A Moment in Time’ with Excel Writers
I attended a very beautiful event at Circle of Friends Cancer Support Centre on Friday last, 28th March. Organised by the Excel Writers, the event was titled ‘A Moment in Time’ and featured poetry and prose, with proceeds going to Circle of Friends. Hazel O’Neill, who teaches creative writing, explained what the event was about.
“The event features some creative pieces, reflection in poetry and prose, some memoirs, all in the theme of ‘A Moment in Time’. I teach the creative writing class in the Tipperary Excel and after Christmas we got together and did some brainstorming and we came up with this idea, and decided that we would do it as a fundraiser for Circle of Friends. We have two groups here so there are about 15 in total that participate. We are delighted to bring them together to showcase their work” said Hazel.
Paula Hynes got things underway with a piece titled ‘Inspired by my Mother’. This was centred around the adventures that they had together when she was growing up. “I thought it was very apt as Mother’s Day is on Sunday next” said Paula.
It was the perfect start for what was a thought provoking morning. Throughout the event we heard different accounts from the participants of their own moment in time, some personal to themselves, while others were more public in nature.
To give you a further flavour of the event we had for example, an account of two people on the Luas and their interaction, as detailed by Betty Ryan with support from Marie Hennessy. It began with a guy getting on the Luas and saying to his friend: “Happy Birthday”. The friend responded with “Thanks mate, I’m 34 today but I feel like I’m 64….Yea came the response which was followed by the friend saying “My 10 year old daughter rang me first thing this morning wishing me a Happy Birthday and said “I love you Daddy”. I was very low in myself, it gave me such a boost to hear from my daughter, it really made my day”….The conversation continues until the friend leaves the Luas at Jervis. The Simon & Garfunkel song ‘Bridge Over Troubled Water’ plays afterwards.
Fiona Pilkington read a captivating poem that gave everyone food for thought. “Her hair was tumbleweed in forsaken places, Her brows were nightingales without a song, Her sleep was a grey wolf circling the pen, her eyelids were white tents flapping”……. Marie Hennessy had a piece about the inauguration of Donald Trump.
“With speeches, cheering and flag waving, the older statesmen gone, excited Elon shook his fists as an anxious World looked on, His people clapped at what he said and he beamed at the colourful blaze of red, and while the red capped folk went wild, in the Kremlin Putin smiled”……….
Another Simon and Garfunkel song ‘The Sound of Silence’ followed. Katherine Kennedy’s ‘Moment in Time’ related to a picture that had been recovered from a vacant house. “A picture speaks a thousand words and I feel as if I have stepped back in time, as I see the faces of my great grandmother and great grandfather, for the first time” said Katherine.
The picture was of Bridget McHugh and Michael Ryan on what was most likely their wedding day, February 29th, 1876. The Thomas Moore poem and song ‘Love Thee Dearest’ follows.
And so the event continued with contributions from other members interspersed with music. What I have given you above is just a short synopsis of what was a really lovely event. I want to thank all the contributors and Patricia McHale who looked after the music content.