Wishing Well


By Liam Flanagan

Take this coin and hold it tightly in your hand
Carefully and deeply contemplate a wish you would like to see granted
A desire for peace in a world becoming more violent as each day passes
A request for good health to accompany you on lives journey
A wish loved ones karma allows for long and joyful lives to be lived
You may choose to put value on materialistic objects
To bring joy and happiness
Realising this to be a decision made by the futility of youth
So delve deep inside to find something which is really worth wishing for
Toss the coin into the water heads you win tails you lose

Liam Flanagan is a 47 year old living in Galway on the west coast of Ireland. Degree in English and Philosophy. Teaching Diploma in IT. Ten years experience working in the IT industry. Likes Sport, Music, Film and Politics

Metamorphosis


BY LIAM FLANAGAN

Sitting quietly with oneself contemplating the essence
To be found in the body and in the mind
An identity formed from a combination of genes and experience
Or is there another part of being which defines who we are
A spirit which wanders and weaves through the corridors of life
Each change of direction requiring an adjustment to who we are
Not a constant like a rock which cannot be reshaped
Or a river which flows and refuses to be redirected
We are never always the same and so often the opposite

Liam Flanagan is a 47 year old living in Galway on the west coast of Ireland. Degree in English and Philosophy. Teaching Diploma in IT. Ten years experience working in the IT industry. Likes Sport, Music, Film and Politics 

Vincent


By Liam Flanagan

Photo by Elle Lumière on Unsplash

So neglected in your life even now people struggle to pronounce your name
Tortured you were turning to alcohol to ease the pain
Relief found from painting nature and flowers
Finding inspiration from roses/lilacs/lilies and sunflowers
Whilst engaged in a constant battle with an illness which refused to allow sunshine into the mind
You must have been living in a world more identifiable as hell
Cut ones ear off to quieten the incessant noise disturbing the self
Rest easy knowing a legacy of beauty and genius has been left
A life so short leaving us behind thirty seven years old

Liam Flanagan is a 47 year old living in Galway on the west coast of Ireland. Degree in English and Philosophy. Teaching Diploma in IT. Ten years experience working in the IT industry. Likes Sport, Music, Film and Politics 

The Crossroads


BY LIAM FLANAGAN

Photo by Vladislav Babienko on Unsplash

Standing at a crossroads
No sign posts in sight
Do I turn left or right?
In danger of getting lost in the middle of the night
Dark clouds loom on the horizon
Gathering in the northern skies
Halting progress forward
The distance from home can be measured in miles
I take a look over my shoulder
Gazing back over the journey
I’ve been on
There is no going back now
The time to go backwards
is gone

Liam Flanagan is a 47 year old living in Galway on the west coast of Ireland. Degree in English and Philosophy. Teaching Diploma in IT. Ten years experience working in the IT industry. Likes Sport, Music, Film and Politics 

Camano Island


BY ERIN LAVERY

Photo by Steve Douglas on Unsplash

I wake before the sun.
The warmth of the covers leave my body and I walk into the cold and the dark.
My hands wrap around my mug and it fills with hot coffee.
If I had woken when I had planned, the steam would be rising from the cup,
But it’s not.
For a moment, it’s just me in the silence and the cold and the dark-
reminding myself that it’s almost morning.

Then, I hear my son’s feet touch the wooden floor three rooms down.
He loves the morning in a way I can’t understand.
For years, I have tried to wake early enough to get a head start on day
Before others are awake and need me.
He, in his innocence, has taken this as an invitation to spend quiet moments with me.
He lays in his bed, listening for my own feet to touch the ground so he can come and find me.

Some mornings, when I am bold enough to stay asleep longer than usual,
I wake to the sound of gentle knocking.
Then, a small voice breaks through the sound of his tiny fist against the door.
“Mom, you slept in on accident.”
It’s never an accident.

But in spite of my longing for a quiet
That belongs to only me,
perhaps these days are the best I’ll ever know.
These days are without any moments to wonder whether
I am making good use of this very short
Window of time I have on this planet.
Instead, it is just me and the cold and the dark

And the little man who loves me more
Than the warmth of his bed.

He sits at the table beside me now, pulling out the marshmallow bits from the cereal box.
I pretend not to notice, gazing to my right
Through the wall of windows overlooking Livingston Bay.
The sun is rising in the distance-
Running toward our sky to join us.

By Erin Lavery

Love Cats


BY LIAM FLANAGAN

Photo by Dorothea OLDANI on Unsplash

Meow you say to let me know you are on your way
Movement sleek and elegant
Claws retracted reserved for going in for the kill
A silent assassin with teeth as sharp as blades
Kept in good order
For the hunt and the tearing of flesh
On the look out for a bird preparing to soar
He must come from a good family
A turned up nose to a chicken and ham slice
Preference is for the taste of mice
Purr to express contentment and satisfaction
A feline who bides his time before jumping in to action!

By Liam Flanagan

Not Alone


Photo by Christopher Beloch on Unsplash

In a world of no margin

we can feel very alone

struggling against the world

ever increasingly stressful

But what if I told you

that a single word or deed

of kindness towards another

could mean survival

So many are on the precipice

of giving up hope

giving up their lives

giving in to sadness and grief

Loss of normalcy

isolation

death of life

as they knew it

One word one deed

of true kindness to another

just to show

they are not alone

Tired


Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash

So tired these days

in so many ways

in body, in spirit, in mind

peace is hard to find

So much pressing in

spreading me thin

another task on the pile

just want to rest awhile

So much noise all around

hate and division abound

everyone feels out of control

can I just crawl into a hole

So many clients seen every week

my voice tired so hard to speak

try to help them feel stronger

not sure I can any longer

So tired every day

in every conceivable way

hoping for something to lighten the load

to keep on walking down this road

Constant Change


Photo by Ross Findon on Unsplash

We fight against it
fear all phases
worry about outcomes
want to control

Resistance is futile
change continues always
ever constant
always present

We push back harder
hoping to avoid
wanting to keep
what we think we need

Universe pushes back
we struggle to stop it
afraid of what we
may become

Universe knows better
all life
all growth
needs change

Be calm
accept what is
let go of what was
become new

Frustration


Photo by Andre Hunter on Unsplash

Like sandpaper
everything feels rough
little bits being shaved off
under constant frustration

Grating changes
lack of control
nothing is normal
feeling untethered

Constant exposure
whether we know it
or not
to possible infection

Affecting home
work school
relationships
entire lives

Everyday more
grating and grinding
pushing towards explosions
repetitive frustration

Previous Older Entries

%d bloggers like this: