Desert...

Quite often the mind can become a desert
Vacuous and lacking any real connection
On a day when searching for new thoughts
It is obvious that there is only emptiness
A most arid place devoid of contemplation
Useful words are as absent as water droplets
For a time, this is such a godforsaken state
Momentarily a frustrating lack of progress
Like tripping over one’s own tied tongue
When confidence usually glides so freely
Amidst the vastness of usual expression
Such vacancy can return surprising results
Uncluttered minds can facilitate a wonder
As precious as finding a pink desert lily…
 
Eileen T O’Neill 24/10/2024

Letters...

 Dear Teenage Eileen,
 

I remember how much you loved writing letters back in those times.
You had a very keen fascination with stationery departments.
Your favourite purchase was a Basildon Bond writing pad of forty sheets
Champagne colour, watermarked vellum quality, with matching envelopes
The type of pen used to write letters was an equally important choice.
For special recipients, a blue ink filled fountain pen was always selected
I am sure you remember how many times you rewrote words until exactly right
Blotting paper used to capture the imprints and any messy mistakes
Writing to pen pals was an enthusiastic hobby back in those days
Finding interesting topics to share from Belfast across oceans of miles
Life then was uninteresting with The Troubles of those days dominating living
Your faraway friend Pam wrote to you occasionally from Beloit Wisconsin  
Her letters arrived in assorted colours of envelope and typed in a grey print
You exchanged news from respective lives, though her life was more interesting
She had at least three boyfriends and you barely had any friends, outside of school
The civil unrest in Belfast really precluded any socialising, such as Pam experienced
Somehow, you eventually lost contact with each other. Perhaps living just got in the way
I have recently found one of Pam’s letters sent to you from all those decades ago.
Dated April 1972. That particular year was one of the most violent in Northern Ireland.
I look back at the me, of that time when pen and paper were my tools of escapism
Long before social media and computers became as regular as day and night
I have stacks of unused writing pads and envelopes. The end of an era

Best Wishes,
The Retired Eileen

 

17/10/2024

Magic...

I love the cool feel of fluffy fallen snow
Glittering crystals gathered in mounds
Sunshine days when sunlight twinkles
Gardens full of sweetly scented flowers
Autumn has a magic recipe of its own
Toffee apples and pumpkin smoothies
Springtime opens forth with birdsong
Daffodils and freshly revived trees
Hearing a favourite song of memories
Music channels worlds of adventure
These days are filled with such positivity
Poetic words flowing as free as a river
Sometimes obstacles get in the way
Noise and mayhem clutter pathways
Those are times when life needs luck
Times to learn magic’s secret formula…

Eileen T O’Neill 10/10/2024

Choices...

Life’s journey takes us across many miles
Locations and directions near and far
Sometimes we are halted along the way
Traffic lights and incidents direct pace
Timings and turnings influence routes
At times there can be conflicts in mind
Especially when gut instinct challenges
A conundrum between a yes or a nay
What feels right for this point in time
Testing instances will arrive without fail
Having the wisdom to know good from bad
Are strangers and friends so very different
Once reality springs some hidden surprises
Long held elements of trust can be sideswiped
Pretensions as friends and foes may be aligned
Second chances are mostly precarious actions
Lived experiences know that regrets are indelible
It is advisable to take time and to choose wisely..
 
Eileen T O’Neill 19/09/2024

June 1981...

Some dates remain in mind for various reasons
Those of a personal nature more easily recalled
I remember a specific day for a scary episode
In fact, it was a terrifying event that took place
I was a nurse in a hospital outpatient’s clinic
The building was situated beside a courthouse
The city’s main prison was across the road
It was indeed a very volatile area of Belfast
That Wednesday had been as busy as any day
Late afternoon and preparing to finish work
There was a commotion outside the building
Endless bangs and uniformed people outside
It became clear that the noise was gunshots
My colleagues and I got down on the floor
It was a most intense period of absolute fear
We knew nothing about the circumstances
Gunfire followed by the screech of loud sirens
The building filled with police and soldiers
Searching and surrounding the outside area
It seemed like an eternity lying on the floor
I assumed that this might be the end of life
Petrified and nauseous I got back to my feet
We learned there had been a prison escape
Eight prisoners had escaped into parked cars
Outside the window where I had been working
A terrorist incident lost to the pages of history
It remains a day I will forever regard as my miracle
My unborn baby was also a survivor that day...

