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Pat Ingoldsby (b. ??? - present)

...born in - we don't know.
Pat publishes much of his own poetry (from what I can gather). Even more impressive is him selling his own books on the streets of Dublin. He seems to like the people and the conversation. His company (Willow publications) is named after a favorite cat, alas, no longer with us. He has provided accomodations to more cats, they are his board of directors. This seems right since he lost the company of Willow. We found an old saying: "Never trust anyone who doesn't like cats".
Biographical information on Pat is difficult to come by. I say that because I can't find any. So I have no date or place of birth or anything else.
Nevertheless, his writing is superb as is his poetry. We have a Christmas book collection of short stories. Pat wrote about half a dozen stories in there. They are all good, of course, but I must complain that his stories brought a tear to my eye in every case. After reading the comments he wrote on his website, I'm convinced I would like the man even more than I like his writing. So, read on and enjoy what we have. I hope to add more, whenever I have more.
Oh, we lost his website, its a shame; it was really good. The best we've found (so Far) is this one. We will keep looking, as time permits. Click here for Pat Ingoldsby.
Photo Credit: Diarmuid Doran from the cover of Pat Ingoldsby's book 'Beautiful Cracked Eyes'.

For Rita With Love
by Pat Ingoldsby

You came home from school
on a special bus
full of people
who look like you
and love like you
and you met me
for the first time
and you loved me.
You love everybody
so much that it's not safe
to let you out alone.
Eleven years of love
and trust and time for you to learn
that you can't go on loving like this.
Unless you are stopped
you will embrace every person you see.
Normal people don't do that.
Some Normal people will hurt you
very badly because you do.

Cripples don't look nice
but you embrace them.
You kissed a wino on the bus
and he broke down and cried
and he said 'Nobody has kissed me
for the last 30 years.
But you did.
You touched my face
with your fingers and said
'I like you.'

The world will never
be ready for you.
Your way is right
and the world will never be ready. We could learn everything
that we need to know
by watching you
going to your special school
in your special bus
full of people
who look like you
and love like you
and it's not safe
to let you out alone.
If you're not normal
there is very little hope
for the rest of us.


Conversation With A Garda In
Grafton Street
by Pat Ingoldsby

A couple of years back I paused in Grafton Street
and leaned against a litter bin to listen to a busker.

A large garda appeared beside me.

“Are you selling anything that you shouldn’t be selling?”
he said.

“I’m just enjoying the sunshine and the music”

“Yeah but are you selling anything that you shouldn’t
be selling”

“I’m simply enjoying the music.”

PAUSE

“You’re wearing an awful lot of jewellery all the same.”

“That is none of your business” I said.

“I was just making conversation” he said.

Lovely.


Up and Down the Strip
by Pat Ingoldsby

It's the tingle between your legs that takes you down to Leeson Street, down to the The Strip down to meet tight jeans tight thighs denim bottoms hopes high standing and sitting sipping the wine buy you a bottle make you mine and the Stones can't get no satisfaction.

Business men working late grey haired overweight white shirts club ties credit cards white lies cigar smoke bald spots big stomachs big shots wrinkles over rugby scars randy thoughts company cars and the Stones can't get no satisfaction.

Eyes meet look away how do you start? what do you say? look unmarried like you couldn't care less look unfrustrated they'll never guess pray to God that your daughter's not here hold in your stomach swallow your fear grab two glasses bottle of wine take a sip make you mine and the Stones can't get no satisfaction.

Jump suits open zipped legs crossed leather hipped tight jeans young blood long skirts looking good some do some don't how can you tell which one won't more important which one will onto the dance floor get in for the kill dance fast dance slow move in closer now you know dance fast dance slow nuzzle the neck here we go

.......

Up the steps tired and slow she drank your wine she's still below up the steps tired and slow the taxis are waiting all in a row and the Stones can't get no satisfaction.


A Good Trick If You Can Do It
by Pat Ingoldsby

I don’t know how he did it.
The bus driver said- “Watch this!”
And he stopped the bus.
The trees and fields
on both sides of the road
kept on moving past us.

“Now they think the bus
is moving,” he said


For more Poetry Click the Poetry Index.

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