Premier Writing showcases poetry, essays and short fiction by new and emerging Irish writers. Today’s featured poet is Michael P. O’Shaughnessy from Thurles.
Poetry
That Terrible Day
Putting usual things back on the shelf…
Shaking hand, tears run down…
She’s done this a thousand times…
Today is so different but just a glass.
Cars outside are still passing by…
Drivers unaware of the pain inside…
Frozen with fear of seeing any more…
Items of his, everywhere she goes.
The house, the same as all the years…
They spent building a life and dreams…
Good and bad, many happy and full…
He was honest, a good man all told.
Today the same house holds pain…
Yesterday, like before, all was well…
The usual struggle to pay the bills…
An unusual time for the doorbell to ring.
Standing there, her best friend Lil…
Police car outside… time stood still…
They both know this is a terrible day…
It can’t be true… please don’t say.
Words
Words I like such as vapid and vivacious.
Words I don’t like such as cringe and cruel.
Words saying ‘Gone forever’,
Words saying ‘see you soon’
Words are for all occasions.
Words sometimes are never enough.
Words that fill up spaces.
Words are empty when times get tough.
Words to inspire us and lift us up.
Words can deflate us and be abrupt.
Words for when we die as we pass on through.
Words for when we enter life, as we do too.
Words for our triumphs and little wins.
Words for our shameful deeds and sins.
Words we put in cards or up on walls.
Words of our history adorning great halls.
Words to tempt us to spend what we make.
Words to warn us not to make that mistake.
Words in stories to make us laugh out loud.
Words spoken softly…our heads bowed.
Words in a cross puzzle to give us a clue.
Words of huge significance…Words like ‘I Do’.
Words in books telling great tales.
Words of wisdom from down the ages.
Words of hatred or expressing rage.
Words of love and showing how much we care.
Words to help us learn and explore.
Words open doors and do so much more.
Words are elastic and change their meaning.
Words are fantastic and so appealing.
Words are more than jumbled up letters.
Words, put together, make us be better.
Precious Time
A quiet reflection on fleeting moments in nature, where time seems to slow down. A reminder to pause, breathe, and truly experience the world around us.
Flow of a stream…
a trickle,
Tender and soft…
constant.
Moss on trees…
beautiful fern leaves,
Nature’s fragrance…
so fresh…so clean.
On the moist ground…
Insects about,
Lives acting out…
for survival.
The early morning call…
a birdsong at dawn…
Dew on the ground…
the day rises.
Later at noon…
a path we hew…
Continue on…
to our days reward.
We’ll stay a while…
enjoy this time…
moments here…
So precious.
About the author:
Michael P. O’Shaughnessy, originally from Loughtagalla, is a writer creating poetry and lyrics since 2015, and is inspired by ordinary life, sharp observation, and the strange beauty of small moments. He’s currently working on his first collection of poetry, Precious Time, a look at Life, Love and the Absurd. Michael lives in Thurles.
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