My Heaven
My heaven is living, with a few tweaks.
I live in the family home in Wexford.
The windows rattle in the wind in winter
And the walls may as well be papier mâché,
But it’s home;
It always was.
We are in a perpetual summer.
I wake every morning to sweet singing
And fresh baked bread for the market,
We live in the depths of Wexford countryside
But there’s always been more of a community here
than in Dunboyne where the trees are sad and the pavements are grey,
Where the night is never truly dark,
Where the stars are smothered by a fowl orange glow.
We return home from the market at noon with leftover brown bread,
Whatever we can find gets tossed between the slices,
No plastic cheese or tinned vegetables,
Nothing that wasn’t grown on the land just beyond this house.
All the windows and doors are open and
sparkling sunlight softly pushes through the grubby windows.
I spend the day in the cow field in the sun,
Where I never get burned and the lemonade is always cool.
I paint, I draw, I outshine the Mona Lisa.
I fall asleep in the grass to the blissful silence
But for the distant mooing and wind through the trees.
I watch the sun set and go inside for dinner,
Nothing fancy, but it tastes of love.
The aunts and uncles filter into the cramped sitting room,
Sharing gossip around the stove.
Granny is blaring some old soap on the television,
She’s still claiming she doesn’t need a hearing aid,
She’s in my heaven.
I go outside to the bamboo with my cousins and we sit,
Huddled in blankets around a fire fuelled by bamboo leaves.
S’mores in hand we look up to the clear night sky,
Arguing over which sprinkling of distant stars is Ursa Major.
As the sun grazes the horizon our eyes droop and limbs become heavy
As we fall asleep
But we don’t dream,
Because we know it can’t get any better than this.
Roisín O’Connor
If
If I could do anything, my wishes would be
To stop the rapid rising of the sea,
I would travel the world, curing diseases from big ones
Like cancer – to the smallest of sneezes,
I would go to poor countries and stop all the wars
And provide opportunities and open new doors,
I would give all the people on the streets a home
Then travel the world from New York to Rome.
Emily Mulrooney
Perfect World
I travel through time, new cities, different years,
Ancient Rome, moments before PompeiI was covered in ashes,
The dinosaur ages, watching a giant triceratops,
Futuristic cities where carbon dioxide levels are minimal,
I would have the ability to reduce CO2 from the atmosphere,
Saving the endangered species and bleak future,
I would drop world hunger and cure all sicknesses,
Saving billions from pain and distress.
There would’ve no violence no anger.
In a perfect world,
Everyone would be happy.
Lauren Brady
Untitled
On my way around the world
Back to World War ll
Just to revive all my relatives
Bye bye cancer
And after fixing all my problems
I will live happily forever
Saoirse Quinn
My Heaven
If I could read minds,
I could know what your thinking,
Even though you’re just sitting there blinking.
I’d travel the world,
But I’d start off in Bali,
Then climb up the mountains and swim in the valley.
My dream is,
To prance across the Broadway stage,
And dance my way to a nice big wage.
Time travelling is last,
So I can travel really far into the past.
Kate Buttner
In My Heaven
In my heaven
My dogs would be eternal
Alter my appearance
And have a special talent
In my heaven
I would be wealthy but healthy
Better everyone’s mental health
And cure all sicknesses
In my heaven
I would travel the world
Give animals a comfortable habitat
And solve climate crisis
In my heaven
I would be happy
Because my heaven
Is what I wish for our world
Arron Whelan
Untitled
I see myself, his day over and over.
The successes and failures, being reminded before me as he shrinks.
He disappears eventually, so does everyone around him.
I see the successes and failures of others through their lives.
The heroes and villains, they seem quite small now compared to their future images.
I keep on going, until I’m where I want to be.
A flick there, a conversation here can change so much.
It’s time to experiment.
Michael Cojocaru
Chilling
I’m in my mansion,
Chilling and dancing,
With my golden retrievers
I travel the world,
Sight seeing and helping the sick,
Curing cancer with a click
Niamh Hennessy
If I Could Do Anything
I would travel throughout the universe
And discover all the secrets that we would never have known
I could introduce our planet to life on all the billions of others
We could share food, music and culture with all of the other life forms
I would tell all of the other planets about my home and show them they are not alone
Anon
Resolve
Breathe underwater
Invest in charities
Let myself travel the world
Learn languages
Interest in education
Order people to use reusable energy
Never will I die
Resolve climate change
End world hunger
Emma McInerney
Untitled
As I go on my worldwide trip
I’ll cure every illness to exist
LA, Italy, Thailand
Trying to end the global warming band
Learning the cultures from everywhere I go
To help my famous makeup business grow
Working on red carpet events
Filling my pockets with euros and cents.
