Halloween triolet for the bus

We never heard of Nutcrackers and you wouldn't lend us a hammer

Nuts wouldn't crack without a hammer,

And we had only uncle's shoe

No matter pitched the yelp or yammer

Nuts couldn't crack without a hammer.

Beside the fire our skins grew tanner

And all of it was lost on you

Nuts wouldn't crack without a hammer,

And we had only uncle's shoe

with thanks to Liz for the prompt - other bussers can be found here

Aideen Henry on the Radio

This weekend the great Aideen Henry is our guide for the Sunday Scrapbook adventuring.
She lives in Galway and works as a writer, physician and lecturer both in Galway and Dublin. Her poems have been published previously in several literary journals and magazines including Crannóg, the SHOp, Ropes, the Cúirt Annual and Southword, and she has given many poetry readings around the country. She was shortlisted for the 2009 Hennessy X. O. Literary Awards. She has just published her first collection of poetry, "Hands Moving at the Speed of Falling Snow". She also writes drama and short fiction and is a member of the infamous Atlantis Collective - click here for more on them.

She has chosen a mix of themes; Young Love, Loss & Singularity

We'll be there, in the usual place, at the usual time, with the usual... y'know.

(96.4 fm/ liffey sound live online - link on the right) (4pm) (writing and conversation - what did you think?!)

Ways to combat listlessness

1. Place some glittery stars on the windowsill of your upstairs landing... see how long one of them takes to reach the bottom of the stairs unaided by human intervention (4 or 5 weeks)
2. Put molten (but not hot - just not fully set) jelly mix into one of your ears, allow to set. Voilá - you will have a perfect little replica of the open-est path to your brain, conveniently also doubles as an ear plug. For completeness - repeat on other side. *
3. Pretend you're an actor that's playing someone who's really into their day job, only do this at home. At work behave as normal.
4. Probe the reasons for why all the things on this list begin with the letter "P" - is "P" simply the letter of excitement, the letter of fullfillment? Think deeply about it - Perhaps this is the key to life.
5. Ponder the things you would add to your own list in order to avoid list-less-ness.

* of course don't really do this and don't come crying to me if you do, ya crazy maizy!

A Poem which attempts to dissuade you from bringing your Iguana to Apache Pizza

Like Monday's romantic poem - this one has special resonance for me, Apache Pizza being the site of Mr VC and I's second date. No wonder I was smitten

A Poem which attempts to dissuade you from bringing your Iguana to Apache Pizza*
.
Don't-a bring your Iguana to Apache Pizza
It'll lose it's-a dewlap, get tomato on feets-a
This is one little-a lizard who can't take the heats-a
Better tell-a him now, you-a better not yeild
.
They won't sell him wine there - mixed or varietal
And the staff there won't discuss no problems societal
He's as well watching TV through his eye that's parietal
Or to blend with the grass in the field
.
And Iguana's are rarely served nice pepperoni
So your little fella will likely get moany
No he doesn't live there, níl sé ina chónaí **
Apache yells hurt his subtympanic shield
.
So tell your Iguana, it'd just hurt his gizzard
Twould be less fun than meeting a tired Eddie Izzard
He's not like a turtle, it's home for this lizard
No Apache Pizza for your Iguana today

.

* Pizza place in Dublin City Centre

** He is not resident...

If you want to feel good about how tidy your house is

Go to see Winter's Bone

It's also a damn good film about a hidden and fascinating part of middle America that I for one have never seen represented so believeably and completely before on any screen big or small.
tis tipped for oscar success too, but don't let that put you off.

Back on board - the meeting bus

So, I fell off the wagon for a couple of weeks there, but am back on board now, ticket in hand - this week Argent set the task of writing about a meeting of some sort of shape or size....

See here for more passengers...

I decided to write about meeting a special someone... - it is a little vomit inducing, but I can't think at the moment, so for me this is about the height of it.

When you meet

.

