The Bottom Drawer for Thursday, 13 November 2025, 7-9pm

Our Bottom Drawer is filling up! Six sparkling new texts have flown in this past week, providing even more variety for our selection on Thursday evening. Be sure not to miss a stimulating two hours full of song, poetry and story, humour, reflection and wisdom. We look forward to receiving your entries and texts at bd.writeon@gmail.com

We also have two new Key Words for our Mug of the Month competition: CAN and COVER. The 50-word (max) text containing these words should reach Anne Murray by November 30 (an extended deadline this month). annemurraypost@yahoo.ie

And here are the contents of the Bottom Drawer to date:

The Clensing Fire by Mary Hawkshaw In this sharply observed village comedy, Mary Hawkshaw turns a simple B&B mishap into a hilarious parable of pride, piety, and pyromania. Nora and Tommy Kelly, long-married and long-suffering, have joined the “Global B&B” revolution — offering tourists a rustic Irish experience in their tiny cottage. But when two oversized English guests mistake the range for an electric cooker, the “authentic” turf fire soon lives up to its name.   Mary’s dialogue sparkles with wit and rural rhythm, capturing the gossiping neighbours, the stoic humour of Irish women, and the quiet love between two people bound by endurance. The Cleansing Fire is a comic gem that moves effortlessly from farce to tenderness — a story where the smoke clears, but the laughter lingers.

The First Music by Mary Hawkshaw In this gentle, reflective short film, memory and melody intertwine. The First Music evokes the wonder of early sound — a child’s discovery of rhythm, a mother’s lullaby, the heartbeat of belonging. Through quiet imagery and voice, it reminds us that music is not only something we hear, but something we are born knowing.

Mary Fraser by Helena Clare Set in the haunting landscape of Glencoe, Mary Fraser draws us into a mother’s quiet battle to shield her children from unseen harm. Delia Connaughton, carrying her sons and their fears across borders, encounters the mysterious healer Mary Fraser — a woman whose calm wisdom bridges faith, folklore, and the natural world. Through their meeting, Helena Clare evokes the lingering pulse of Irish superstition, maternal courage, and women’s intuitive strength. A story rich in atmosphere, tenderness, and quiet revelation.

At the Bend in the Road by Mary Hodson Marking a milestone birthday, a woman reflects on the bends and turns that have shaped her life — love, loss, laughter, and the quiet lessons of time. With gentle wisdom and lyrical grace, she discovers that growing older is not an ending but another curve in the long, beautiful road.  

Herself by Póilín Brennan Póilín Brennan’s poem ‘Herself’ captures the music and mischief of a mind in motion. Its quicksilver lines tumble and twist like speech itself — full of wit, warmth, and self-mockery. The poem celebrates the art of rambling conversation, where thoughts flow like an old river, meandering, sparkling, and settling into moments of sudden clarity. A lively, affectionate portrait of the storyteller’s spirit.  

The Pipes by Póilín Brennan
A tender slice of rural memory where land-drainage becomes family ritual and quiet apprenticeship. Brennan’s speaker watches a father’s method — spade, sléan, gravel, fall, pipes — then claims a small, brilliant fix when two lengths won’t meet, discovering that being ‘cliste’ comes in many forms. Practical lore, sensory detail, and a child’s proud ingenuity make this a warm, satisfying read. 

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.

Fidelis by Tom Doyle On a rain-soaked Christmas Eve, an anxious young man searches Dublin for the perfect gift — something that will say both love and I tried. What he finds instead is a shaggy toy dog named Fidelis, a bus full of onlookers, and a series of small humiliations that lead to an unexpected grace. Warm, funny, and gently nostalgic, Fidelis captures the tender awkwardness of first love and the quiet triumph of sincerity over style.

At the Bend in the Road by Mary Hodson Marking a milestone birthday, a woman reflects on the bends and turns that have shaped her life — love, loss, laughter, and the quiet lessons of time. With gentle wisdom and lyrical grace, she discovers that growing older is not an ending but another curve in the long, beautiful road.

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.  

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 7 – The Boy in the Bed by Frank Fahy In this quietly harrowing chapter, two visiting doctors arrive to set up the traction rig that will hold young Christopher O’Shea in place for months to come. Through the rain-washed calm of the house, each movement — the tightening of straps, the click of metal joints, the father’s hovering pride — becomes a study in tension and control. The Doctors captures the moment when care turns mechanical, love becomes procedure, and a family begins its long vigil at the bedside.  

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.  

Genre	Title	Author
Short Story	The Clensing Fire	Mary Hawkshaw
Short Story	At the Bend in the Road	Mary Hodson
Short Story	Fidelis	Tom Doyle
Poem	The Pipes	Póilín Brennan
Poem	Herself	Póilin Brennan
Poem	Losing My Glasses	Kathleen Phelan
Poem	The Writing Workshop	Kathleen Phelan
Poem	My Teddy Bear	Kathleen Phelan
Song	The First Music	Mary Hawkshaw
Novel Extract	Mary Fraser	Helena Clare
Novel Extract	Chapter 7 – The Boy in the Bed	Frank Fahy
Novel Extract	Chapter 2 – Foundling Girls in the Chapel	Mary Rose Tobin
Non-Fiction	There Comes a Time	Tom Doyle
Website	The Story of Write-on (Living History & Reflections from our Members)	All Members