WOWO Thursday 22 May 2025, 7-9pm

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