Eileen T O’Neill 15/05/2024
 

Night Sky

Between the hours of evensong and dawn’s birdsong
Curtains gradually close upon daylight’s presence 
The night sky becomes an immense inky backdrop
Twinkling stars and planets peep down from on high
There is such mystery staring into the vast night sky
Darkness is a time for shadows to dally and dance
Minds try to fathom the shifting nature of shapes
Dreamers delve under their cosy duvets to escape
Adventurers enjoy the magic of the quieter hours
Ghostly figures flit and dart from place to place
Unknowns love the freedom to occupy the night
Creative spirits easily bring night’s beauty to life…

Eileen T O’Neill 08/05/2024

Silence...

The house within its emptiness has certain sounds
Not just odd creaks and scrapes up in the rafters
More like a very lively imagination running free
As a myriad of silent tones settle around the room
It is interesting to pick up these sounds of silence
Invisibility adds its madness to the cacophony
The mantelpiece clock seems to tick even louder
You are never alone while in the presence of time
There is a movement to life though rarely noticed
During these moments it is possible to reflect
Sometimes it is fine to let the silence simply be
A presence undisturbed by the outside world for now…

Eileen T O’Neill 02/05/2024

The Light...

Every day unfolds between sunrise and sunset
Drawing back curtains normally invites wonder
Daylight hours usually determine one’s mood
Attitudes so easily beset by disappointments
Or energised to make the most of each day
Light influences so much of life’s direction
Shreds and shards seep into darkened rooms
Instantly there is warmth and a sense of good
Inspiration thrives where light is all around
Photographs can capture unexpected scenes
Especially where light has seeped into view
There is a brilliant luminosity on a sunshiny day
Spirits rejoice and feel uplifted during those times
Summer’s blue sky colours the ocean’s wavy waters
Feeling good absorbs the best of sunlit opportunities
Motivation welcomes the joy of daylight’s presence…

Eileen T O’Neill 28/03/2024

Characters and Charlatans...

Occasionally poems will almost write themselves
If circumstances and details are readily available
My memories from an evening in Santa Monica
Fell into my lap as a lasting memory of events
A quiet evening in the lobby bar with friends
Enjoying a wonderful glass of Californian merlot
After a while, the lobby area became quite busy
People vying for a seat or phone charging points
A man bumped into my chair and excused himself
He heard my accent and immediately stood by me
Introduced himself as Sean Casey from Los Angeles
Of course he was full of chat about the film industry
Introduced us all to his group of actor companions
He was supposedly filming nearby in the local area
Within an hour Sean had almost sold us his story
It involved blood sweat tears and love at its core
Plausible to a few who were hanging on every word
Sean simply asked for extra drinks to conclude his tale
I sensed it was an unexpected serving of baloney
The hotel manager recognised the chatty troupe 
Within minutes they were unplugging their phones
Gathering backpacks and quickly exiting the door
They were well known for their calculated trickery
Just sixteen miles between Santa Monica and fame
Leaving the hotel to go to a restaurant for dinner
I shared the revolving door with singer Rod Stewart
We hesitated to try to gauge if it really was him
Nothing seemed as it might be in that location
Men in black were inconspicuous back at the bar
President Obama was attending an event tomorrow…

Eileen T O’Neill 21/03/2024

Make-Believe...

I always felt safe and secure in my favourite place
It was an exclusive location known only to me
I could go there at any time of the day or night
Being eleven seemed quite an old age back then
I enjoyed my time and friends at primary school
I was nervous about moving to a new high school
Most afternoons I had to do errands for my mother
I enjoyed shopping alone and having pocket money
Other worlds were known about through radio news
Vietnam was so far away but it was always a topic
The world I knew existed between school and home
Television brought new experiences straight into my life
I recall how afraid I felt when violent things happened
Daily murder and mayhem on the streets of my city
I had thought that killing was only in cowboy movies
Or very far away where the president had been shot
I frequently delved into worlds of endless imagination
I absorbed the many great adventures of Nancy Drew
Lived for my favourite comic June and Schoolfriend
Make-believe was a quiet place where I could just be
Feeling safe was paramount in my mind back then…

Eileen T O’Neill 14/03/2024

Many Reasons...

