Collection of Marian Quinlan Curtin's poems
Latest Poem
Shade of the Big Oak Tree
As I sat under the shade of the big oak tree
I picked up a book
Now look I am thinking
Yes wait and see
I am thinking a story of love or hate
Or an adventure
Over a great big ocean
In a sailboat
Waves as high as the
Great Wall of China
Or a submarine
Under an ocean blue
With sharks as big as a roar of heavy thunder
Or a story of war
Or of entwining love
About a boy and girl
Long ago in a land
Far away
Across the world
A feeling of never-ending
As I sit here
On the longest day of the year
The twenty first of June twenty twenty- one
A day filled with beauty
With joy in the simple things
Like a good book
And a great read
A good mug of coffee
Just sitting under a tree
Life in its simplicity
Is beautiful
Marian Quinlan Curtin ©
Monday, 21 June 2021
Christmas
The wilderness
A forest
Like I never before seen
Christmas trees dancing
Merrily
To the sound of jingle bells
A herd of reindeer
Munching on leaves and grasses
Two squirrels running around
With what looked like a sleigh
Am I dreaming?
Is what I am seeing true
Is it just a figment of my imagination?
Because it’s Christmastime
All across the nation
Santa Clause Is picking snowbells
The smell of Christmas pie
Mrs Clause is singing nearby
Do they know? I
s Christmas time at all
Snow is falling
Mistletoe and wine
O’ the holly bush
Where a robin stands
Singing
Away in a manger
No crib for a bed
A rainbow
Reaches the North Pole
Reflecting a picture of
The elves busy in Santa workshop
Making toys
For the girls and boys
A little bird
The wren
Carrying a silver star
Children making angels in the snow
A forest full of Christmas wonders
Marian Quinlan Curtin © 17/12/2016 21:06:48
OCTOBER
October is at an end
This year I am saying goodbye
To a friend
Because this year October
Was my friend
Day’s of sunshine
And little rain
The autumn leaves
Were at their best
With colours
Bright and yellow
Or crisp and brown
Red and green
Still to be seen
The sky
Was a delight to see
With colours
Of blue and white
And crimson red
A little bit of purple too
To make you feel better
If you were feeling a little blue
And each day
As the sun was going to sleep
The sky a touch of pink
And lilac too
To watch a sunrise
Or a sunset
The sky at night
When the moon
And stars are shining bright
Can guide you on the darkest night
A walk in a park
With ducks been fed
With the bread
The children carried
A trip around the fairy path
With fairies flying
Around from tree to tree
A pitch and put game
Going on
Grass been cut
So late this year
Trick and treaters
All dressed up In their wonderful gear
Halloween
At full swing Children saying
Trick or treat
Smell my feet
Please give me something
Nice to eat
This October
Was so full of fun
I think
October Is deserving of its rest
Because it gave us
It’s very best
Marian Quinlan Curtin ©
31 Oct. 2016
My Village
Templetuohy
My village is my home
Where my heart flutters
When I pass through
Colours divine
To ones eyes
Mural on the side
Of a wall in the local school
Where laughter can be heard
On a dull winters day
The mural
Looking at nature
Vibrant and it takes you into its core
The church stands proudly
Down chapel lane
We all pass it on the way
To the GAA pitch
And when dropping the children
Of at school
The community hall
Where my parents danced way back
In another time and year
Fleadh Cheoil held there
Someone will
Remember the year
The local cemetery
Standing at the top
Looking beautiful
As the sun shines
At
Our Lady’s Grotto
A seat to sit
In quite reflection
At its end
As you head for Templemore
A park
The colours
Jump out at you
And makes you remember
Nature is beautiful
And to respect it
As you pass the
Medical centre
Look to your left
The churn reminds me
Of the many lifts to school
When a neighbour
Was taking milk to the creamery
All this wonder
Dose not happen on its own
It is the work
Of volunteers
And the people
Who live in Templetuohy
That all help
To make it a place
Of beauty called Home
Marian Quinlan Curtin ©
Wednesday, 23 July 2016
A Serenade
A serenade
Of wonder
ust outside my bedroom window
It’s the crack of dawn
A dawn chorus
Of the many birds
Around our home
I raise my head
To greet a new day
Thankful to have it
There is beauty
In every moment J
ust look for it
My first cup of coffee
To wake me up
O the beauty
Of this morning
A soft rain falling
Its July twenty sixteen
Everything looks
Alive and greener
It’s the soft rain
Doing my garden good
Looking at the Devil Bit Mountain
Out my dining room window
