Wanderling soars to high heavens

‘Daddy, you’re a pig. No, you’re a tiger – you’re a sheep.’

Thus it began, the launch of Wanderling, a collection of poems by Brendan Martin who’d been writing poetry for 40 years – sound like a Moses affair.

But a miracle came when Brendan trod on his wife Monica’s toes once too often and Monica said to him: set dancing is not your thing, Darling; join a writing club.

Writing Club in Mullingar means Inklings, and in Inklings Brendan has surged to his first collection of poetry called Wanderling, published by Lettertec Publishing.

At the launch of Wanderling, Brendan acknowledged the help and direction he got from Jimmy O’Connell, published poet and novelist.

Another author from Inklings, Anthony Viney, was the MC for the night and spoke of Brendan’s ability for instant rhyme and startling lyricism and ever-ready humour.

‘Night Games’ about Brendan as a child being Batman and Daddy being everything else under the sun, including the pig, was the first poem Brendan read.

The second, also for childhood, was ‘Man at Work’. Here’s an extract:

I tasted soil,

nd made my mark, with clay dried on my fingers,

except for my thumb –

still wet, from sucking.

Loaded with much such swift imagery is Wanderling.

Another Inklings member, Jacqui Wiley, read beautifully ‘Together Alone’, Brendan’s poem about missing his late mother.

Extract here:

I recall looking out from a window

and watching you wave back at me

from the back of a car as it drove away

the last of each other we’d see

Monica, Brendan’s beloved with great eloquence read “Candle Light”. Extract here:

lost forever within my mind,

discarded thoughts all left behind,

and as I see, the melting wax,

the droplets make my brain relax

Brendan thanked everyone, including Kimi and Pauli, his and Monica’s two children. Brendan’s siblings were thanked with the proviso that since he’s the eldest, they should be thanking him for looking out for them.

The esteem Brendan is held in the community was evident by the large number that turned out despite the summer rain.

Tea, coffee and sandwiches were provided by the Annebrook Hotel staff.

Brendon’s son, Pauli contributed music to the night with guitar, including one of his dad’s poems, which Pauli put to music called ‘The Cradle of the Night’, which has the line: Let yourself be taken to where happiness is deep.

Here’s hoping Brendan’s bitten the bug and new collections will appear far more often than every 40 years, so we can taste the happiness deep.

Wanderling is available at Just Books, Mullingar, also available to purchase on the Mullingar Literary Festival website.

The Mullingar Literary Festival on July 4-6 will include a fun interview with Brendan on Wanderling and his lyrical journey.

Inklings Writing Group meet on Tuesdays at 11am and on Wednesdays at 7.30pm in the Annebrook House Hotel. Mullingar. Aspiring and fun writers welcome.