Twenty long weeks between the months of dark and light

Hibernation moves quickly once October has dawned

Life bounds itself indoors with strands of colourful lights

I long for the sound of birdsong and the scent of spring

Marking time with forward plans and new opportunities

Fifteen different tasks make up a household to-do list

Each task requires motivation and a great deal of energy

It is easier to put it all off until a brighter day has arrived

Flaky eyesight excuses another day without any reading

Raymond Carver's novel Beginners, still awaits its time

A bookmark has marked page four for at least six months

I feel sad that I have neglected to savour his observations

Four weeks until a suitcase must be prepared for travel

It is always easier to select clothes when the sun shines

Such an incentive encourages an exciting countdown

Motivation arrives easily when reasons are  positive...

Eileen T O'Neill 07/03/2024 

More Than Tea...

There is nothing more welcoming than a cup of tea
It is a first thought upon return from holiday places
Tasting the goodness of home’s simple familiarity
Tea has always been the backbone of Irish hospitality
Teapots are forever brimming with welcoming warmth
The chatter of conversation and the clattering of cups
Whether served in delicate china cups or favourite mugs
There is nothing to break social awkwardness like tea
During times of stress or woes tea is the go-to calmative
Grandfathers consumed more tea than drams of whiskey
The first drink of the day and usually the last drink at night
A cuppa held in one’s hands brings its own contentment…

Eileen T O’Neill 01/03/2024

Authentic...

Within our own abodes we will usually feel safe and secure
Doors and windows can be opened or locked as desired
We tend to trust circles of family, friends, and neighbours
There are certain familiarities we understand and allow
Online worlds and communities may seem like friendships
There are recognisable faces which greet each connection
Over the years these links become regular parts of daily life
Friends of friends seek us out trying to get to know us as well
Protocols can be easily set aside once we feel comfortable
There is a serious need to be alert to pretensions and falsities
External images can hide multitudes of craftily devised frauds
Lonely hearts looking for new love can be easily hoodwinked
Catfishing is the use of charm to entice and entrap a victim
Capturing secrets and details by which extortion can follow   
It is as distasteful as phishing whereby one’s identity is stolen
Perpetrators gain access to personal and financial information
Whilst it is so easy to reach far beyond our home environment
There is a need for extreme vigilance within this online world
Being alert to the authenticity of interactions and friendships...

Eileen T O’Neill 08/02/2024 

February's Arrival..

Today is a day that I have been longing to see
January’s longer darker days almost passed
Dreariness smothered winter’s enthusiasm
Energy laid low and snuffed out creativity
February’s arrival affords lots of fresh hope
This first day is the feast day of Saint Brigid
The celebrated mother patroness of Ireland
Patron of poets, scholars, midwives, and sailors
Revered by both Pagan and Christian cultures
Brigid’s day indicates that springtime is nearby
Daylight begins to stretch into the length of day
Calendar countdown dates move much closer
Anticipated holidays are on the nearer horizon
A first family birthday of the year to celebrate
There is a new purpose to life’s daily meaning
Displays of daffodils and tulips already in view..
 
Eileen T O’Neill 01/02/2024

Shoes...

This is really a story of personal endearment
Having had an eye for certain types of shoes
As a child I longed to own a Cinderella style
Sparkly Princess play shoes with satin bows
Sensible school shoes chosen for me instead
Dull dark colours bought for practical reasons
Boring silent footsteps when walking outside
I yearned to select a more appealing style
Summertime sandals with a seventies wedge
More appropriate for the season and an age
Passing fads did not really grab my attention
I had no desire to teeter upon towering heels
Comfort and safety informed my purchases
I knew exactly what design I was searching for
It took me many years before I discovered them
My attention taken one afternoon in Dallas
Gorgeous black velvety shoes with kitten heels
They are that go-to footwear for special occasions
Times when confidence can carry me through
Shoes are an accompaniment to life’s events
So many experiences and journeys undertaken
Sense and sensibility nicely fitted with panache…
 Eileen T O’Neill 28/01/2024

Bridges...

Life is full of pathways and meeting points
Various plans are laid out simply by destiny
Other directions come about by choices
Pivotal moments often cause a dilemma
It can be difficult to find a happy way back
If lost in a confusion or a lonely isolation
Stepping up to acknowledge challenges
May require a transition between thoughts
It takes bravery to cross a wavy wooden bridge
Especially when taunted by intense winds
It once carried me from petrification to success
Personal achievement is to reach the other side…

Eileen T O’Neill 18/01/2024