Is like looking at a patchwork quilt
Fields green and brown
A tractor to be seen
Busy spreading slurry
Hay been cut
For winter fodder
For the cattle
Our three dogs Daisy, Lily and Louie
Waiting for me at the back door
Looking forward to their morning walk
Rain has stopped now
The sky is blue
With a touch of grey
I am thinking It will make
A wonderful day
Marian Quinlan Curtin © 22 June 2016
WAY BACK
One hundred
Years ago
They stood
Side by side
To fight
For freedom
They raised the flag
High
Up above
The General Post Office
Dublin
Padraig Pearse,
Read
The Proclamation
Of the Irish Republic
For the people of Ireland
Words and Ideals
They pondered
Long and hard
To create
A lasting legacy
Those words and Ideals
Are still valued
One hundred years on
Dust and smoke
The sound of gun fire
Rang out
Over many parts of Dublin
Many arrested
And some paid
The ultimate price
They gave their lives
In that week in May
Nineteen sixteen
When they were shot
By firing squid
One hundred years on
We stand here
In respect
And remember
All who gave their lives?
And all who suffered
On all sides
In the years that followed
For the freedom
We enjoy today
Our Island of Ireland
Is diverse now
In many ways
Its people
Can cross borders
In many parts of the world
As the tri colour
Of Green White and Gold
Flutters above us
As we sing
Amhrán na bhFiann
The Soldiers song
Let us remember
All gone before us
That worked so hard
To give us
The freedom
We enjoy today
May their names
Be echoed
For evermore
May they rest in peace?
In the soil
Of their beloved Ireland
Marian Quinlan Curtin©
26/01/2016
BE SAFE STAY HOME
I love you
On this day
When you may be alone
Lost in your own thoughts
Afraid of the moment
The moment
We all fear
Coronavirus
Covid-19
Spreading across
The world unseen
We cannot see it
Only its effect
On our fragile world
In its many cultures
To battle it
Our medical workers
In all roles
From the cleaners, carers
To the highest doctors
In all the lands
It has hit like dust
Across the world
Our role is simple be safe
In our love and kindness
Our sadness and sorrow
Our ability
To stand together
Even though
We are told to be apart
Anxiety
Go do something else
To freshen the soul
You know in our time of high anxiety
The mind is full of worry
But the soul needs nourishment
And quite time
This is where love is most powerful
By being safe
We are in a storm
How long the storm
Will last
Is in our hands
By doing
What is asked of us
We will reach calm waters
Sending our love
Across the world
We are strong
We will carry through the storm
With our hearts as one
All over the world
Marian Quinlan Curtin©
Templetuohy Thurles Co Tipperary
29.03.2020
NOW
Now is the moment
And what a wonderful moment
Now is
A Cloud looking
Like a dragon
In the sky
Soft rain falling
As we Irish say
Even if it’s a downpour
I am smiling to myself
At this image
On this soft October day
As the autumn leaves
Are now falling
It gives me time
To reflect
On my life
Watching the birds feeding
On the window ledge
I love autumn
With its copper leaves falling
And the birds
Many different finches
A loan robin in the mix
A slight chill
Bring me out of my summer wonder In a season
Of the year
Where nature takes Its winter res
A time where I renew my family history
On long winter evenings
Excitement when a family link is found
I must confess
I am turning into Sherlock Holmes
Ha I am starting my saving jar
For our next Curtin Clan Gathering
Are you
Thinking time flies
But I must say I live in the now
But it’s ok to plan
My plan at this moment
Of now Is a nice cup of coffee
I am telling myself
A slice of currant cake
Will be ok
On this I will say
Slán go fóill
Goodbye for now
Marian Quinlan Curtin© Templetuohy 6:21:29 pm
Magic
There a colourful rainbow
Spread across the sky
Its colours of beauty
Divine to ones eyes
I am standing
Here wondering
If there a
Pot of Gold at the end
I am wondering
Just wondering
If the leprechaun
Is my friend
The sun it is shining
The colour of gold
The wind it is blowing
To keep the air cool
The birds they are singing
Their songs full of spring
I am standing here thinking
This is my pot of gold to began
The dogs they are barking
The cows in the field
The farmers are busy
Bringing home their winter yield
The sun is still shining
To gladden ones heart
The beauty of nature Is
God's from the start
The swallows are building
The primrose in bloom
The daisies are standing
Looking up at the moon
A light breeze is blowing
As I say goodnight
Thanking the lord
For this day full of delight
