A poem in Impossible Archetype

A poem of mine called Break Up was published in Impossible Archetype Issue 13. You can download the pdf by clicking the link or read the poem below. https://impossiblearchetype.wordpress.com/1278-2/

Break Up

Wind bites the land
and sucks the heat out.
The ice sheet keeps the bitterness
shaped into it.

A thaw, the heat of friction
melts the ice. 
The cracking noise 
erupts through the air.

A massive slab breaks off,
plunges into the freezing water,
hides its own size
and its hard heart.

The iceberg drifts 
in no definite direction
through empty seas,
then melts under the punishing sun.

Haibun selected for Red Moon Press anthology

I am delighted to find out today that a haibun of mine called Reveal was selected for the annual Red Moon anthology. To get into this anthology is a big deal as you can’t apply to get into the anthology instead, a journal that has published your piece must nominate it for selection, and then it gets picked by the anthology if they wish. It’s quite an exhaustive process. Copies will be available in due course from https://redmoonpress.com/

Teenage Encounter: a haibun

A haibun of mine called Teenage Encounter was published in the online journal Drifting Sands, issue 18.

Here’s the text of the haibun:

Teenage Encounter

I cycle my way back from the Phoenix Park, Dublin, to where the motorway meets the Grand Canal. Teenage boys, some shirtless, crowd the towpath. Two of them stand on a low fence on the motorway bridge. The crowd chants in a raucous manner. I weave my way through afraid they might take my bike off me. The dark-haired fellow jumps. The crowd cheers and eggs on the other chap who soon jumps. Waves flow out, widening up and down the canal. I shake my head and tut softly so as not to be heard.

chimney stack
among the buttercups
horse hoof prints

Later the back wheel of my bike comes off. I try to get the chain and the wheel to line up properly and fail. I swear. A group of different teenagers walk by. One red-headed guy grabs my back wheel and as he speaks with a rough accent I step back. Quickly he slots the wheel into place. Looking at his hands, he complains that I caused them to get dirty and demands payment. He grasps my tenner. 

trapped water
spurts from a lock
the ripples soon settle

Podcast on Eat the Storms

I was featured in a podcast called Eat the Storms appeared on the 5th of October 2022. I appear midway through the podcast at around 19 minutes in. Thanks to Damien Donnelly for inviting me to read. Please click on the link and scroll down to the bottom of the linked page to get the podcast.

https://eatthestorms.com/2022/11/05/eat-the-storms-the-podcast-podcast-episode-2-season-6/