Rachel Daly
No Limits
If I had no limits
If I had no limits, I would fly around the world
I would teleport to places I’ve never seen before
If I had no limits I would bring loved ones back from the grades
There would be no cancer to harm anyone again
If I had no limits, I would time travel to see shows
And fight in wars and see how people lived before
I would play bass on a big stage in front of a big crowd
I’d like to listen to the crowds singing out loud
If I had no limits, I could do what I really wanted to do
But unfortunately I do have limits and none of this will come true.
Aurora Fitzpatrick
My Song to You
Imagine I could write a song
That could be anything you want it to.
Words rushing through a melody,
To give you everything I can’t.
I’d send us back through time
To when things were much more simple.
Write one word more,
I’d find the cure,
And bring her home as well.
Maybe if I wrote a song,
All desires intertwined,
You’d see everything I’d do,
For you.
Would that make you change your mind?
But a song can’t move mountains,
Or bring heaven down to earth.
I’ll never be everything you dream of me
But that’s OK.
Imagine I could write a song
That meant anything to somebody.
If someone,
Somewhere,
Sings along,
Then that will be enough.
Laura Dolan
In a World
In a world where I am free
I’ll teleport to mars and
Go on holidays in the stars
I’ll create world peace for everyone
So there’s no room for sorrow just fun
I’ll be famous and well known and I’ll
Sit upon a thrown
I’ll help everyone in need,
No matter what the deed
I’d do all that if I was free
Ruth Bowman
Sheep
The way they look the way they stare
The way they laugh the way they care
They are just all afraid to be saw bare
They are all just sheep in the heard lookin for a Shepard that’s not coming.
They drive kids to madness and self harm
Make them feel like crap. All because they aint a sheep
Following the crowd
Because they got their own identity
They say their own words
They speak their truth
Like there’s no judgment out there
But there is, there was ,there always will be
Sadly, that’s life nowadays
All this spotlight, all this pressure
For what a status that everyone knows,
it not worth the pain the youth feels now days
Few understand few sympathise
But more create these problems
Just because they afraid to be left out of the herd of sheep throughout life.
Anon
My Heaven
The year is 1998,
The World Cup is taking place,
We already won the Champions League Final,
The match was a disgrace.
I saved a penalty in that match,
I hope I save this one too,
I dive left as the fans watch,
I hear roars and a boo.
I wake up as Spider-Man,
I know that name,
The big screen is on,
I won Ireland the game.
I shoot my webs and swing,
Left, to right,
I get to my house,
As the cruise crew cannot believe their sight.
They stood shocked at Ireland,
Staring at our might,
As we life the cup,
I see the light.
I transport again,
I am on a stage,
Liam and Noel turn,
Their music is the sound of a mage.
Oasis have returned,
As Liam sang ‘Gas Panic!’,
The stage turns dark,
To space, the only way.
Over the moon,
Towards the stars,
I look up,
It really does look like Milky-Way bars!
Lennon Connolly
Save the World
The first thing I would do
If I could do whatever
Is save the world and bring
All the people together.
There would be no climate change
And there would be no war,
My husband Leonardo DiCaprio and I
Would be walking on the floor
Into our new mansion
As we’re both extremely famous
With our kid running around
That we named Seamus.
Another thing I’d do
Is bring back my grandmother
As I miss her so much
And there is nothing I would rather
Do.
Jasmina Levandovschi
Calm
Bad nights with shiny lights,
Doin’ stupid things, getting into fights.
Was kinda tired, smelling of sweat,
Had a coke and a cigarette.
Tried not to overthink so instead,
Calmed down and cleared my head.
My mate sat next to me, lit one too,
Didn’t have to speak, cuz he knew.
Noa. No h. Don’t judge.
Noa Car
My Heart
7 years old
At home and cold
The sounds of scream
Echo in my dreams
Bottles litter the floor
Heating is broken
And so is my heart.
James Redmond
Food
I love food
It puts me in a better mood
Have any kind
It will change your mind
Pizza, pasta, wraps
Carrots, apple, sugar snaps
Food really is the best
So give it a try before you die
Grace Sheerin
My Heaven
If I has the chance to do whatever I wanted
I would end world hunger with a click of my fingers
I would alter all factors that badly affect the environment
I would have the ability to teleport whenever I wanted
I would be immortal at the age of 21 and out teleportation to good use
I would stop in Paris in a vintage apartment with a beautiful view
My grandmother would be sitting beside me holding my hand
And telling me stories about what heaven is like
We would share laughter and memories from when I was younger
Just for a day everything would be perfect
I would say goodbye with a tight last hug
I would continue to travel the world and carry the memory is that day with me forever
The goodbye I never got to say.