The fairies are dancing
Around the ring fort
As magic just happens
At dusk of the day
As I close my door
And bid them goodnight
My heart it is skipping
With the magic
Of natures delight
Marian Quinlan Curtin© Templetuohy Monday, 06 May 2019
CHRISTMAS MEMORIES
I close my eyes to picture
Christmas long ago
When as a child
And made angles in the snow
I can hear my father laughter
I can see the picture
Baking Christmas cake
The songs of long ago
Had pride and place
That stood the battery radio
Made of cardboard
That would be folded with care
And put away for the next Christmas
The chatter of my brothers and sisters
As we all took turns
To get heat from the
Stanley range
Simpler times
Simple memories
No electricity in our home
No modern technology
My trip back in time
On this dry November day
Looking forward to this Christmas
Eating the red berries on my holly bush
For the children in our locality
In another country
The Christmas gift of giving is alive and well
It is wonderful to stop
To remember so many Christmases
With so many happy memories
May you Christmas be blessed
May your gifts
Be the gift of love
And the gift of giving
Your listening ear
Your kindness and understanding
But remember those who has less
A minute of your time
Is the most precious gift of all
Have a wonderful and safe Christmas
May twenty and nineteen
Be full of simple blessings
And joy.
I built snowmen
She was singing
The Christmas crib
It was a crib
The smell of plum pudding divine
In our cottage kitchen
Brings joy to me
In twenty and eighteen
I just finished filling
To send to a child far away
Through the years
In so many way
Giving of your time
May your table be full
Those who may be lonely
I hope Santa is good to you all
And yes some sad
And in my mind
Of my mother
Above the shelf
No phones
As I look out
The garden birds busy
A shoe box
As this winter day passes
Marian Quinlan Curtin
Templetuohy
© 11/24/2018
A Spring Poem
As the forest path
Lay out before me
A crossroad in my day
Asking myself
Do I go left, right?
Or forward
Or return to my beginnings
I stand in reflection
And ask myself some questions
The smell of forest pine
Devine I close my eyes
I can hear a child crying
When the world
Throws a curve ball
And it shocks
You through and through
Take a second
Take a deep breath
And hold
Now breathe out
Look around
Ground weeping
Continues rain
Sky as grey
As a sand quarry
Chill in the air
Spring is suppose
To have arrived
Windswept cold
Icy ground
Hard to walk around
Winter chill Wind into ones bones
Storm clouds gather
Sky dark with
A slight touch of grey
Gray like my mood
Birds singing
As if the weather should
Be in a better mood
Sky coloured blue
Blue like the ocean
In a far off land
In a sunny place
Feet roasting By a blazing fire
One is warm
Because in ones mind
One can dream
I am standing
Thinking
Spring has come
But spring has yet to arrive
Marian Quinlan Curtin
© 3/24/2018
For rememberance sunday 11/1/2017
REMEMBER
Just stop a see
The poppy grow
Its colour
Bloody red
Just stop
For that moment
And think of all
The dead
Men from many nations
Went to save the day
They gave us our tomorrow
But they lost their today
Bow your heads a moment
And think of them today
They went into battle
They marched on
And some sang this song
It a long way to Tipperary
To the battle call
The battle fields were muddy
The noise were loud and shrill
As comrades they lost buddies
As the guns
Were never still
Just stop for a moment
And remember
All who died
Remember all their loved ones
Who were at homes and cried
On the field of battle
They gave their lives
In nineteen and fourteen
And it just continues on
Till nineteen and eighteen
On the eleventh day
Of the eleventh month
At the eleventh hour
All the guns were still
So many lost
O’ what a cost
For now my mine is still
Every year
We pay respect
And remember all who died
All who survived
Remembered
All their comrades who had died
Now we must continue
To stop reflect
And remember
That they gave us our today
I will wear my poppy
With its colour bloody red
And I will stop
For a moment
To remember
All the dead
In my minds eye
Grave stone
After grave stone
Row after row
In far away places
Where they died in battle
So long ago
Marian Quinlan Curtin
© November 2017
Opening of the Gathering in Macroom, July 2013
The Time
The time has come
To meet with family
The time has come
To renew friendships
The time has come
To make new friends
The time has come
For a great weekend
The time has come
To learn about history
And also about Our D.N.A.
