Live Encounters Poetry & Writing 16th Anniversary Volume One
November- December 2025
The Corkscrew, poems by Diarmuid Fitzgerald.
The Corkscrew
I twist the metal worm
through the cork. Pulling
and tugging, I feel resistance
from the levers. The cork pops.
The aroma breathes out from the wine,
suffusing the room. I pour
this heavy red, making a gulping noise.
The worm glistens as I turn it
reminds me of waves undulating,
moving in the same direction,
going to where I don’t know.
I run my fingers down the corkscrew,
feel its hardness and purpose,
wonder if there is a pattern?
Terminus
The metal wheels squeal along the tracks
as the bell of the Luas tram rings out.
You wear short pants and a T-shirt,
swear your smile brings out the sun.
I like your deep American twang
but not the over-the-top optimism.
You forgot about the Irish weather
and pelting rain smashes onto the road.
Sweat trickles down your brown skin
and you run, leaving me without
a kiss. You don’t turn around or wave.
The tram trundles over a can in its way.
The Consolation of the Skies
The clouds are floating east
hovering until they billow
beyond sight
the dome of the sky turns
from egg blue to red
dousing the sky
I carry this disappointment,
this burst of hand ringing
a way of holding on
the sky offers its consolation
to me turning from red
to deep black
the light pours through the sky
fills up every particle of the air
wave after wave
moonlight glimmers
into unexplored corners
where I see my street in a new light
© Diarmuid Fitzgerald
Diarmuid Fitzgerald was born in 1977. He lives in Dublin. Diarmuid supports other writers in getting their work published. He has published three books with Alba Publishing (http://www.albapublishing.com). Thames Way, a collection of haiku poems, was his first book, released in 2015. A second haiku collection, A Thousand Sparks, came out in 2018. In 2021, The Singing Hollow, his first collection of poetry, was published, which covers themes of personal development. A poem was longlisted in the Bridport Prize in 2025. He has received recognition through awards, such as winning an Individual Artist Bursary from South Dublin County Council in 2018. He came in second place in the South Dublin Library Poetry Award in 2020. In 2021, he won a mentoring experience through the National Mentoring Panel. A professional member of the Irish Writers Centre, he also writes nonfiction and works on spirituality. https://www.diarmuidfitzgerald.com/