Mona
Untitled
This, this is not the woman I know,
She is the firey eyed blonde who lifted me above mountains,
Not this bed bound, wax figure with nothing but dying embers to light her face,
So pale and transparent I can see the pain,
The blood that should be boiling at an insult to her children
Flowing through tubes like rose oil she uses each morning.
No words just pain and an inhuman sob as I run from
The bleached linoleum jail could express the fear I feel,
The feeling of losing the goddess that brought my soul into the world,
The world that is now taunting me as the world still spins outside of the beeping,
A constant reminder that without her the show must go on,
But in my production of life she plays the leading lady,
Without her my curtain falls.
Anon
My Peanut Butter Bagel
I go to school everyday
It’s a five minute walk from my home
I bring my peanut butter bagel with me
It tastes pretty nice
It’s all good in the hood until this bagel is all gone
I sit in the class thinking of that cup of tea I had no time to devour
But I look at the clock
I can have my tea in an hour
Lorna Walsh
Friendship
Friendships built on the basis of conformity
Makes society the home of insecurity.
Getting by is easy for you,
All that works for me is sniffing glue.
Shunned by others, comforting for me, at least it’s almost free.
Headphones on, nostrils wet, floating bliss means happiness.
Jay O’Malley
It’s Time
It’s time to write a poem
But my mind went all alone
I can’t think of a topic
Not even tucked away in my pocket
So I’m just going to write about this
Because there’s nothing on my topic list
Try to enjoy it
And hopefully a poetry company will enjoy it
Sophie Ree
I Don’t Know
I don’t know what to write
And it’s giving me a fright
Poetry isn’t my thing
Nor can I sing
I wish I could do
But there’s too much to it
I’m going to leave this here
I hope you remember it for the rest of the year.
Rebecca Mooney
I Hate
I hate how you hurt me,
I hate the way you don’t even care,
I hate the manipulation and emotional abuse you put me through,
Yet everyone loves you,
You could do no wrong,
I was in my knees and you kept kicking,
It hurts more than you know,
But you don’t care.
My life has been full of disappointment
And you’re the biggest one of all
Caoimhe Moran
As I Lay
As I lay here
On the floor
The mix of blood
And foam begin to pour
I could hear the sound of the music beat
And I see the white of Conor’s teeth
He has the monster to feed his addiction
Now he has a monster restriction.
Jack O Gorman
Untitled
The rancid taste of my retainer in my mouth as I wake up.
The sound of my father’s constant nagging
And the wary of air as he leaves without shutting the door.
The comforting taste of shepard’s pie and beans on a cold afternoon.
The icy jolt in my gullet after a late night glass of water.
The sound of my studs cracking off the lino on my utility room floor.
Firm grip of my watch strap on my wrist, almost too tight but not quite.
The familiar sight of the objects on my bedside table when I wake up every morning.
The piercing shriek of the alarm clock that rouses me from my slumber each weekday.
Cillian Mangan
Untitled
You don’t like me
Keyboard soldier
Big catfishman
I can’t control myself
It’s going mad
Catch the football
Don’t drop it if you can
It’s the rest of your life that’s all
Anon
Untitled
Daniel climbed on the roof
He thought it was foolproof
Security didnt let him in
He said get in the bin
He stumbled into the club
Looking like he fell into a shrub
He told me that supporting spurs
Is like a lifetime of blurs
He’s a top guy
And he’s a fan of a takeaway Thai
Anon
Untitled
The special one
Supporting spurs is not fun
Nathan Ake is coming
Arsenal will get a bumming
Sorry Unai you just had a bad evening
Wenger you were seasoning
David Luiz cannot defend
His career is coming to an end
A beautiful poem by an Arsenal and Spurs fan
Anon
Untitled
I can’t think of a poem
A poem that’s good
A poem that can change minds, perception, opinions
That just aint me, would love it to be
I can think of the best way to break someone’s arm
I can think about how you probably think that is psychotic
But its not because I train in martial arts so chill
I can think about my love for both my countries
I can think about how I am weirdly attracted to Russians,
And that’s on daddy issues
Anon
The Battle
The winning team defending,
The losing team attacking.
Suddenly a maul,
One eye on the clock,
One eye on the ball.
Now a penalty,
But not for the hosts.
The away team win if their kicker puts it between the posts.
Both sets of fans patiently wait.
One set silenced, the other jeering.
Which set of fans will be the ones cheering?
After an eternity, he finally steps up.
To win the match, to win the cup.
He shoots,
And he scores
The away section lets out a roar.
