A poem by Doreena Jennings

Author: Doreena Jennings

The Gist

Doreena Jennings is a member of the award winning ‘Carlow Writers Co-op’. She has contributed to many local anthologies. She enjoys performing her work and has delivered it to audiences in Chicago, Sweden, Wales, Dublin, Wexford and Carlow. Currently finishing her debut collection she is undaunted by dyslexia and dyspraxia and is determined to be a published author of merit

Childhood Reflection

Would I risk walking down the avenue

of childhood. Past the cherry blossoms, 

the laburnum fallen over when a storm blew

that drew strength to re-root and bloom again,

sit quietly on its woven branches,

curtaining myself behind golden chains,

rake new paths on the lawn from leaf piles,

before the gardener cleared what remained.

I would gladly trade all this privilege

to find safe hands clasped, above the mud

to give me a leg-up, to bridge the gap

to the first big branch of the redwood,

from where I could re-imagine this small

life re-shaped, re-cast entirely differently.