frankarmstrong Medea’s Hymn from Ovid O guardian of the dark, keeper of creeping shadows, o night I’m standing in… And you, timid stars, who wait for her arrival to shine… And you, Hecate, Hecate, Hecate, who knows and keeps the herbal secrets, the potion’s potency, the rites of sorcery… And you, Earth, who grows the elements, … Read more
“Rrruth…Ruuuth…Ruthhh…Are you ok?” Her voice echoed, in ripples, wave after wave. Outside an open window, fronds of the palm tree danced. “Are you Ok? Here, Ruth. Drink that.” A pair of green birds chased each other flew past the Chinaberry tree. Laughing or fighting, their feathers were a lighter green against its dark leaves. I … Read more
When Henry Kissinger again fails to die Another tree in the Central Highlands loses all its leaves A girl sits on a visiting diplomat’s lap Someone organises a Nelson Rockefeller look-alike party which Henry Kissinger attends An election result somewhere is declared null and void for its own good An interrogating officer switches on the … Read more
No facts without Judgment Facts alone are wanted in life. Plant nothing else, and root out everything else. You can only form the minds of reasoning animals upon Facts: nothing else will ever be of any service to them. Mr Gradgrind from Charles Dickens’s Hard Times (1854). These are facts the heart can feel; yet … Read more
I’m just existing. That’s a side effect of a close death I guess. The difference between living and dying is really not that big a leap. This Covid lack of a future and future planning is suffocating. Yesterday someone said that lavender cheers you up. Happy days. Today nothing. I wrote most of the … Read more
The pandemic has changed life as we know it. We are dealing with the ‘New Abnormal’ where certain aspects of life, such as our café and pub culture are no longer viable. Alas, many places have closed down permanently due to reduced customer footfall and loss of incomes. So, what does this mean for our … Read more
Gasping for a hit, Carl made himself a fresh cup of coffee. But big-nosed and bat-eared, when he tried to slam it, the steaming brown liquid dribbled down his chin to piddle over his pink tie and white shirt. His accountant’s uniform. ‘Fuck!’ He’d forgotten the stitch-up already. His lips weren’t even that sore. His … Read more
Jacques Cousteau, the inventor of the aqua-lung which finally allowed human beings to roam freely under water once said: ‘The sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever.’ Like many other kids growing up in Dublin, I first learned to swim in the two-hundred-year old man-made harbour of Sandycove. … Read more
As Lebanon marked the centenary of its creation last week, it was not state-orchestrated ceremonies or mass demonstrations that marked the occasion, but rather the media circus surrounding the visit of French President Emmanuel Macron. Macron’s visit came with Lebanon mired in an unprecedented crisis that has plunged to new depths following last month’s devastating … Read more
In an impassioned speech at the ghostly Convention Centre currently housing Dáil Éireann, Michael McNamara TD denounced as ‘draconian’ the Criminal Justice (Enforcement Powers) (Covid-19) Bill 2020. This will permit Gardaí to inspect premises and close them down temporarily where a breach in compliance has been observed. The Clare representative chairs the Dáil’s Special Committee … Read more