Live Encounters Poetry & Writing January 2026.
After Dinner Coffee, poems by Paddy Donoghue.
After Dinner Coffee
Why…
After a morning feasting on
banter, coffee and words
strung together to make poems
we walk through people busy streets
ambling in rhythm with idle time
tuned to our little nuances and
with words not needing a voice
we cross a bridge under which
angry water hurries towards
the ocean impatient for freedom
when suddenly you ask
WHY… and
in suspended air the river stills
our footfall slows to a halt
turning to you I hesitate
for words need caution when
a heart has been bruised
and a memory from the telling
of your story floats up from
the riverbed and echoes
through my head in slow motion
your eyes betray your bravery
and the pain bleeds from
the anguish of years surviving
on the cusp of life
and I wonder…
when is caring
too little
or two much.
Paddy Donoghue was born in Glencolmcille but now resides in Bundoran, Co. Donegal. Writing poetry since secondary school days, he has had several pieces published over the years, in many literary journals and magazines. He has won awards for his poetry in both the Irish and English language. Read his work at several literary events including, at Cúirt, Scríobh and the Macklin festivals. Paddy facilitates writing workshops and was a founding member of the original Bundoran Writers group and the current Atlantic Writers Ink group. This year he was selected as the Bealtine poet and facilitated at workshops across Donegal. His collection, Leave Taking, published in 2024, has been shortlisted for the CAP Awards 2025 in the anthology/poetry section.