“Nice form” – Sinead O’Brien judges some original poetry from her Chess Club labelmates

Not good at goodbyes
And lost at seventeen
What will be next for this tambourine dancing queen
No he’s not from Abba
But can sure hold a tune
He’s also not obvious
So don’t speak too soon
He can feel numb
But says it’s dumb
Our best friend,
Obvious or not,
Makes our chess club roster red hot

Sinead’s Comments: Great cross-referencing of songs here, (‘My Best Friend’ by Alfie x Coach Party). I love a piece full of references and clues! Let’s see about dancing queen title, Alfie?

3/5

everything here matters, except for the time
spagbol for brekkie with a glass of wine
fixated on the way in which the flowers are arranged
but oblivious to when you’re supposed to get changed
the sun has not yet risen, but you’ve been awake for hours
or maybe it’s been days, when was the last time that you showered?
you’ve tried to be productive but it’s useless and uninspiring
taking on time rather than taking on the ironing

Sinead’s Comments: I love the way so many daily rituals have been threaded into this one and that sense of time stretching and slowing down during quarantine.

5/5

Life is a black hole in space
chasing you down like a race,
there’s nowhere to run.
When your head needs the sun
as a light on the darkness you face.

The stars are the moments that shine
that stand out from miles and miles
they sparkle with hope,
when it’s too hard to cope,
and assure you that you’re feeling fine.

Sinead’s Comments: I appreciate the rhyming scheme here, nice form and ending with a positive message is a plus too!

4/5

The winner is Phoebe, I really like her sense of using inspiration from her surroundings, and I can really see that environment and image she’s put together.

‘TAKING ON TIME 2.0’ – Wonder what it would sound like!

Taken from the October issue of Dork. Sinead O’Brien’s debut EP ‘Drowning In Blessings’ is out now.