This slim anthology of local poetry was published first in 2006 and reprinted in 2008 by Deep Pool. It represents the work of six poets: Denis Leonard, Catherine Lloyd, Niamh Wallace, Margaret Horne, Daphne Flannery, and Michael O’Reilly.

Their themes and inspirations vary: Sandymount Strand, the accidental death of a young man on the road, friendship, nomads, God, beauty of nature, reflections on personal and social changes.

In ‘Wanderer’, Leonard juxtaposes the life of a nomad on his camel against the daily commute and wonders: ‘Oh nomad, would you swap with us/ Who daily commute by diesel bus?’

Lloyd reflects on the character of a man who planted and then neglected a tree in The Pear Tree: ‘He hated all these outdoor games/ that young boys loved to play/ and thought that with the little tree/ he’d somehow spoil their day.’

Wallace in ‘Beware the Bull’ eloquently describes a field which becomes a ‘development’: ‘Marketing moguls next joined in the game/ Devising descriptions effusive./ “The desirable residence located here/ Offers a lifestyle elusive”.’

Horne in ‘Hair’ amusingly follows a girl’s emotional life through changes in her hair colour: ‘Praise be at last her hair reverted/ to that brown hue the Lord intended./For then she found her dreams came true/And married faithful Thomas Hugh.’

In ‘A Spring Breeze’, O’Reilly personifies the breeze and captures its mischievous quality: ‘He bellied the curtains where maidens were dressing/ And freshened their dimples, soft places caressing.’

In ‘Simplicity’, Daphne Flannery says, ‘We become artists when we see/ with our hearts and not our eyes.’
All of these writers are sincere in their quest and have produced an uncomplicated little volume, an ideal companion for a lonely bus journey.

‘Sandymount Strand’ is available through Books on the Green, Sandymount. Price €5.00