Some will visit
To see my Island
And to visit friends
They made
Along the way
Some will make a trip
To Rochchapel, Knocknafourtig
And take a drive
To Meelin too
And go across the border to Kerry
Because family roots
In Brosna too
Some will stop for a coffee in Limerick
To call on family
In Templeglantine:
A trip to Clare
More family roots
And another visit is a must
Take a trip around
The ring of Kerry
Another to the cliffs of
Mother Rock of Cashel
And Holy Cross Abbey
If some have time
A trip to Moneygall I
n County Offaly
Where Present Obama
Made a visit
Had a Guinness
While you are a visitor
To my Island of green
Learn to dance
A bit of fishing
Plenty of lovely
River banks
To be sitting
So the 26th 27 and 28th
Of July twenty and thirteen
The Castle hotel In Macroom
Is the place to be
Now let me see
If nothing at all
You will have the pleasure
Of meeting Curtin family
Making new friends
With this thought
This poem I will end.
Marian Quinlan Curtin
© Tipperary, July 2013
As I look Out the Window
As I look out the window and see,
God’s beautiful sunshine-
Shining in on me.
I look up at the sky what do I see
A fluffy white cloud
After a long winter of rain,
I am glad the good weather has come at last.
As I sit here I see a lovely sight,
A little bird is busy collecting to make her nest,
She is trying to make it a masterpiece.
The buds are coming on the trees.
It’s nice to see the trees blowing in the breeze.
I am sitting here, thanking God for what he has given me,
A beautiful garden
For me to see.
I go for a walk in the meadow nearby,
There are lovely sounds
For me to hear
As I walk by.
A cow is mooing in a field nearby.
In the distance I hear the new born lambs
The farmer is busy spreading slurry
In a field across the road
The sound of a plane
High up in the sky
There is a tree beside the house;
The crows are making a lot of noise.
The sound of children playing in a yard nearby,
Time is just flying by.
I can smell the fresh grass from the house next door.
