It has been a while. Life was frantically busy. A Creative Masters (Poetry) start at Manchester Metropolitan University, a weekly trip there for class, weekly writing and an assignment would have been enough. But then, Dorothea Aoife Ní Chlérigh-Lynch was born on 25th April 2019, pushing everything else into the shade. And so, we blissfully welcome her into the world and into the family. She is a treasure, delight and a great house upheavaler! We are now a household of seven persons all of whom are subservient to the new arrival, Dorothea. She, therefore, has to be the main event right now. There is more to come but for later episodes. As is in keeping with my granddad brief and aspiring writer a heralding is in order. Here it is, and, as usual, read, enjoy, share and give me feedback.
Dorothea Aoife Ní Chléirigh-Lynch
(for my granddaughter, born 25th April 2019)
A three-point seven five kilo mouthful,
divinely edible; serene, comfortable
in her own skin – pink, soft and fluffy to kiss,
and unbelievably long-fingered.
How did that happen? her brother
is often heard to say – as she settles
into the adoring gaze of her family.
Smaller; trouble-free, easier arrival,
shaped even now by a name –
flashing image of a lost Aoife.
Has she been set up to fill big shoes?
It seems so, but she will be her
own person set her own stamp,
a trait of stubborn self-will
on both sides ensures it.
Peter Clarke
1st May 2019
Phil
03.05.2019 16:51
Congrats Peter on both the new arrival and the lovely poetic tribute.
Margueritecolgan
03.05.2019 13:42
Dorothea, a new star, sets out on the yellow brick road, flanked by two brothers, watched over by all the clan.
mile Maith, Peter for sharing your joy in poem full of care and hope. A new life
Maura O'Nell
03.05.2019 08:43
Peter, what a super poem. All of the emotion of welcoming this beautiful little being, the sheer joy of her, now part of your family, floods your poem. Congratulations to all of you x
Allegra
02.05.2019 23:22
So lovely darling Peter and I love that she carries Aoife's name. Many blessings on your beautiful family. xx
Abigail
02.05.2019 21:30
Just beautiful.
Rosy Wilson
02.05.2019 20:05
Beautiful baby poem and blog. Congrats to you all
Clíodhna
02.05.2019 19:23
Beautiful and very touching Peter!
Alex
02.05.2019 19:14
A happy happy granddad: beautiful. Thank you for sharing!!
Jack Abell
02.05.2019 15:39
Beautifully written Peter.
Margaret
02.05.2019 15:33
Beautiful Peter. I can only imagine the excitement in the house. The acknowledgement of the hint of continuity is touching. May dorothea have a great life.
Leo S
02.05.2019 14:47
Delightful Dorothea,
How clever of you
to choose this family
full of music, full of poetry
full of love
Alice Owens
02.05.2019 14:47
Wonderful poem. Captures the moment so perfectly I can almost smell the scent scent of baby powder and milk. What a cute little baby. Enjoy.
Latest comments
25.11 | 22:15
Grief is experience through the mundane. Simple but powerful. The accompanying image really compliments the poem.
07.11 | 11:14
Hi Peter,
A great observation! Social media can be a scary place... I also need to reduce my time there
Hugs,
John.x
06.11 | 16:24
A great one, Peter, in the context you describe. I don't read social media myself, I doubt my equilibrium could stand it. 'The balance of his mind disturbed' yes, I think it would be.
06.11 | 15:59
Yes, gossip is a weapon of mass destruction.
In my business as well as personal life I have zero tolerance.
And What About . . .
I have neglected this for far too long, and now it is time again. But what to write about, what poem to share? The world is packed with catastrophic possibilities. Such choices: dementia/genocide colluder or extreme narcissism in the White House; a hung parliament in the UK; the reunification of the USSR with a tyrannical megalomaniac at its head; the eradication of a race by a genocidal government in Gaza; the African continent reduced to bankruptcy and regression to male tribalism; in Ireland, even with an appalling electoral turnout the routing of the far right and Sinn Féin may offer some comfort except we face another FF/FG fiasco. Mother Nature rumbles on its rampage, raging against the human species’ abject destruction of the planet’s habitat. What the . . .
Being facetious right now is my only defence against absolute despair. So read, comment, pass it on, and send feedback.
City Walking and Cycling take 680,000
cars per day off the road
Irish Time Heading
More and more folk, cycling and walking, may
keep gases from greenhouses further at bay
This newspaper heading illustrates vividly
thousands of cyclists and walkers assiduously
stopping some cars on their journey
pushing them aside - making drivers quite surly
Mountains of metal - like scrapyards of sculpture
keep bicycle lanes quite safe - at this juncture
The new revolution is well underway
don’t get behind wheels - hear what they say:
Cars and their fumes play a very big part
the smell is quite phew don’t mention cow farts
Wear out your shoe leather walking
greet travellers with smiles while you’re talking
Force councils to make better spaces
to go out and about roaming those places
where vitamin D, and oxygen from trees
fill our lungs and our brains so we see
how to save us and this magical planet
except for some vicious old tyrants goddammit
Peter Clarke, 18th March 2024