Three Poems by Gordon Ferris

 

Guiding light

 

Longing to be able to speak to you

I walk in your direction, 

looking at you

with my  tongue glued 

to the roof of my mouth

the words stuck

I hope you didn’t notice

though from your eyes, 

I knew this was highly unlikely

Out of there as quickly as possible

Under a cloud of sweat and steam, I ran

Swallowing my pride, what was left of it,

exit,  home to the silent whispering walls

and the still water

where light enters

in and out of view

going on, and on, and on

high up into the sky it goes

to the temptress of the shore

holding you in her gaze

out and away from the rocky shore

unto the path of peace and calm

A searchlight, guiding you on your path

earthbound for evermore

The Visit 

He walks into the ward  

staring 

from bed to bed 

stops at the elderly woman, his mother

A life lived 

loves one brought 

to maturity 

her job done

He walks away from his mother 

towards the window 

towards the begging pigeons 

“don't feed the pigeons,” the sign says 

a woman stares into space 

uneaten food on her tray 

a woman – away

in her world 

with huge smile

 “ must be great fun 

living inside her head” 

he ponders. 

The First Time

The first time I ever spoke my words in public 

the floor didn't open or swallow me up 

the listeners didn't charge  dragging me off in a headlock 

the first time I got to speak my words 

and noticed you in the front seat staring 

and all the others looking in my direction 

and was surprised 

what did I expect 

I am on a stage alone in a silent room 

saying my words   speaking my truth 

where do I think they are going to look 

the first time I spoke my words 

and could hear the words I spoke 

I knew then at that moment

My words could not be changed

Gordon Ferris was born and raised in Finglas, a North West suburb of Dublin. In the early eighties, he moved to Donegal where he has lived ever since. He started writing in 2014 and has had many short stories and poems in publications including Hidden Channel, A New Ulster, The Galway Review, Impspired Magazine, Lothlorien Poetry Journal and Live Encounters. He has also won prizes in the summer 2020 HITA Creative Writing Competition for his poem ‘Mother’ and won the winter competition for his poem ‘The Silence’.

Poetry Ireland awarded Gordon a, Poetry Town Bursary. He had his first book published in January 2023 by Impspired, a short story collection called Echoes and his second book, A Mirror Looking Out, a poetry collection, published by the same publisher, Impspired, under the brilliant stewardship of Steve Cawte.