Editor's Corner

By Mary E. Adair

The terrible virus that has impacted the world causing many areas to declare total lockdowns has apparently provided a new subject and the time to get things written down because we have the largest number of poetry submissions for one issue that we've had for several years. Some are actually comical, and some very emotional such as one not submitted to us but linked by our "Irish Eyes" columnist Mattie Lennon to the poem "When" by published author John O'Donnell imagining human reactions once the isolation periods are over.

Surprisingly, no Memorial Day tales, mentions, or poems arrived, so here are a couple of links to your editor's previously published tributes: "Memorial Thoughts" and "Memorial Days"

From Headway Bristol:"This has been sent to us by one of our former Service Users, reminding us all to Be Strong and happy 😊 We think it’s lovely! Thank you Phil Hennessy! — feeling blessed." (His poem was published in Pencil Stubs Online in the October 2015 issue.)

We are also feeling blessed because Phillip Hennessy sent us five poems for this issue, written while he is healing from a violent mugging awhile back. (The reason he was at Headway Bristol.) "Nothing," "I've Gone Without," "Memory Lane," "Carry On," and "Every Day," are his May poems.

Bruce Clifford has three poems: "Is It True," "Like No Other," and "We Turned Off The Sun." Bud Lemire sent us four poems: "Safety in Stores," "An Elevator Ride for One," "I'm Always With You," and "The Monster." He included pics for all but the one about the elevator. Mattie Lennon has one poem in his column and another, "There's A Brightness," in the poems category that includes a .wav link so you can hear John Hoban perform it.

John I. Blair's poems this issue are: "To Bloom Once Again," "Nothing Lasts," and "Books in The Background." Yours truly is showing two titles: "Isolation Diligence" and "Shedding Moments."

"Armchair Genealogy" by Melinda Cohenour, brings updates to the "Brick Walls" of family research plus exciting new data that may unravel some mysteries that remain.

Thomas F. O'Neill --"Introspective," is an update letting us know he is back on campus and includes a couple pics of him and his students plus a glimpse of building security measures in action. Marilyn Carnell discusses "What I have learned during the Pandemic" in her column "Sifoddling Along."

Judith Kroll ("OnTrek") with an injured knee keeping her preoccupied is absent while Mattie Lennon in "Irish Eyes," keeping his news gathering nose to the grindstone, reports on the status of various artists and pens a poem commiserating with the inactive status of a popular Men's Group that can be found in many communities in Ireland. Other artistic news and a joke or two with a classic John Fitzgerald circus poem keep us informed.

Rod Cohenour ("Cooking with Rod") joins wife Melinda (they refer to their shared cooking as "Cohenour Culinary Creations) to entice us to try their Southwest Beef Stew. LC Van Savage gives us a peak into her current writing experiences well laced with her brand of humor for "Questionable Advice" in her "Consider This" column.

Here's to Summertime, Mike! Whenever I think of you, I feel blessed and happy for our successful endeavor and your expertise, friendship, and support for this eZine.

See you in June.