’s almost holy devotion to craftsmanship — a perfectionist whose painstaking three-month mission to paint the front door became the stuff of legend on their Phibsboro street. But when the narrator, now a bell-bottomed teenager, attempts to repaint that same door in a bold shade of green, the result is swift maternal outrage and the unravelling of what once gleamed with pride. Told with wit, affection, and a painter’s eye for detail, this essay is a tribute to both the art of doing things well — and the inevitability of messing them up. Write-on Creative Writing Challenge: Scene and Reveal This week’s creative writing session features three short, imaginative prompts designed to spark storytelling from a single moment. Members are invited to write their own version of the scene, guided only by the setup. Afterwards, we’ll hear how a well-known published author tackled the same idea — and open up discussion on tone, voice, and storytelling choices. 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. MOTM (Mug of the Month) Keywords: WALK and EXERCISE Use one. Use both. Write a sonnet. Write a haiku. Write a single brilliant line on the back of a receipt. Just… write.   Closing Date: 26 October 2025   annemurraypost@yahoo.ie Write-On now has a dedicated submissions email: bd.writeon@gmail.com

The Bottom Drawer
Genre	Title	Author
Short Story	Gene Pool	Anne McManus
Poem	The Weight of Small Things	Kathleen Phelan
Writing Challenge	Scene and Reveal	All Members
Novel Extract	Chapter 7 – The Boy in the Bed	Frank Fahy
Novel Extract	Chapter 1 – Foundling Girls in the Chapel	Mary Rose Tobin
Website	The Story of Write-on (Living History & Reflections from our Members)	All Members

What’s new in The Bottom Drawer this week? Read on ….!

Sing to Me, Nevermore   This week we’re treated to not one but two original songs. First, Mary Hawkshaw’s haunting musical response to Poe’s The Raven — Once Upon a Midnight — draws on the rhythms and shadows of that gothic classic. The synopsis offers a glimpse into the eerie beauty of her composition. Then comes Frank Fahy’s own tribute to friendship, journalism, and the spirit of 1974, when a newspaper called Western Life helped forge a lifelong bond. That memory now lives on in music, echoing across the decades.

History, Fiction, and Futures in Progress   We’re thrilled to feature a new extract from Mary Rose Tobin’s novel The Foundlings (set in the Foundling Hospital, London), a long-matured work that is at last nearing full bloom. Her lyrical prose and emotional clarity continue to impress.   We also glimpse the next chapter of Olga Peters’ forthcoming A Normal Couple — Part Two. This thoughtful and sharp-eyed novel explores love, disappointment, and what counts as “normal” in a world tilted sideways.

Poetry from the People In verse, we welcome: Póilín Brennan’s bilingual offering Le Chéile / Together, a tender celebration of shared listening, myth, and community. Kathleen Phelan, whose gentle nature observations always restore the spirit. And James Conway, who offers a new piece with his signature philosophical lens.

Write-on now has a dedicated submissions email! bd.writeon@gmail.com     Website www.write-on.ie

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.

Once Upon a Midnight by Mary Hawkshaw

Inspired by Edgar Allan Poe’s iconic poem The Raven, Mary Hawkshaw’s musical interpretation is a haunting and lyrical response to one of literature’s most enduring works. Drawing on Poe’s rhythms and imagery — the “dreary December,” the ghostly presence, and the echo of loss — she transforms the poem into a contemporary soundscape that is both elegy and exploration. With evocative phrases like “ghosts of my last” and “girls on the floor,” her piece moves beyond simple homage to become a powerful meditation on memory, absence, and the echoes that remain when love — or sanity — is lost.

Charlotte Wants an Answer by Olga Peters

In wartime Berlin, a walk by the lake takes a chilling turn for Charlotte and her friend Franzie when they witness an ominous column of people—Jews—being herded through the city under heavy guard. The women’s quiet afternoon is shattered, and Charlotte, a doctor accustomed to the cold logic of dissection, is shocked into urgent questioning. As Charlotte demands answers, the story broadens into a tense and intimate domestic gathering, where old loyalties, wartime propaganda, and fragments of truth collide. How far will Charlotte go to preserve her integrity? And how much do any of them really want to know?

He Was Despised by Mary Rose Tobin

When young Lucy arrives for her usual singing lesson, she expects another quiet Thursday of scales and arpeggios. But fate intervenes — the soprano for the Albert Hall’s Good Friday Messiah has fallen ill, and Lucy is thrust into the spotlight with only days to prepare. Guided by her passionate mentor Professor Montefiore, she must rise to a challenge that could make — or break — her. A story of talent, fear, and transcendence, this moving piece captures the moment a shy girl becomes a star… and perhaps something more.

The Weight of Small Things by Kathleen Phelan

Grief doesn’t always come crashing in — sometimes it lingers in the ordinary. A boiling kettle. The way someone washes fruit. A silence before a laugh. In this gentle, precise meditation, absence is felt through ritual, memory, and the quiet rituals that survive a loss. A poem about what remains — and how, slowly, almost imperceptibly, something like peace begins to grow.

