WOWO Thursday, 8 May 2025, 7-9pm

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