Finbar Lennon – Meadow of dreams

Download PDF Here

Live Encounters Poetry & Writing March 2025

Meadow of dreams, poems by Finbar Lennon.

---

Meadow of dreams

A will to wander, hill to ponder
to cap it all, the hub is missing
tree trunk lies in drill it made
rings are aged beyond its stay
death removes it’s only sway
climbing eyes on boots and clay
draw breath on stepping stones
sunshine hits the path at fork
where hedges culled by concrete
on downward trek pick up speed
brush leaves of grass in airy flight
lone woman sits in driver’s seat
worn and grey I passed before
no nod or hint of common fate
two dray horses idly stand at gate
cry out at bramble scrape, too late
my hand no longer stroking grass
increased my pace to starting point
raised a stir towards end of lane
if dogs stopped barking at my gait
could rob the house beside – escape
graveyard closed to passersby, its late
those at rest inside stay put for good
on gate no entry to their place.

---

Heat

Loule, Portugal 2024

Drugged by sun
they sit exhausted
in convent shade
children cartwheel
in front of stage
while band play
never-ending jazz
not a nun in sight
flown the coop
to milder climes
and left behind
a holy place.

---

Would you care to dance?

Love depends on two
(are) intimate and do
each sense scent of dew
eyes are all on cue
4 hands clasp in dark
lie low heaving hearts
on wild flowers strewn
(to) bloom one day in June.

---

Home

Leaving somewhere special
never to return key in hand
to unlock spaces of before
will they disappear or stay
in cloudy memories waving
to remind were not my own?

now belongs to younger pair
eager to explore, change decor
wonder how much time will
spend opening locking doors
to enter and depart a leafy
rambling mansion of the past

what kind of life in store
inside for its new names
above the same address
below now postal code
to click or tap on map
to guide to its front door

for us was comfort zone
where mind and heart slowed
loud colours did not glare
sounds soft and muffled
filled the air to shake lazy
ruffles off the working days

alone with me in recent years
my cosy island on the street,
peek outside at motley crew
just holding on to old routine
chasing tumbleweed by day
while roaming round astray

time to move the deck chairs
have entered new milieu
now being served another fare
my city house has harbour view
walls tall and bare it stands alone
no match for listed stones of home.

---

© Finbar Lennon

Finbar Lennon is a retired surgeon. He lives in Dublin, Ireland. He is the author of three collections of poetry published by Lapwing Publications, Belfast (2021/2022). He is a member of the Bealtaine Writing Group and has had poems published online in Live Encounters, Planet Earth Poetry and Viewless Wings. Two of his poems have been published in a new Anthology by Amos Greig “When the Lapwing Takes Flight” in 2024. Some of his early poems appear in his late wife’s memoir “The Heavens are all Blue” that he co-authored and was published by Hachette Ireland in 2020.