Remembering the Days by Frank Fahy

‘We built a dream with borrowed type / And ink that stained our skin…’ So begins this lyrical tribute to the newspaper adventure that changed everything. In 1974, two young men — Frank Fahy and Tom Curtin — launched Western Life, a new Galway city newspaper born of vision, grit, and friendship. Half a century later, that friendship endures, and this song remembers not just the publication they created, but the bond that carried them through. A heartfelt reflection on legacy, risk, and camaraderie — and a reminder of how the boldness of youth can echo through a lifetime.  

Le Chéile le Póilín Brennan  

Ag meascadh Gaeilge agus Béarla, miotais agus an nua‑aimsearthacht, tugann an dán fileata seo cuireadh dúinn éisteacht go domhain — le crainn, le beacha, le scéalta cois tine, agus lena chéile. Músclaíonn Póilín Brennan mothú cuimhne roinnte agus neart pobail, fréamhaithe sa nádúr agus sa chomhluadar. Le macallaí an tseanchaí agus cogar ón talamh, is ceiliúradh é Le Chéile ar an méid is féidir a chloisteáil — agus a leigheas — nuair a stopaimid 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. Póilín 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.    

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.

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.

MOTM (Mug of the Month) Keywords: WALK and EXERCISE Use one. Use both. Write a sonnet. Write a haiku. Write a single brilliant line on the back of a receipt. Just… write.   Closing Date: 26 October 2025   annemurraypost@yahoo.ie

Genre	Title	Author
Song	Once upon a Midnight	Mary Hawkshaw
Song	Remembering the Days	Frank Fahy
Poem	The Weight of Small Things	Kathleen Phelan
Poem	A Man’s World	James Conway
Poem	Le Chéile/Together	Póilín Brennan
Novel Extract	He was Despised	Mary Rose Tobin
Novel Extract	A Normal Couple, 2	Olga Peters
Website	The Story of Write-on (Living History &  Reflections from our Members)	All Members

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.

The In-Laws by Mary Hodson

It’s the summer of 1975, and our young Irish narrator is head over heels for a London lad with a Triumph Herald, a navy suit, and a love for Neil Diamond. What starts as a dreamy date to Jesus Christ Superstar takes an unexpected turn when he casually swings by his parents’ flat — with her in tow. No warning. No heads-up. Just a girl in towering platformsandals, suddenly face to face with a startled London mother and a bemused, pipe-smoking father. Cue the Royal Albert china, the dainty biscuits, and the kind of tea that could strip paint. In this hilarious, tender flashback, we watch a mortified girl try to make a good impression, a mother try to make sense of it all, and a quietly grinning boy who knew exactly what he was doing. A story about first love, first impressions, and that unforgettable first time you meet the people who might one day become… the in-laws.

The Incident by Geraldine Warren

Hannah Mullen is doing her best to hold it together. With a family christening looming and her husband’s political campaign in full swing, she’s expected to smile, show up, and behave. But something inside her is unravelling. There’s a sound no one else seems to hear — a low, insistent buzzing that builds with every new message, every photo, every reminder of what she’s lost. And then, one scorching Saturday morning, it all comes to a head. Set against the charged backdrop of a city in motion, The Incident is a taut, unsettling story about the moment everything changes — and the price of keeping up appearances when the world expects you to be fine.

The Weight of Small Things by Kathleen Brennan

Grief doesn’t always come crashing in — sometimes it lingers in the ordinary. A boiling kettle. The way someone washes fruit. A silence before a laugh. In this gentle, precise meditation, absence is felt through ritual, memory, and the quiet rituals that survive a loss. A poem about what remains — and how, slowly, almost imperceptibly, something like peace begins to grow.

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.

Le Chéile / Together by Poilin 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.

Meáchan na Rudaí Beaga by Poilin Brennan

Ní thagann an brón i dtólamh — uaireanta, fanann sé sna gnáthrudaí. Coire ag fiuchadh. Torthaí á ní. Ciúnas sula dtosaíonn gáire. Léiríonn an dán cumhachtach seo an chaoi a maireann caillteanas ionainn, gan focal, gan radharc – ach fós, go láidir. Taispeántas álainn ar conas a fhásann suaimhneas – mall, mar chaonach ar chloch – gan torann, gan deifir, ach le cineáltas ciúin.

Chapter 3: 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.

Glencoe by Helena Clare

When Cordelia Hamilton — Cory to her friends — leaves North Carolina for the Scottish Highlands, she’s not looking for answers. Not really. But as soon as she arrives, the past begins to stir. A rowan sprig confiscated at passport control. A stranger who greets her by name. A family house untouched since the day her great-uncle died. And then — something in the road that only she can see. Haunted by questions her grandmother never answered, Cory is drawn deeper into the hills of Glencoe, into a curse older than anyone will admit, and into a legacy she was never meant to ignore. A story of kinship, memory, and the strange pull of inherited fate — Glencoe is both tender and uncanny, rooted in landscape and shadowed by the past.

Genre	Title	Author
Short Story	The In-Laws	Mary Hodson
Short Story	The Incident	Geraldine Warren
Poem	The Weight of Small Things	Kathleen Phelan
Poem	A Man’s World	James Conway
Poem	Dementia	Gráinne Keogh
Poem	Le Chéile/Together	Póilín Brennan
Novel Extract	Chapter 3: The Boy in the Bed	Frank Fahy
Novel Extract	Glencoe	Helena Clare
Website	The Story of Write-on (Living History &  Reflections from our Members)	All Members