Laois 17th July 2021

Words Move in association with Dunamaise Arts Centre

Looking forward to heading to Laois, working with the lovely people at Dunamaise Arts Centre to bring our Van Sessions with Farah Elle and Jean O'Brien to community groups around the county. We regret that due to current guidelines, these are for invited groups only, but we look forward to coming back for more gigs soon. In the meantime, please enjoy Jean O'Brien's poem, newly commissioned for Words Move, here.

Jean O'Brien

Words Move in Emo Court

The morning radio announcing a light fog in Laois

makes me think of Emo Court with Gandon’s

grandeur, its flowering summer meadows, the lake

and statues shrouded, as if in a waking dream.

WHERE'LL WE'LL BE

Stop 1 Laois Music Centre

Stop 2 MY Creative Space

Stop 3 Poet's Cottage

How to Book: our Words Move Gigs in Co Laois are for invited community groups. We’re afraid due to current restrictions we can’t offer public events at this time for these events. We look forward to coming back soon! See Dunamaise's full programme of events by clicking below.

THE PERFORMERS

Jean-O'Brien Poet Laois

Jean O'Brien

Jean o’Brien’s last collection was her New & Selected Fish on a Bicycle (Salmon Pub. 2016/2018) Her new collection is due in autumn 2021 and is called Stars Burn Regardless. In 2005 she was the Writer in Residence for co Laois. She was awarded a Patrick Kavanagh Fellowship in 2017/18 and recently had a poem included by the Irish Ambassador to Washington in his women poets month in February. An Award winning poet she has won the presdigious Arvon International prize along with other awards, she holds a Master of Phil in cw/poetry from Trinity College, Dublin. Ireland.

Farah Elle

Farah Elle

Farah Elle is a progressive Artist / Musician based in Dublin, whose distinctive voice reveals something of the beauty in the ephemeral everyday. Farah has eclectic influences, rich in Libyan echoes from her North African background. Her ethos as an Artist is to actively value the power of music and language as tools for progress and healing. Farah also holds music & wellness workshops to encourage people of all creeds to creatively express themselves and celebrate their identities. In the meantime, Farah Elle’s debut album 'FATIMA', named after her mother; is due for release in 2022. 

POEM

Words Move in Emo Court

 

The morning radio announcing a light fog in Laois

makes me think of Emo Court with Gandon’s

grandeur, its flowering summer meadows, the lake

and statues shrouded, as if in a waking dream.

 

I see the avenue of giant red sequoias, bark aflame

they stretch proudly skywards. A drift of swans

corrals the man-made lake creating a white

chain-link fence. Dip your hand

 

into the absolute that is water and note

boatmen walking on its fragile skin, buoyed up

they perform their own miracle. Turn then

to the wildflower meadow, see iridescent

 

dragonflies flash by while wild orchids

with indecent purple lips seduce honey bees,

blown pods of spent flowers scatter

their seeds. All overseen by Demeter’s

 

daughter Persephone who holds her lichen furred

stone hands together as if preparing to gather

autumn in before she goes once more to ground.

Words move like clouds in passing seasons.

Jean O'Brien, 2021

More beautiful poetry always available on Poetry Ireland Here