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Friday, September 28, 2012

Boyne Berries 12

I did attend the launch of Boyne Berries 12 last night. It was good to see lots of members of The Boyne Writers' Group, old and new and to hear them reading especially Tom Dredge, Evan Costigan and Caroline Finn. Tommy Murray represented The Meath Writers' Circle.

Gregory Castle, a professor of literature from Arizona, launched the magazine and spoke about his love of Ireland and his distant relative, a Huguenot who had fought in the Battle of The Boyne. He spoke about Ogham stones and the rich history of poetry in Ireland, the bardic tradition and the Icelandic sagas. He quoted Shelley: "Poets are the unacknowledged legislators of the world." This quote is used in the poetry broadsheet Riposte too!

I read my poem which is about my time in Australia. The magazine will be winging its way to Oz later, to my sister, for whom the poem is dedicated. While reading the poem I made a mistake which threw me a bit, lots of room for improvement in reciting for myself. I also felt the murder of Jill Meagher clouded the poem, for me anyway. Such a terrible event.

Kate Dempsey's egg shaped poem "At the Cold Buffet" is a wonderful curiosity while Honor Duff's "Her True Colours" ends with a delicate punch. Michael Farry and Paddy Smith are the dynamic duo and Greg Hastings cover design is as distinctive as ever.

I can't say enough good things about the production. Well done to everyone involved.

Monday, September 24, 2012

Boyne Berries 12 Launch

 
 
Boyne Berries 12 will be launched on Thursday night, 27th September, at 8pm.  The magazine will be launched by Professor Gregory Castle of the Department of English, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona.  There will be more to read on Michael Farry's Blog Michael Farry.

Boyne Berries 12 costs 8 euro and it can be purchased at a reduced rate on the night of the launch or from The Boyne Writers' website Boyne Berries.  Antonia's book shop and Spar in Trim will also stock the issue. 
 
I have a poem included called Leaving Oz which is about my time in Australia this year.  This may be the first Boyne Berries launch I will miss since issue one was first published in March 2007.  I've started a part-time degree level course and of course my lectures happen to be on Thursday nights.  This Thursday our pictures are being taken for library i.d.  Perhaps I will be able to slip away early.  I'm not sure yet but I will be torn between the two.

Sunday, September 23, 2012

Best of the Net 2012 and Silver Blade Magazine

 
 
I had a poem called The Park published in Silver Blade earlier in the year.  The editor of the magazine is nominating it, along with 5 other poems, for the 2012 Best of the Net Anthology which you can read about here: Best of the Net

"As the poetry editor of Silver Blade, I am nominating the following six poems published between July 1, 2011 and July 30, 2012 for the 2012 Best of the Net Anthology (submitted September 6, verified received September 22):

“Ribbons of the Sun” by Greer Woodward (Issue 12) http://www.silverblade.net/content/?p=837
“The night” by Dawnell Harrison (Issue 11) http://www.silverblade.net/content/?p=585
“The Seas of Time” by Ty Russell (Issue 11) http://www.silverblade.net/content/?p=568
“The Park” by Orla Fay (Issue 13) http://www.silverblade.net/content/?p=1024
“Fire River” by Mary A. Turzillo (Issue 11) http://www.silverblade.net/content/?p=594
“War Planes” by F.J. Bergmann (Issue 12) http://www.silverblade.net/content/?p=858

Good luck to you all!

John C. Mannone"

Saturday, September 22, 2012

Jacques Prévert Poems

 

The Wonders of Life


In the teeth of a trap
The paw of a white fox
And on the snow, blood
The blood of the white fox
And in the snow, tracks
The tracks of the white fox
Who escaped on three legs
As the sun was setting
A rabbit between his teeth
Still alive

Breakfast


He poured the coffee
Into the cup
He poured the milk
Into the cup of coffee
He added the sugar
To the coffee and milk
He stirred it
With a teaspoon
He drank the coffee
And put back the cup
Without speaking to me
He lit a cigarette
He blew some rings
With the smoke
He flicked the ashes
Into the ashtray
Without speaking to me
Without looking at me
He got up
He put his hat
On his head
He put on
His raincoat
Because it was raining
He went out
Into the rain
Without a word
Without looking at me
And I
I took my head
In my hands
And I wept

Wednesday, September 19, 2012

Abridged 0-28: Once a Railroad Submission Call

 
Time Transfixed - Rene Magritte
 
Abridged 0 – 28: Once a Railroad explores the destruction of the dream. The world that exists where ‘reality’ is presented as something to aspire to, something other than the real; where every emotion is public and quickly perishable, where expectation has replaced hope and where love and fear are the same thing.
 
