I found you in Amsterdam, weet je nog?
Natuurlijk!
Somewhere on the Overtoom, in the summer
of my slow 30’s when home was a broad barge
on a narrow gracht. Lijnsbaansgracht it was.
Weet je nog? Natuurlijk!
I wonder how deep the things we’ve held
are carved into our core- like all those letters
you once housed that formed words, that gave way
to structured sentences that someone then pressed
and printed and someone else, sitting far away,
read and wondered
or does it all fall away, natuurlijk
when we ourselves slip from the canal that held
a barge, that housed a home where a letter press
rested against the port wall and I wondered
what it once held.
Weet je? Natuurlijk niet!
All words and photographs by Damien B. Donnelly
Damien B. Donnelly 
What a fascinating subject matter and brilliantly conveyed. 👏
Thank you Paula, this was another poetry prompt on Twitter from PoetryIreland and the prompt was to write a poem about printing. These prompts are great for keeping me thinking and distracted. So far I’m doing two a day, one from poetry Ireland and another from Cobh Readers and Writers, so far I’ve managed 81 poems since lockdown in between gardening and redecorating mum’s house here in the countryside of Dublin. I’m not very good at doing nothing so instead I’m doing a little bit of everything 😲🤪😂☘️💚
Good for you Dami! I’m nearing the big launch of my query letter for my novel. Hope to pitch to agents in June then let go and move on to the next project. I’m amazed how diligent you’ve been. Happy to hear you’ve settled in well. Best to you. 🎈
I am so happy to hear that you’re pitch ready! Isn’t it the best feeling! I have my fingers and toes crossed for you! 🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🌟☘️💚