MPR’s John Rabe interviews Irish poet Micheal O'Siadhail about writing poetry and personal expression. Segment also includes O'Siadhail reading numerous poems.

Transcript:

(00:00:00) I think I have a temperament that demanded that I should give artistic expression to it have a very intense temperament and as words were part of my culture was a word dominated culture. I think I very fast fell into the whole tradition of writing which is very much part of our Island. So at a very early stage, I began to try poems and to take part in this great tradition, which I feel I belong to of poetry. In fact, let me read a poem which is called tradition which gives that sense of being in the Middle where now I have a generation of great people in front. Love me like Brendan Kelly Seamus Heaney, John Montague Richard Murphy and here I am coming after them the middle voice. So to speak between two generations tradition. A feeling of passivity of handing over all that was received. I again deliver by just being here. Available no more a watch of dependence complete exposure not even trying not to try to achieve. This work is awaiting almost as if a host his Pam's held up in supplication between two guests begins an introduction for years. I've wanted you two to meet The middle voice fading as they greet in the sweet nothingness of a go-between.

(00:01:23) Do you worry about being up to it?

(00:01:25) No, because if I worried I wouldn't do it well, so I'm just happy to be in that tradition to do what I have to do as a poet to carry that tradition on in my own particular personal way and the tradition then would takes care of itself. But you are passing a baton despite yourself, just so to speak

(00:01:41) what's Birds you to write what events are thoughts?

(00:01:44) Well, I think it's a question of life. In other words. I think the Jazz factor in life. That's why I speak of hail Madam Jazz because I see Life is a great adaption of spontaneity a surprise suffering Joy all those things which Jazz summon up for me as an image. And it there's no there's no telling what it's going to be that's going to actually do it, but it's often it's often. Just something that has happened. For instance. I wrote an elegy for my father-in-law who was from Danny goal, which is a poverty Northwest counties of Ireland and he was a migrant worker not we often think of emigration with this was Migration used to work in Scotland over the winter and come back to his smallholding. So I wrote an elegy for him and I also mention in this poem apartment on a gold place-names meath, which is the rich, Heartland of Ireland.

(00:02:28) loss

(00:02:31) the last summer he walked slower chose to linger pausing in a laneway. He ran a thumb along the seam of an old Garden Wall those joints need pointing. He warned attentive. We saw his face some strange play of inward movement on request. We drove to me with those fields are dozen times the size of his own pleasured his eye at Christmas leaning on the windows. Little lovingly. He gazed over a few low me Acres towards Gola. In mid-January cutting back Breyers. He fell with his scythe. Several years later. I wakened deep into the night here you sobbing to yourself? It's Patrick's Eve that evening your father used to return after his winter Exile a labor and Scotland three eager children. Watch the dark be undone Louis now at last the buses headlamps Arc the sky Overjoyed you race the lights to meet him at bun beg.

(00:03:40) Tonight

(00:03:41) here by your side. I listen. Then kissing your forehead throw my arms around your

(00:03:48) sorrow. Am I surprised by the interest so many people taken poetry and the face of it you might think it's too intellectual pursuit or something that people might labels intellectual. If you faced a group of people you'd find that a great percentage of them actually write poetry even though they may not be published. Does that does that surprise?

(00:04:13) You know, I think there's a great long a great hunger and the human heart for poetry and it's very much a thing of our times you think of all the imagery that arise around us an advert to sing on the radio television or we're being punked with imagery. Whole time but it's all trying to manipulate us. Whereas poet gives you the sound bite the short sound bite often with the image which invites you rather than manipulates you and I think there's a great longing of the human heart. If it doesn't get it in portrait gets it in pop lyrics it looks for always. It needs that expression. It's part of our Human Condition.

(00:04:41) If so many people do it and it seems to me so old-fashioned and traditional that so people don't when they when they get all these images and all this coming at them. They don't go and make a big billboard or a TV show they they sit down with a pen and a piece of

(00:04:56) paper because it's the great personal the personal expression which which which poetry is and I think old people are moved to it. They often lose it after their teens and the few people I think carry out a life at it, but they're the people who do it for the others who don't have time to do it so to speak and I mean, I think the Great Moments of our life for instance when for instance falling in love, that's the great one that stars everybody to poetry so maybe on that note. I should I should write it read you a love poem are called out of the blue which hints at the whole Serendipity and chance involved. in a love relationship out of the blue Nothing can explain this adventure. Let's say a quirk of Fortunes steered us together. We made our covenants began this Odyssey of ours by hunch and guesswork a blind date. We're foolish love consented in advance. No, my beloved. Neither knew what lay behind the Frontiers. You told me once you hesitated a needle can waver than fix on its pole. I'm still after many years baffled at the needles gift dipped in my favor. Should I dare to be so lucky? Is this a dream suddenly in the common place? That first amazement seizes me all over again. A freaky twist to the theme subtle Jazz of the new familiar

(00:06:27) trip of

(00:06:28) surprises. gratuitous beyond our fathom both binding and freeing this love re invades us shifts the boundaries of our

(00:06:41) being Thank you very much for coming in.

(00:06:46) It's a great pleasure to be here. Thank you for asking me here.