16th November 2023
A selection of creative writing submissions for Keeping Promises - writers inspired by C.S. Lewis
Sunset: Dunluce
On the eleventh night the village is a swan bathed
in chrism. She swims amidst a sea of gold and green.
A bright fire on the beach burns orange incense
against a sky of true blue. Tangerine clouds of glory
cling to the waterline. We imagine these are silver stories
of the cities and islands and hills of a country yet unseen.
Sharon Jones
"The poem is very short but it highlights Lewis's foregrounding of the imagination. It is set in a place he knew and loved; a place I believe he found very inspiring. My recent academic work strongly suggests that Ireland, and especially the North Coast of Ulster was a formative environment for him; one that generated at least some of the wonder and magic of his writing."
Th Wee Late Yin
Hir yins man an baen quairly gunked
Bae th wee late yin.
She made hir ain fun, whar wur hir aine yins?
But she wus nivir hir lane.
Whiles in th loanin aa mooth an een at pyets
Th kerrions, jookin in an oot
Linein their hames wi th creeshy wool
That she darnae touch for fear o ORf,
Wee scahldies pullt sinthery as fotherin fur their aine.
An min’in hirsel for fear o puzhinin
Thon laburnum’s nae freen ava
That’s yin there’d bae mair aboot.
Up th burn efter wee stricklys
Catched in th gless jar hud in th water
Whiles yin wae a ridd belly
Prugh o soarts,
An then, cope him oot an let him tak his chance
Alang wae th rest.
Deedlin alang th dake bakk
Skellyin for bits o broke bowles
Th mare she fun th mare wud fit thgither
Whither or naw.
Yince th muck wus waashd aft
Blue an white or best o aa pink fluuers
A keeper, pit in a roosted tin
Fur anithir time.
Whiles she wud faa but nivir a nyirm
That wus jist th wae for it daes tae min’
It wus ey towl
Them that’s last’ll bae first.
Jackie Morrison
"I love The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe. In it we see the dichotomy of the children’s wonder at the beauty of Narnia versus their prevailing consciousness of potential danger. I have tried to reflect this in my poem. Like C S Lewis who was true to his roots, I have chosen to preserve the language of Ulster-Scots. This links with our individuality, diversity and ability to perceive life through our own lens."
OFFERING
If I’d known it was my last Monday, I’d have hired the horse,
galloped along Magheragallon’s shoreline, naked as a prayer,
untamed Atlantic spray inciting a crop of unselfconscious goosebumps.
And I’d have offered it all to the wind and the wet and the wild.
If I’d known it was my last Tuesday, I’d have bought the silk scarf,
with soaring swans and waterfalls, I’d pronounced too youthfully colourful
for a crone’s neck—and far too dear.
If I’d known it was my last Wednesday, I’d have bought the exotic perfume
that would only get lost in lonely, lived-in crepe of skin—
no lover’s nose to seek the daub above each breast.
If I’d known it was my last Thursday, I’d have painted the fence
with polka dots and my front door purple, or maybe pink,
with not a thought of what the neighbours might think.
If I’d known it was my last Friday, I’d have bought the flimsy hat
with its wide, floppy brim and rainbow of feathers
set in a silver brooch—that would only let the rain right in.
If I’d known it was my last Saturday, I’d have bought the yellow boots,
patent knee-high platforms, like those I wore a lifetime ago,
instead of extra-wide fitting, triple E, brown slip-on brogues.
On swansong Sunday, they’d come to claim the husk
and find it festooned with frippery.
As they fluster through a fuchsia-painted doorway,
the unsubtle odour of sandalwood oud from Marrakesh
would hit them in the face.
And I’d have offered it all to the wind and the wet and the wild.
Rosaline Callaghan
"CS Lewis's work reflects local landscapes, and painting pictures with words which I aim for in my work. He inspires me to pay attention to detail and write about difficult subjects – to bring dark shadows into the light. He lets me know I am not alone in the grief and regret of loss.
Despite his personal difficulties, CS Lewis's heart did not become hardened. He could love and A Grief Observed is a majestic reflection on his love for Joy."
The Land of Paraplegia
My sister says,
‘I have been going though old papers.
and you know the woman who helps with clearing clutter,
Marie Kondo?
She says if you you come on something
that’s hard to let go,
say thank-you
and then say goodbye.
I came on my husband’s driving license renewal.
I said thank you
for all the years he drove without accident,
for him driving the camper van all round Ireland
on our honeymoon
as I was too young to get insurance,
for driving me to the hospital
every time
for each of our children to be born,
and for the later years
when we shared journeys
home
and he took over half way
and it worked well.
Then I let it go.’
Yvonne Boyle
"While this is about the traumatic loss of mobility of my brother in law, it was influenced by CS Lewis is ‘A Grief Observed’ – the sensitivity and honesty about loss."