The game is over, the winners confirmed.
One team delighted, the other distraught.
But next year a new battle will be fought.
Oisín O’Neill
I Like
I like to run,
Because it is fun,
When I am done,
My legs weigh a tonne,
I have won before,
But before the gun,
I pray I don’t run like a nun,
This poem is bad,
But at least it rhymes,
Because sometimes
It’s like walking on a mine
Séamus Anderson
My Love
For Helen my love,
I share with you my soul,
I share with you my passion,
I can’t keep control.
So if you see this,
I wanted you to know,
That this wasn’t from Danial,
But it was I DIO!
Danial Bin Arifuzaman
Untitled
Wednesday ranting getting up our steps,
Nothing off limits,
Everything is said.
Even through the rain, hail or snow,
Our feet in bits.
A walk a week is never enough,
Night after night,
Spilling the tea on all the sweeties and the wieners,
If they knew half we said,
God knows there’d be a fight.
Anon
Untitled
You look to the white line as you slowly pace,
To that ragged grey net you face,
The job that everyone fears,
But still everyone is quick to jeer.
That dreaded girl storming,
On a cold brisk Sunday morning,
You see her county jersey peeking out,
Dreading everything you were told about.
You begin to sprint closing down the angle,
Her slimy gum shield out and dangled.
Fakes left, goes right,
And now is when we begin to fight.
As she passes each one of my protectors with the ball,
Breaking down my safety wall.
She continues on her rampage,
Her face showing all signs of rage.
She takes her final strides,
Her intention she no longer hides,
She drops the ball to her laces,
Bringing the end to the races.
They stop and watch and wait to see,
What kind of goalkeeper I’ll be,
The one who throws herself to the ground,
Or will I be the coward around.
My time has come,
The ball flies in with that known hum.
I stretch myself as far right as I can,
And it all goes according to plan.
The crowd cheers,
No jeers.
My moment of glory,
Brings me to the end of my story.
Anon
Untitled
De Espana vengo yo
En Irlanda estoy por obligacion,
Estoy sin quejarme
Por amor a mis padres
Con la familia estoy contenta
En el colegio no estoy mal
Pero a veces hablo con mi familia
Y la sonrisa sale como si nada
Aunque eche de menos Espana
Y contenta no siempre estoy,
Al final la recompensa
Valdra la pena
Gabriela
What is Life?
What is life?
We spend time in school to just be called a fool,
We wake up at six to not go in and pretend to be sick,
School really isn’t for me, All I get is D’s,
I hate school,
I’m not for school and school isn’t for me,
Test after test I’m not the best,
Six years of misery to decide my future,
I couldn’t be bothered to listen to this teacher,
Skipping class and going home,
Hoping no one is home,
Then worrying about the next day,
I just know it wont be that great
Daragh Cullen
Break the Mould
I want to break the mould,
Of people sleeping in the cold,
The shine in their eyes,
After we say our goodbyes,
They head down for the craic,
For a game of knack,
It is not right,
That they should get a fright at night,
After the game,
They take a plane,
Trying to get by is hard,
When your body is scarred,
Scarred from a broken heart,
After Bart Biggins showed off his art,
He went off with his other,
Welcome back to how I met your mother,
Bart Biggins is a man,
Just like his nan.
Anon
School
Tuck in your shirt
And do up your tie,
Push in your chair
And finish your work.
Stop screaming and shouting
And running around.
I am the teacher
Now do as I say!
Anon
Training Hard
Training hard, running from the guards,
Playing cards and sipping cider,
Sleeping with my hurley and sliotar
Throwing darts and playing pool
Not touching green cos that shite aint cool
In summer time we’ll be cutting silage
Driving the Audi she hasn’t too much milage
Daire Rohan
Football
Football is my passion,
It allows me to escape from all my distractions,
It keeps me fit,
And I really enjoy it,
I always give it one hundred percent,
And hope to get good results in the end,
Losing is part of sport,
But winning is the best feeling in the world.
Grace Donovan
Pringles
I was eating pringles.
Salt and vinegar pringles
I had crusty lips.
Salt on the buds,
Vinegar on my lips,
The pain was worth it
Can is empty.
Anon
My Dreams
My dreams can be such a frightful place,
Teeth falling out and spiders on my face,
A place to set my imagination free,
Oh how rich and famous I could be.
I could buy a monkey so he could wipe
My salty tears away as I skype
My grandparents from beyond the grave
As they scold me about how to behave
I could travel the world and fly by myself,
Stroke Santa’s beard and meet Dobby the house elf.
