Poetry Fortunes – at Secret Garden Galway on 30th of April – part of Poetry Day Ireland
Älä jätä jälkiä – at Alexander Theatre – premier on 14th of October
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Also in the summer I will be part of a great tour of poetry!
Distantly yours
I’ll be doing a very exciting performance in Finland. Or not in Finland, I’ll be in Ireland – but I will try my best to be present through electronic connections at Souls Outspoken.
15th of November, from 7pm Finnish time (the first thing I will struggle with will be figuring out what time I have to exist!)
Spinach
Identity
Identity
Clare Island & stories
I love to stay at hostels, due to amount of people you meet. I’ve been recently staying a couple of nights at Clare Island, and I suddenly realised I should start collecting this memories in a diary or something, since I won’t be able to remember everything.
Some people I met at the island – sorry for not mentioning everyone, I seem to forget the man leaning on a shovel in a field, and the shop-keeper and – you are never really lonely in a small place, are you. Unless you wish to be (is it possible?)
I met two people biking insane amounts daily, who have a relative in possession of a Galway Hooker. We exchanged numbers just in case it’s sailing when I’m around. I would be overwhelmed to have the change to board one.
I met someone, with whom we quickly got into discussion of life’s crisis. Sharing my mental health struggle, now on the better side of things – her more recent, more acute situation of heart failing and needing a surgery soon. It was a very light-hearted discussion, both of us being apparently rather capable with “oh such is life, the problems” -attitude. The surgery might work out for her, or it mightn’t, but she’ll be climbing Croigh Patrick next year this time. This is the plan! I’ll cheer from below if I’m around, my fear of heights keeps me away from the holy mountain.
I was jealous of a man living in a van! A man who runs on adrenaline, loves skulls (I know this because I have a skull-tattoo. Yes, of course I have one. Every poet should have danger written across their arm) surfs and promised we’ll listen to punk rock next time. But the van! I want a camper van – this growing obsession only got worse, when I arrived to Louisburgh and was presented the assumption that I would suit together with a camper van.
Well, I definitely would. Where’s it?
I also met this dog, who loved participating in my work – didn’t help much, but was a great delight.
[There will be picture soon]
Then there was the actual traditional music night – not Whiskey in the Jar-concert, but people singing old songs, reciting poetry, playing instrumental tradtional music and doing the dancing. I also went overboard with courage and did an unexpected performance with two poems. Grand! My favourite moments were still the lady who, after hearing my poem, told to me that “now all the men are afraid and will run away!” I know, I make them like that! And the moment of leaving –
There’s something in the moments of leaving, the words having their last chance to be said, conversations condensing into words aloud. I love that, as much as I always hate to go. This is what the man-frightening poem was about as well:
Before walking to the pier to catch a ferry, I knocked on a window and got a hug from there, other person still in the house and me outside, in the yard. Window-hugs! What a lovely thing, houses low enough to be able to reach out to other beings from their view-through-glasses!
“You’ll come back anyway,” was the greeting when boarding the ferry. “Oh I will. That’s what happens if you let me in on an island. You’ll never get rid of me afterwards.”
Hopefully I won’t be keeping the same poor bartender working every night after everyone else is gone, though. It was very kind, to let me finish my drink, but maybe I should’ve just kicked myself out! Thrice!
Idylli
Idyllistä työskentelyä joen rannalla! Pääsky kakkasi kädelle ja koneen reunaan, nyt näytöllä kiipeilee hämähäkki. Lehmän lannan tuoksu leijuu vienona tuulen kääntyessä. Taivas on aurinkolasien läpi kuin instagramfiltterissä. Enimmäkseen on lämmin, välillä aivastuttaa kasvien lisääntymismenot.
Idyllic working conditions at Louisburgh, Ireland. A swallow kindly shat on my hand and the computer, spider is participating by climbing up and down the screen. The scent of cow poo is mild yet recognisable, sky like in Instagram if you wear sunglasses. Mostly warm, hay fever a bit bothersome.
