I first listened in to some of the Irish Writers Centre Climate Writing Sessions quite a while ago when they were led by Lynn Buckle. I was always a bit shy about the writing aspect of it, preferring to listen to the guests and keep my head down.
Then the host changed and I lost track of the sessions. Recently I listened in again and was very pleasantly surprised by the new host Alice Kinsella. She’s been asking the guests really good and thoughtful questions.
October’s session included Jeremy Casey from the Native Woodland Trust talking about Ireland’s native woods and the work the charity is doing to preserve them.
The second guest was Seán Lysaght, a poet who lives in Co. Mayo and writes about the natural world. He read some of his prose and poems and talked about how even planted forests can house biodiversity.
The prompt for the writing session given by Seán was “As the leaves fall/fell…”
We were given about half an hour and I wrote and shared this poem.
As the leaves fall from scorched branches,
Goldfinches excavate flame-dried figs,
Joined by sparrows, great tits, flycatchers, black caps,
Watched by blackbirds, disturbed by jays,
The rufous doves peck among the newly-sprouting grass,
Leaving tiny puffs of ash behind.
All clearly visible in this space opened by fire,
The flash of red on goldfinch cheek an echo of destructive flame.
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