A donkey and cart just passed,
It’s a wonder to see,
Nowadays you don’t see too many of does
I think I will put down my pen,
I better cook the dinner
Before the Hubby come in
Marian Quinlan Curtin
© Copyright May 2014
Picture Postcard
A Christmas scene
On a postcard
Lightens my mood
Snow cover hedgerows
A lone holly bush
With red berries
Standing in the middle of
A suburban garden
A robin standing still
Watching and waiting
By the back door
For left over crumbs
From some ones breakfast
People rushing
To a fro
To catch the bus
Into the city
For last minute shopping
A busker singing
Christmas time
Mistletoe and wine
On Grafton Street
Brings me back
To another time
In my memory
Back in the late sixties
With our mum
Shopping for our
Younger sister and brothers
Happy times
In a different Dublin
Then it is now
Coming back to reality
To this day
When a picture postcard
Gave me a feeling
Of another Christmas
Way back
In my memory
Marian Quinlan Curtin©
copyright 28/10/2014
Spring 2016
Daffodils dancing
Smiling
Sun beaming
In my dining room window
Birds chirping
All very busy
Because its spring
Yes spring has arrived
But the spring weather
Has not
We are still
In seasons of winter storms
My bluebells
Hiding
Reluctant to come out
My time clock
Is still in winter time
After Easter Sundays
Time change
We here on
Our beautiful
Island of Ireland
Are celebrating
Our people that died
One hundred years ago
For the wonderful freedom
We enjoy today
Through our music
Dance and culture
We are honouring them
And as a people looking forward
To the next decade
We must never forger
The wonderful
Women Children and Men
That on that Easter Sunday
One hundred years ago
Stood side by side
In the hope of a better future
Our proclamation
Written way back then
Give freedom and rights to everyone
On our Island
So spring
Is a time
We so often look back
Remember
And look forward to new life
New growth
And new begging’s
May the joy
Of seeing a beautiful flower
Smiling
On a bitter cold Irish day
Make you smile
Happy spring
Marian Quinlan Curtin
Forever Sleep
Twenty- fifteen
Almost time
For a forever sleep
To stand
In the pages
Of history
To be
Every so often
Taken out
An analyzed
By history buffs
Was it a good year?
Or a bad one
Was it like other years?
Or better
Each reader
Has to decide
What
About the year
About to go into its
Forever sleep
Was important to them
My year
Was mixed
With wonderful events
With sadness
With joy in everyday
Be it good or bad
Because
As is life
It has it treasures
Its joys
Its sorrows
And for some
Its tomorrows
Not for all
Sadly
But looking back
My year
Over all
Was brilliant
As the year
Closes its eyes
Our beautiful
Island of Ireland
Is under water
Storm after storm
Since November
Nature
Angry and crying
But
We Irish
Are resilient
In our outlook
On everything
As I say
Slán
To Twenty-fifteen
Looking forward
To
A new year
With
Anticipation
In the joy of living
And celebrating
Each day of
Twenty - Sixteen
Happy New Year
Marian Quinlan Curtin ©
30/12/2015
Cold November day
Wind and rain
Falling
Like a waterfall
Umbrellas
Turning inside out
There of no help at all
And the rain is still falling
Like a waterfall
But there is a certain beauty
A certain beauty
To it all
A sharp wind
Blowing
From north to south
It is defiantly
Not a day
For any person to be out
The turf fire
Looks inviting
With a cup of tea
Home made
Brown bread
Spread with jam
A good book to read
A love story
Or a thriller
Will it matter
Electric lights
On all day
Because the day outside
Is so wet and grey
Well that’s the story
On this November day
Marian Quinlan Curtin
© Co Tipperary Eire 11/2015
SHADOW
The shadows
On the wall
From the evening sun
Reflecting
A young boy
Dancing in a puddle of water
Left by a thunder shower
The next reflection
A shadow of a person
Playing a guitar
Hearing a male voice
Made me think of Elvis
My favourite singer
There ain't nothing but a hound dog
Or blue suede shoes
Sun moving to my left
Reflected a table
And chairs
With two shadows
I am left thinking
Lovers holding hands
To my right
As the sun moves slowly
I see
My own shadow in front of me
Lucky it made me feel good
It did not show my age
Just a shadow moving through
A busy street
With two shopping bags
Almost sunset
The shadows of busses
On the walls of the shops
On a very busy
O’ Connell Street
The next shadow
Made me smile
A horse and trap
In the distance
But its shadow show
Tourists enjoying the sights
Of college green
