Poetry Corner

Dublin's second Lingo Festival took place this weekend and with it came an incredible exposition of talent and expression. When we go out and take part in life, these are the kinds of things we can experience. We can see art, hear the spoken word and be present at an event built on passion and determination.

Poetry can be a fantastic method of cathartic communication when we're feeling down, but equally when we're putting words on what we feel strongly about. I love seeing it used to express such a positive take on life. Using creativity is a brilliant way to get out of our heads and into our talents. We all have something to say and finding different ways to do this can be so helpful. Discovering a means of expression that takes a weight off your shoulders is never going to be a waste of time. So, checking out poetry, art and music can help us realise how much we value these and can actually use them ourselves.

Anyway, this poem in particular struck a chord with me because it's a powerful piece about finding ourselves, finding meaning and making the most of the life we've been given.

The question posed at the end is one worth giving some thought,

"The question is, now that you have life, what are you going to do?"

Clean White Breath by Niall Donnelly 

Albert Camus said that the only serious philosophical question is suicide,

And despite what a great opening line that is at parties

I can’t help but wonder what else he had on his mind.

Like fine, the world’s meaningless, fine, we’re all going to die,

But why the f*ck does that have to mean we gotta hit the ground and be buried where we lie?

Why can’t we dream that we can find something better in this life?

Why do we have to accept that that’s it, pack up, drop mic?

And right,

I don’t want to have to be the one to tell you this but we’re all going to die in the end,

There’s that universal horror in knowing that your life’s gonna exist in the past tense,

And I’m not looking for some sinful recompense

or some half-hearted hopped up romance

I’m looking for the simple pleasure in the beauty of acceptance

That makes the very act of living an act of defiance.

I’m looking for that clean white breath,

The one that pulls me into being and pushes away death,

I’m not looking for God, I’m looking for myself

And I’m not going to find him in books or booze or anything else.

I’m going to find him in that second between seconds, in that dust on the shelf,

In that moment lost in nothing staring up at Orion’s belt.

I’m going to find me in that realisation that we’re only here ‘cause of a roll of the dice,

That we’re thrown into being at random in humanity’s humongous timeline,

More like a lottery of existence than by some divine design,

And while you can have some fun staring down the barrel end of a pipe,

There’s nothing to be found in focusing on misery and strife,

There’s nothing to be found in those insomniac nights,

And there’s definitely nothing to be found in the reflection of a knife,

So I’m going to find myself in the surreal sublime of life.

And look, I don’t wanna preach and you can do what you please,

But someday we’re all going to feed the bugs and the trees,

so get off your knees and look in the mirror if you want something to believe in,

And yeah, I get why you get scared staring up at that star-speckled blacked out ceiling,

But just because life’s meaningless doesn’t mean we can’t find meaning,

‘Cause to me breath seems like a perfectly good reason to breathe,

And the all powerful almighty meaning of life can be whatever you want it to be.

So no, Suicide is not the great question in life, Monsieur Camus:

The question is now that you have life, what are you going to do?

For a video of this poem by the poet himself, check out our Facebook Page or his Own.