Let shyness slip, like sunlight off a lake

you're home and can sink into

long longed for warmth

.

and feel the thrill of spilling incandescence

an essence of acceptance

a nameless need for more

.

clutch with your grasping fingers

linger on the trace of folding

when you find the magic, hold it

keep it safe, and keep it fast

your very life depends upon it

feed it, love it, make it last

Rebecca De Havalland on the Radio

This week the fabulous Rebecca De Havalland is our guest on the Sunday Scrapbook.
From Granard originally, Rebecca was born as Eamon Tallon, later took the name Ross for professional reasons and finally became Rebecca in more recent years - having become at the same time Ireland's first transgender person to complete the full sex change operation. She has had a rollercoaster of a life story - and she tells it honestly, and with great warmth, in her memoir "His name is Rebecca" - which was cowritten by Evelyn Walsh and was published earlier this year.
The book is a great read, and I look forward to talking to Rebecca on Sunday at the usual time (the usual time is 4pm), in the usual place (liffey sound fm - link on the right).
I'll probably have to wear a hat though, Rebecca's a real hair and beauty professional and I fear my birds nest/ mass of split ends might be distracting for the interview.... for fab beauty and fashion updates you could do worse than visit Rebecca's blog over here

Rebecca's chosen theme is "One day at a time"

invitation

As anything I advertise on this blog seems to immediately get overrun with thousands of enthused fans, I would like to take this opportunity to beg of you to come along to this, but arrive early, don't be dissappointed if legions of various cushions t-shirt wearers (there's a t-shirt? you mean you don't have one?) elbow their way in there first. Mention my name at the door if there's a problem and I'll hoosh you in.

Two young Irish-based writers invite you to join them

in celebrating the launch of their debut publications.

Kathy D’Arcy, from Cork, will launch her first

collection of poetry, Encounter.

Erika Meyers, from Ohio, USA, will launch her novel,

Strangers in America.

Irish Writers Centre, Parnell Sq. Nth, Dublin 1

Friday 22 October, 2010, at 7pm

Both authors will read from their works.

Wine, tea and coffee served

RSVP quantumsofa (at) gmail dot com

A poem which attempts to dissuade you from bringing your parrot to knobs and knockers

Oh, I've been terrible lazy of late... Anyway, looking forward to Joan's Book Launch tonight - eloquently introduced over here. (not by myself needless to say - eloquence, and anything else that calls for a scintilla of energy is far beyond my grasp just now)

In other news - hope you will enjoy the following -

A poem which attempts to dissuade you from bringing your parrot to knobs and knockers
.
Don't bring your parrot to knobs and knockers
the name alone is bound to shock her
and asides from that she'd loose her flock her
sense of direction would be all distorted
.
While the shiny door handles might be sure to excite her
and the songs of the various doorbells delight her
I've no doubt the knocking on doors would just fright her
She'd lose all the colour she'd sported
.
She'd peck at the letterbox, imitate all the doorbells
No the staff wouldn't be under her feathery spell
They'd get her down from her roost and send her to hell
Such a terrible mess you'd have courted
.
So sit Polly down, tell her she must be crackers
if she insists on looking at claxons and clackers
Tell her you will not bring her, and no one will back her
No Knobs and Knockers for your Parrot today
.
See here for more on the wonderfully named knobs and knockers emporium

Nessa O'Mahony on the Radio

This week it's a great pleasure to welcome the wonderful Nessa O'Mahony to the Sunday Scrapbook Sofa (but there's actually no sofa - Nessa if you're reading this don't be dissappointed when there's no sofa...)

Nessa was born and lives in Dublin. Her poetry is collected as Bar Talk, (Dublin, iTaLiCs Press, 1999); and Trapping a Ghost (Bristol, Bluechrome, 2005).
In 1996 she was joint winner of the Kerry International Summer School Poetry Competition and was short-listed for The Patrick Kavanagh Award. In 1997 she won the National Woman’s Poetry Competition and was short-listed for the Sunday Tribune / Hennessy New Irish Writing Award. Her verse novel In Sight of Home was published by Salmon in 2009. She teaches creative writing with the Open University and is a regular facilitator of creative writing workshops in Ireland and the UK. The theme Nessa will be taking on is that of "Writing Home - Diaspora Writing, and identity in Poetry".

You can listen in on Sunday at 4pm, that's 5pm in Tunisia, on Liffey Sound - link on the right there - or catch up as always on the archives sundayscrapbook.blogspot.com - probably Tuesday night.