Delighted to announce that a poem of mine is going to be published in Flare issue 17. Flare is the occasional journal of the Sunflower Sessions Open Mic held in Dublin.

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/

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

I appeared on a radio programme called International Writers Network on Near 90.3 FM Community Radio. The show is hosted by the lovely Mary Oyediran, who is a writer.

You can listen to the complete show here. The date of the show I appear on is 11th November 2022. Enjoy

https://nearfm.ie/podcast/international-writers-network/

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/

I am happy that a poem of mine called The Golden Tree was published in issue 7 of Drawn to the Light. You can download issue 7 by clicking the link https://drawntothelightpress.com/issues/

I will be a featured reader at the Dublin Pride Poets at Street 66 on Tuesday 25th October from 7 – 9 pm. If you are in the Dublin area you are welcome to come along.

I will be reading at the Cork Poetry Festival on Saturday 21st May as part of a Green Carnations anthology event. Green Carnations is an LGBT poetry anthology and I will be reading with others. For booking and more details please click on the following link. See you there. https://corkpoetryfest.net/saturday.html