For Alexander John Hickey
He has the spun sun captured in his eyes
Hair like the rising dawn’s rays
Bringing light to the world
His whole person was glorious beyond description
He speaks in tongues.
The lord alone sent him here
To be my compass in this land
Some wandered in the wilderness, lost and homeless.
Where more and more seems strange and sad
And only self indulgence reigns
His smile will light a thousand stars
His laughter the music of angel’s choirs
His cry a message in the night
The Lord has heard my plea;
The Lord will answer my prayer
To live by his blood, to live by his tears.
To each I swear a solemn oath
To walk in the true path
In their light, in their grace
Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness,
but will have the light of life.
Follow the laws given in the book
Speaking new language in his sweet voice.
Kenneth Hickey was born in 1975 in Cobh, Co. Cork Ireland. He served in the Irish Naval Service between 1993 and 2000. His poetry and prose has been published in various literary journals in Ireland, the UK and the United States including Southword, Crannoig, THE SHOP, A New Ulster, Aesthetica Magazine and The Great American Poetry show. His writing for theatre has been performed in Ireland, the UK, New York and Paris. He has won the Eamon Keane Full Length Play Award as well as being shortlisted for The PJ O’Connor Award and the Tony Doyle Bursary. He was shortlisted for the Bournmouth Poetry Prize in 2022. He has been selected for the Poetry in the Park project and has been awarded a poetry mentorship by Munster Literature Centre. He was awarded a residency at the Tyrone Guthrie Centre by Cork County Council in 2022. HE has been highly commended in the Munster Literature Centre’s Fool for Poetry Chapbook competition and was shortlisted in the 2022 Poets Meet Painter Competition. His work in film has been screened at the Cork and Foyle Film Festivals. He holds a BA and MA in English Literature both from University College Cork. His debut collection ‘The Unicycle Paradox’ was published by Revival Press in November 2021. His second book ‘Krieg’ will be published in 2024 also by Revival Press. He still resides in Cork.
DoubleSpeak 