All - Ireland Slam

Good man Gerard in getting a great result last weekend in the first All-Ireland poetry slam.
Just saw a link today for footage of the Ulster Slam, some classic video here from the BBC of the guys I perform with on a regular basis.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/northernireland/radioulster/artsextra/features69309.shtml

A poem a Day

I've created a wee place for my poetry on blogger and you can check it out by clicking on the following link:

http://www.ruairimc.blogspot.com/

It will be available from http://www.ruairimcnally.co.uk when the server refreshes (about a day).....anyway, keep an eye out, I'm going to keep it updated daily if I can with new poetry.

Poetry Superheroes

In the factoum magazine that circulates the Greater Belfast Urban region they created a comic poster dedicated to our very favourite Northern Irish Poetry Superheroes; I thought it was great, you may too, click here to find out.

Gerard's Blog

A guy unlike many before him or after him, check out his website and tell him I sent you like a whisper from my chimney.

Where petrol pumps once stood

It didn't open till the first cough of October stuttered from him, but, it was magical, a kingdom of roman candels, catherine wheels, whirly pops, Wolf whistlers, comando crackers arranged like coloured candy bars. Lined along corrugated iron walls, easily found in a safe house cellar.

Waiting under pipe smoke for the first arrivals, weeks early for festivities. Stirring preparations for the pitch battles of devil bangers and repeaters that fill the small estates in toxic breath as midget gangs showered their might. Later unveiling the moon bombers amid booster rockets to puncture the cold as the temperatures rise.

Reading the paper, door wide open, artificial blue light like litmus paper, displays an arsenal available to the highest bidder.

Carlise Circus

Roll up Roll up
Bombs and Bullets a bus ride away

See families suspended by peace line,
See man tease the lions jaw with fresh kneecaps,
See petrolbomb fireworks inflame the streets,
See colourful parades pass through the eye of a needle,
See neighbourhoods defined by curbstone,
See landrovers pockmarked with direct hits,
See drugs and new money light the way for thick necked defenders,
See blind faith leading the blind,
See governments ungovern,

Roll up Roll up
Bombs and Bullets only a bus wreck away

Copyright Ruairi Mc Nally

Freckles

Freckles in the morning,
wrinkle from her nose
and greet me smiling
as I tickle her toes,
'hello toes', I say
as her freckles
wrinkle from her nose
to her toes,
underneath those
warm bedclothes

Champagne Bubbles

Champagne Bubbles make me tingle,
Sleeping around makes me single,
a bubble bath is a nice place to mingle,
be single, just mingle, just tickle,
be single, make her tingle, just mingle,
Be

Tears on my window

I watch the sea mists hang impatiently over the mountains…
biding their time inching ever so slowly preparing to empty a flash flood making Playgrounds childless, Paved street puddles stage their skipping water ballet,

A panoramic ocean view fierce with its watertight white teeth crunching and swallowing whole strands of beach,
Birds flanked by sheets of rain being given a water tunnel guide to their destiny,
Trees provide an awning of shelter to midday joggers unable to outrun a natural storm in a race that’s impossible to train for..
Freshly ploughed fields once full of carefully laboured patterns which patch all of this countryside suddenly muddle and merge into a watercolour painted from memory of how it may have existed before…..
You can’t escape,
You can’t outrun, outplan, out manouvre, outstrategise this water when you are outside in its rain……
so do what I do and just watch and wait.

Slammin' Slam

Just went to see the Laganside Poetry Slam in the Duke of York in Belfast and was completely blown away by the standard and completely inspired with every thing I saw. Wasn't the best sound due to the venue and things......but it was without doubt one of the best nights this year.

The winner was a poet from Newcastle called Scott Turrell, who is one of the best Slammers in the United Kingdom at this moment in time. He looks a bit like Phil Jupitus but sounds like Ant and Dec when they have reached maturity.....anyway....ended up staggering home via Esperatos.....an incredibly wonderful Kebab shop that lights the sky at any time of night.....likely to be the only place open at 4am every night......useful!