Ireland Stories presents
 Tom Quinn – Live Poetry Reading from Chicago
Click here for recordings and videos…

The Signature of Venus upon the World

Soldiers in Love

Le Chercheur d’Or – The Goldseeker: Selected Poems by Tom Quinn

The Love Song of the Dying Sperm Whale   and   The Lamp for Lovers

Tom Quinn’s latest works are available as Books and eBooks, click here for more details.

One Heart, Two Women

I gave my Heart to Two Women

One Blessed me with a Crown of Gold
And Gilded Garments to Behold
A Sceptre with Globe of Gold
And Sandaled Feet she Oiled and Kissed
And Proffered me Bliss
Bright Stars upon my Eyes and Lips!

Upon the Sky of Heaven
Made me a Bed to Lie On!

The other planted in my Mouth
Seeds of Pain and seeds of Doubt
In my Heart Stars of Separation
In my Soul Stars of Desolation
She made me Eloquent with Love’s Fire
But made me Dumb to End Desire.

Upon the Black Universe
Hung Shrouds of Emptiness.

I gave my Heart to Two Women
Divided for Both to Hold
One placed it in a Box of Gold
To save from Ruin.

One gave it to the Crested Owl
To carry to the Crescent Moon

Where it Hangs upon a Dead Branch.

Audio: Group of 3, ending with One Heart, Two Women

Le Chercheur d’Or

I wish I could see the Argo again,
And hear Jason’s voice,
As he strained above the sacred timber,
That carried us to our goal.

That treasure stored in memory
How we sailed from Thessaly
Seeking a land of golden corn,
Beyond the sun-reflecting sea.

How well I remember the gilded prow
Upon the ocean’s gilded brow
And the Sirens’ chant
Only Orpheus could enchant
To keep us to our quest —

And all those dreams we loved the best —

Following the flight of the daring Dove
Into the harbour at Colchis.

We all followed the things we loved
Some led to riches, and some to loneliness.

Jason had his journey and I had mine

He had the light of Aries to guide him
And his Art

I had the Constellation of the Heart.

And when I reached the place where the Fleece was
I saw a woman with red hair
Standing at the Gates of Heaven.

Audio: Le Chercheur d’Or

The Love Song of Hermes T

Heaven holds him
Evenings when the autumn leaf falls
Rusted star surrendering to glistering darkness
Magical flame
Evenings when the autumn leaf falls
Slow, dark, fiery, musical… falls.

The winter begins to bite as he
Rakes together the fallen abundance from the trees
In the park making
Small but precious
Mountains of gathered leaves
Each one a swirling Klimt in colour and design
Gold for the glittering pocket of his golden mind
In his warm voice the alchemy of a song
She used to make him sing aloft along
Treasure for the boy he was
Under her heavenly gaze
She who was the love of his days, his moon at night.

Audio: The Love Song of Hermes T

The Stars Journey Home

Death is our Mother
And has shed us like stars
From the womb of darkness
We will return to Her
Not because we do not love life
But because we cannot live without Her.

There is only one Law
To calm our desire
In skies of deepest blue
Be bright one moment then expire
Our lives are briefest fire!
While She is lovely Forever!

She has always been kind to us
And will welcome us with a kiss
When we return from exile
With the map of the Universe
In our hearts for Her.
Death is our Mother.

Audio: Group of 4, ending with The Stars Journey Home

Rest in Peace Gorgeous and Bright Troubadour Thom Moore born on Santa Catalina Island, off California, in 1943, died on St. Patrick’s Day 2018 in Dublin, Ireland. His Song will be Sung in Heaven.This Tom Quinn poem “The Journey” was written for him.

Read the poem here, taken from the Birth and Death of Angels collection.

45 Minute Reads
Ulster Says No!     Watching the News     Old Man Trouble     Sleeping with Actresses
All the 45 Minute Reads are available here

Short Stories
Love and the Kitchen Sink – Television at its very best!
Swallows – Two lovebirds out in the cold
The Naked Orchestra – Classical music without the clothes
Don Giovanni – The story of Ireland’s greatest ever lover!
Quillan – The essential guide to doing business in Ireland
King Gubu – King of the Gobshites
Hunger – The story of some very hungry people in a very hungry world

ICARUS
New Poem by Tom Quinn, written in New York in January 2017The Book
Tom Quinn’s book on Louis-Ferdinand Céline’s Voyage au bout de la nuit and the memory of the Great War 1914-1918 now in print
Follow link to Mellon Press
Or buy it Securely on Amazon

Birth and Death of Angels – Afterthoughts
La Ballade charnelle du Tom Beau
The Love Song of Hermes T.
Ballade solitaire
Read the Birth and Death of Angels

Audio Poems – Click on a title to listen to the Author’s recording in MP3 format.
Sacred Plain | Butchers 13 | The Swan

Celebrity Death Camp – Prologue: ‘They took Paris to Paris, where the guillotine did its best work, making a Marie Antoinette for a new age, which we did not have to suffer any more.’
Enter Celebrity Death Camp