And trinity college
And I smile
At memories of my childhood
Continuing my journey home
To catch a train from Heuston Station
The sun has closed its eyes
To rest for another day
And I am left hoping
It’s making room for a beautiful moon
I
Thinking
Scattered autumn leaves
Across the lawn
The lawn
Now asleep
For the winter months
Cold and dark
The sky grey
The colour of gloom
The birds feeding
On the bird table
Just staying long enough
To fill there bellies
Before taking shelter
From the wind
I am here thinking
What a contrast
In the seasons
Winter
Cold dark
Sharp and slippy
Most of nature asleep
Except
The daffodil
Swaying smiling
At the harsh weather
Tulips divine in colour
Bringing a smile
To ones lips
On a dull and cold day
Spring
An awaking
Of nature
And growth
Flowers smiling
Grass looking greener
Hedge rows alive
With the sounds of spring
Primroses and cowslips
Starting to ready
There selves for summer
Summer
The cutting of silage
Hay making
Trips to the seaside
Skies blue
Its colour beautiful
Swallows returning
To spend time rearing their young
Turf cutting
And saving
Long carefree days
Spent in one with nature
Autumn
Time to wind down
At the turning of the season
A season to reflect
On things past
Time to be in ones own company
Like with nature
To get to know
What one has to do
To survive
The winter months
Marian Quinlan Curtin © Co Tipperary Eire 11/2015
SUMMER
Sun shining in the sky
Its yellow glow
Would warm you
The sky colour blue
Rays from the sun
Reflecting on the wind turbine
Reflecting like a rainbow
On to our local church spire
A beautiful picture
On this summers day
Dandelions and wild daisies
Growing wild
Near the whitethorn hedge
They look as if they are smiling
Children playing a game of hurling
In the local pitch
In the green and gold
Of Templetuohy
My village
My home
Neighbours sitting chatting
On the window ledge
In this wonderful sunshine
Farmers busy
Cutting hay and silage
For winter fodder
Turf cutting and saving
In full swing
For winter fuel
Tea tastes divine
Sitting amongst
Wild heather
Bog cotton
Floating
Like ballerinas
In the dance school
All the sights
And sounds of summer
Swallows flying
In and out of our shed
Feeding their young
To soon they will be on their way again
To South Africa
When summer closes her eyes
To make way
For a different kind of beauty
Autumn
Marian Quinlan Curtin ©
Happy Saint Patrick’s Day
When we celebrate
Children dancing
Of something green
Can be seen
Laughter to be heard
Lines and lines of people
Celebrating having fun
Called Saint Patrick
The shakes away
Our island of Ireland
The tree leaf shamrock
Pride in our culture
Most of all our people
To your island of green
Will awaits you
Be it from far away
All around the world
Who may not make it home
We are all Irish
On Saint Patricks day
Remember
Saint Patrick’s Day
In ones hands
On our city streets
Celebrating a saint
Wore with pride
When you return home
Or in cities
And for some
We have parades
GAA
A drink
That drove
From
Our music and
A céad míle fáilte
Marian Quinlan Curtin 1/15/2017
Curtin Clan Gathering 2017
Envisage the roots
Of an oak tree
Almost
Two hundred years old
Sown in the rich soil
Of Ireland
Imagine it growing
In weather cold
Dark and warm
Through famine and war
Look at its branches
As it grows
Wide and strong
Think of families
From many parts of Ireland
Counties
Like Cork, Kerry, Limerick and Clare
Branching out
All over the world
Carrying with them
Their culture
Music and song
Stories told
Down through the generations
In places like Australia
Canada
The United States
And many other corners of the world
England, Scotland and Wales
And many places on our
Island of Ireland
As we gather
Here in Ennis Co Clare
For our tenth
Curtin Clan Gathering
We are here as families
Connected by blood
DNA
And most of all by the Curtin surname
Our interests as a Curtin Clan
Is friendships
Genealogy history
D N A
Making connections
In many places
Thorough out the world
Promoting and fellowship
Of our culture
Our music and song
And
The pride we all have
In our Curtin name
The branches of the oak tree
Has travelled
Through many lands
Looking up through the sky
Reaching for the sunlight
Remembering family
Almost as old as the oak
Or older
If only
This beautiful oak could talk
A great feeling
Of being at one
With ones roots
And standing in the same spot
Where our ancestors once were
So let’s celebrate
Our ancestors
And say
Go raibh míle maith agat
Marian Quinlan Curtin ©
4/21/2017