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Monday, April 25, 2016

Authors Welcome

Hi everyone,

I sent out a mail inviting you all - I hope - to become authors.
This it appears will allow you to put up your own Posts and not just comment on others.

Please try it out with a piece of your writing so that I'm sure all is working OK. After which I hope there will be lots and lots of postings of wonderful writing from you all.

Thanks

Tenters - Dublin 8

After “Knoxville, Tennessee” by Nikki Giovanni
I always like lanes
Best
You can cut through blocks
And be surprised
And meet with ghosts
And frighten friends
And yourself
When all's said and done,
And escape from Billy’s gang
By knowing the secret ways
And get home safely


When you have wandered too far,
And hang out in Nancy’s Lane
And choke on cigarettes
Bought in ones
With a match supplied
By an enterprising shopkeeper,
And make plans
And talk of girls
And hopes for better times
And getting out of school.
Often
As an adult I turn into a lane

And I'm twelve again.

Friday, April 22, 2016

Christmas Memories - Gabrielle Gannon

Christmas Memories

They say that age can severely distort memories and in my case I would have to say that I find this to be true. Summers were always hot and sunny, winters were freezing and snow was a regular feature. A white Christmas was practically a given.
I remember particularly one Christmas Eve. Being from the heart of the countryside in Mayo (aka the back end of nowhere!) snow when it landed formed an absolute blanket. Even in the dark of night there was incredible brightness because of the snow. This particular Christmas Eve my father suggested that myself and the next up brother and sister go out with him into the snow. It didn’t take long for the first snowball to fly and within seconds it was all out war. I was only about five or six at the time and the also the annoying baby sister. This made me a prime target for the two siblings with my father (supposedly!) doing his best to help me to defend myself.
Suddenly, out of nowhere there was a loud bang....we all stopped dead. Daddy stood there with a look of complete shock on his face-“I think Santa’s sleigh has just landed on top of the hay shed-nobody move!” Take it from me nobody did. We were all petrified. After what seemed like forever Daddy said “I think it’s ok now”.
We all bet into the house like three demented popsicles. Poor Mammy who was sitting in her armchair beside the fire smoking her cigarette didn’t know what was happening. “Daddy said Santa’s been”, we all blurted out. “Don’t be daft”, she said laughing, “sure wasn’t I here the whole time”.
We ran into the ‘good room’ where the Christmas tree was and sure enough there under the tree all the presents were laid out.
Santa had been. Daddy was right, Mammy was deaf, we were thrilled and our very clever parents had just bagged themselves a lie-in on Christmas morning!
Hi PicWits

I have reformatted the piece from Eithne so that it reads as originally written. I've also posted a new contribution from Mary.
Looking forward to uploading some more.
Also looking for any other pieces - new or from previous courses. There are many new people who would love to read your work - so don't be shy!

Gerry

Mary Finnegan - FULHAM, LONDON After “Knoxville, Tennessee” by Nikki Giovanni


FULHAM, LONDON After “Knoxville, Tennessee” by Nikki Giovanni


I always liked Bishop’s Park
Best
You can walk past tennis courts
Out along by the Thames
And imagine
And swing
And daisy chain
And grass roll
And skip
And stand on low dragon-humped railings
And buy dripping
Ice-cream from the kiosk
And stop at the open air theatre
For jazz or drama
And walk with uncle
Parents sister in pram
Under tree branched cathedral
And watch rowers
Furrow water
And smell dust air
As arm brushes scrapey stone
Returning through red brick streets
And home.

Monday, April 18, 2016

Eithne Bowe - After “Knoxville, Tennessee” by Nikki Giovanni

After “Knoxville, Tennessee” by Nikki Giovanni

I always had a grĂ¡ for
Dogs
You can cuddle them
Anywhere , any time
And whisper in their ear
And talk
And weep
And castigate
And experience , in return , lots of
Comfort
And softness
And unconditional love
On the farm
In the city
Morning
Noon
And night
And run through the grass and sand
Barefoot or booted
And have company
All the time
Even when you are alone
And ..... be happy

Sunday, April 17, 2016

Welcome to PicWits

PicWits is both a collaborative group who first met up in Drumcondra Education in 2015 and a group of enthusiastic teachers who believe that the teaching of writing is one is one of the most crucial tasks a teacher has to tackle but that to teach writing well teachers need to work on their own writing.
This blog will feature some of the writing of this group - some of it created in minutes at the Drumcondra meetups and hopefully some of the work they have created outside of these events.