Quite a line-up for this ‘Last Wednesday’ open mic from 7 Towers in Cassidy’s of Westmoreland Street, Dublin— All the usual suspects and a few new hands at the game. Karl Parkinson led off with a few new ones, including ‘Positivity’ which is well worth hearing. Oran Ryan explored the link between mental ilness and poetry, which made us all shift a little uneasily in our seats. The guest for the evening, an American-based

 London poet Jane Ormerod (www.janeormerod.com), gave a virtuoso display of that rich flowing verse that really grips the ear. I liked her ‘Termites’ poem particularly. Walt Whitman… no, no, he wasn’t there at Cassidys… well, then again he was because his name came up a number of times after Jane mentioned him. Still a great influence after all those years!

Then Bob Shakeshaft, Helen Dempsey, Inez Dillon Steve Conway, Ann tannen... Ann gave a series of poems grouped around ‘parenthood’ which I thought really

good. Anamaria Crowe Serrano followed and Liz mcSkeane gave some old and new poems (Welcome back, Liz, after a too-long absence!). Also welcome back to Kevin Swords who gave a poem examining the phenomenon we now cannot do without: The Blog. I gave my old ‘Gravediggers’ poem and the one with the first line stolen from Wordsworth ‘How Of in Spirit Have I turned to Thee…‘   Thank God he wasn’t there to hear what I added on!

I know I’ve left some people out so to them apologies. Reminds me of something I read in the Guardian (I think) over the weekend: The composer Brahms was a very cantankerous individual and once, on leaving a gathering, turned around at the door and said that if there was anyone in the room that he had not insulted they had his apologies, and then left.