But then I wake up and realise
That my imagination only tells me lies
Alan O’Toole
Breaking the Mould
I want to break the mould,
Of people sleeping in the cold,
It is not right,
That they should get a fright at night,
Trying to get by is hard,
Especially when you’re scarred,
People shouldn’t suffer,
Unlike Bruce Buffer,
Homelessness is huge,
So do not be a scrooge,
And help our homeless out,
And stop the drought,
So lets break the mould,
Of people sleeping in the cold.
Andrew Heffernan
Soy Espanol
Soy espanol este ano es dificil para mi
aun a si yo quiero seguir
Yo tengo dificultades pero siempre las resuelvo
Aun a si yo sigo sonriendo
Rodrigo Tapia
All Ireland Final 2
Success is not an accident,
It is hard work,
Skill, mindset,
Sacrifice and most of all,
Love of what you are doing,
Or trying to achieve.
Gary Whelan
Runner
I love to run,
It makes me feel free,
It is one of the ways,
That I can show off me.
I may not run for Ireland
I may not be the best
Though trust me I try harder than the rest,
And I will always give it my absolute best.
Lorena Harrison Malle
I Lost You
Your words hurt more than shots,
I dropped, again, a quiet scream,
I couldn’t find you in my thoughts,
After I lost you in my dream.
I’ll throw at you my empty, heavy look,
Like a worker that throws coal into the ovens,
I kept looking for you in my book,
After I lost you in my poems.
David Fesenco
The Best Day of my Life
The feeling of Cluxton lifting the 5th Sam,
The intense butterflies of seeing the sliotar split the posts,
The pride when you hit the ball down the middle of the fairway
The fresh smell of the green grass,
The soft tone of christy Moore’s voice,
The warm taste of sticky hot cake
Followed by ultra saucy chicken curry
The squish of the yellow aviva stress ball
Or the feel of fresh bed sheets after a hot shower
When you keep popping the bubble wrap
Until your mam threatens you with the wooden spoon
Oh the thrill
Coming down on a Tuesday night to the smell of a chicken stir fry
With dad blaring the Wolfe tones
While prepping the table
Oh to think of the feeling you get when all of these happen,
That day will be the best day of my life
Darren Daly
The Feeling
I love seeing my nephew as he puts a smile on my face
I like to listen to Luke Kelly on the way to my big games
I would love the feeling of winning an all-Ireland
Or Leinster minor football medal with Meath this year
I love the taste of a fresh spice bag.id love for Kerry to beat Dublin in this year’s championship
I love the smell of fresh cut grass in the summer
And the feeling of striking a ball over the bar from 40 yards out
Ben Donnelly
Waking Up
Waking up to the smell of freshly baked croissants,
Money in my palms, I feel like a millionaire,
Tony Martial scoring goals, English press said he had no chance
Cavan for Sam 2039, I’ll celebrate with a glass of win,
I just kicked a ping, he didn’t do anything
Poking holes in plastic, it’s satisfying just like elastic.
Oran McGovern
In my Ideal World
I would have oasis formed back together with Gerry Cinnamon and Noel on guitar
In a sold out Croke Park in the middle of Summer with Jape and Boylo singing Live Forever.
Dunboyne winning the minor double, and Leeds beating United at Elland Road.
I would have football jerseys made the way they used to be and only boots
That be sold are Predator Manias.
I would have Italia ’90 highlights on all day,
Everyday whilst eating Juneys coddle. Life…
Completed it mate.
Liam Kelly
I Love
I love watching soccer as the crowd cheers
But I also like some songs as it’s music to my ears
I don’t know if I prefer eating pizza or drinking Fanta whilst watching movies and sitting at home
I support man united in football but they don’t play nice football at all
I’d run towards a chocolate cake but I’d run away from a big scary snake
I go on holidays to the beach but it’s been sometime since I’ve gone to mass to preach
I like spraying myself with aftershave unless I’m in a long dark scary cave
I’ve spoke about the things I like and the things I don’t like riding a bike
Eoin Mooney
My Favourite Sightings
My favourite sightings are seeing sunsets in the summer time.
I also like the sight of seeing my nanny and granda.
I love hearing the sound of rain hitting against my window at night as I feel relaxed.
I love the taste of chocolate in my mouth as it melts,
My favourite are chicken nuggets from Mcdonald’s.
My favourite smell is of the Mac studio fix foundation because of its really distinctive smell.
I love the smell of petrol at a petrol station,
And I love the smell of perfume that smell of flowers.
Sarah Kavanagh
My Dog
I have a dog called Lily,
She likes to be a little silly.
She has dark brown fur,
But when she is outside she bur.
We go and plant on the green,
And sometimes she can be mean.
Whenever you are down,
Lily will lift your frown.
Rebecca Keogh