Once we built a railroad and now what is left? What dreams are there still to dream? And the only lines we lay take us up from the void and lead us back down again. Once the future blinded us, strident as a mid-day sun, now the tempered day is old, stooped and shuffles. Once we built a railroad guided by a dream, and what is left? People stark as death, anxious with absence, on crowded paths murky with limitation. No longer hearing the warning whispers or seeing the signals, voided in a theatre of happy endings and perfect fates. Not a future here, so what is left? Burned out stars left to linger in a dusty limbo.  Gone are the soft watermarks of the dream.

Abridged, the poetry/art magazine is looking for submissions for its Once a Railroad issue. A maximum of 3 poems may be submitted of any length. Art can be up to A4 size and can be in any media. It should be at least 300 dpi. Submissions can be emailed to abridged@ymail.com or posted to: Abridged c/o The Verbal Arts Centre, Stable Lane and Mall Wall, Bishop Street Within, Derry BT48 6PU. Deadline for submissions is 19th October 2012.

…forget the many steps to heaven it never happened and it ain’t so hard…

Friday, September 14, 2012

14th Francis Ledwidge International Poetry Award

The closing date for entries of poems, 40 lines or less, is 5th November 2012. Poems must be author's own work and previously unpublished. The entry fee is €4 per poem or 3 poems for €10. The fee is payable to Inchicore Ledwidge Society. Name and address are to be written on a separate sheet. There is a 1st, 2nd and 3rd prize with merit certificates for finalists.

To:

The Francis Ledwidge International Poetry Award 2012,
C/o 43 Emmet Crescent,
Inchicore,
Dublin 18

Thursday, September 13, 2012

The Dark Side of the Year

I saw this photo on Celtic Mythology on Facebook and was captivated. The caption alongside read like "the dark side of the year is coming and the many-handed ones begin to weave their fatal webs." Thrilling and chilling!

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Bamboo Dreams

This is an anthology of Haiku Poetry from Ireland, edited by Anatoly Kudryavitsky and published by Doghouse. It's being launched at the Unitarian Church, 112 St. Stephen's Green West on Tuesday, 25th September at 6.30 pm. Entry is free.

Below are two photos worthy of Haiku I think. I took them last weekend. I snapped the moon behind the geranium on a Friday night and on Saturday morning, the butterfly basking, keenly watched by a tabby cat worried by wasps. :)

Tuesday, September 4, 2012

Immortality



Another lovely September day has past.  I worked from 9-6, it was quite hectic.  The virtue and vice of human nature came keenly under my gaze today.  I wasn't surprised by what I saw.  Enough about that though.  I've had my bare feet up on the bed this past hour reading and editing poems I had discarded.  One is almost done and another is in the pipeline for completion.  I lit my candle.  How does one craft a fine poem about mortality?  I have lately felt a little like a cat playing with an endless ball of wool regarding putting my thoughts down on paper.  Hopefully I will have better focus and direction soon!


Monday, September 3, 2012

Riposte Autumn 2012

I received Riposte in the post today. I have a poem I wrote 7 or 8 years ago included. I'm enjoying reading this issue tonight.

Sunday, September 2, 2012

The Trees



Sorry for neglecting you blog. I've been busy. Yesterday and today have been gorgeous early autumn days. I'm particularly struck by the beauty of the trees.

TREES
by: Joyce Kilmer (1886-1918)

      THINK that I shall never see
      A poem lovely as a tree.
      A tree whose hungry mouth is prest
      Against the earth's sweet flowing breast;
      A tree that looks at God all day,
      And lifts her leafy arms to pray;
      A tree that may in Summer wear
      A nest of robins in her hair;
      Upon whose bosom snow has lain;
      Who intimately lives with rain.
      Poems are made by fools like me,
      But only God can make a tree.