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Irish Independent
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Irish Independent
New Irish Writing: Poetry by Fiona Tracey
The winning poem for June 2025 Fiona is a poet living in Cork. She holds a BA in creative writing from Shepherd University and an MA with distinction in creative writing from UCC. A finalist for the Bournemouth Writing Prize and the Redline Poetry Prize, Fiona has been a featured poet at the Winter Warmer Poetry Festival, Ó Bhéal and DeBarra's Spoken Word. Her poems have appeared or are forthcoming in Anthropocene, Channel, ROPES, Ragaire, Southword, HOWL and elsewhere. or maybe away from it, I can't be sure anymore, and trying to crystallise my thoughts on the subject of life, or maybe love (but aren't they the same), and knew that when you've loved someone, any time you leave will be too soon, even if your stomach has grown cold while you stayed (because the stomach is where you feel coldness grow and not the heart), and I'd lingered too long at the jewellery shop window (because windows are where you can forever find dreams), and passed a cigarette between raindrops for an excuse to touch his hand, and felt the cold coming through the stone wall long before winter (for always I must have a wall at my back), and rushed for the last train even when I knew it was a pointless attempt, and invited the stranger up to my flat and damn the consequences (and now he is a stranger again), and sensed the ground giving in to my feet and wished it was made of stronger stuff, and found myself hungry for the yellow light just beyond the doorway of each house and each life on the cab ride home, and watched the day melt down the walls (and watched the day melt down the walls), and worried that this was the last person I'd love, and saw the Northern lights burn in the South, and pondered the phrase the measure of my dreams, and felt expensive and also felt cheap, and coaxed what was left of me out of myself, and let the roar of the engines fill my chest, as we seemed to pause between now and then, and stepped down on to the tarmac into wind and rain, and knew that there were still choices to make.


Chicago Tribune
25-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Chicago Tribune
Artists provide the soundtrack for Gary bus riders
Michael Robinson heard the saxophone melody drifting toward his bus Wednesday and walked over to hear Damico Brown's smooth jazz notes outside the Gary Metro Station. Other curious riders watched in the hot, muggy morning, as well. 'I think it's great that he's out here. This brings people out,' said Robinson before boarding a Gary Public Transit Corp. bus to his job in Merrillville. On Wednesdays and Fridays, 'Arts on the Move' performers including a dance troupe, musicians, and artists, are stationed at stops along the GPTC's Rapid Bus Route along Broadway offering popup performances to uplift riders during their day. 'Everyone who comes always smiles,' said Brown, of Gary. 'It's always been encouraging and we give them a positive.' The endeavor sprang from interim GPTC General Manager Denise Comer Dillard and McKenya Dilworth Smith, director of Gary's Morning Bishop Theatre Project. 'We are committed to ensuring accessibility for our riders, and that includes access to the arts,' said Comer Dillard. 'Just as mobility should not be limited to any one group of people, the arts should be inclusive as well.' Dilworth Smith lined up about 40 performers, who are paid through a $5,000 grant provided by Lake County Commissioner Kyle Allen, D-Gary. The program began last week and runs through mid-July. Dilworth Smith said artists are often forgotten as funding is parsed out by governments. 'Denise wanted a program of collaboration. Arts are always the first thing to get cut. She came to me, and said 'what will work?'' The two women hoped spectators would be engaged and appreciate the rich tradition of artistic expression in Gary. 'Accessibility is akin to inclusion and togetherness. These are aspects of our society that need the arts more than ever to fill a real void of disconnection that lends itself to alienation,' said Dilworth Smith. In just brief snippet performances at the bus stops, the artists showcased their creativity and talent. Gary rapper Young Khan Tha Don, also known as Brother Damon Jones, explained the origin of his piece he calls 'The Gas Station,' after a performance at 6th Avenue and Broadway. 'I was at a gas station on 45th and Broadway right here in Gary and it was right at the time the school was dismissing.' He said he saw kids flocking to the gas station to load up on snacks. 'It was just the overall energy after school was letting out and them enjoying their free time… I just kind of wanted to give a visual snapshot to the listener.' He said it's an honor to work with the Morning Bishop Theatre and GPTC. 'You know artists, they are instrumental in helping people to feel better, and we provide the soundtracks to people's lives,' he said. Meanwhile, Nahla Gem, a Columbia College graduate, performed a poem she wrote as riders boarded the bus. 'I was very excited to help with this,' she said. She performs Spoken Word regularly as part of the Lyrical Lotus' Heal N' Mic program at Brothers Keeper's community garden. Back at the Metro station, Karina Mitchell set up her easel and finished an acrylic painting as Brown played his sax. Mitchell said she began painting back in 1985. 'The bus riders, they actually tipped the sax player,' she said. She said she never envisioned painting at a bus station. 'But it's not bad.' Both Comer Dillard and Dilworth Smith are pleased with the project. 'We want to make art a daily activity,' said Dilworth Smith. 'Something to uplift the quality of life. It wouldn't be possible without the vision of Denise Dillard. 'You are our ambassador,' she told her.


CBS News
08-02-2025
- Entertainment
- CBS News
Stockton Soul uses the power of music to heal the soul
STOCKTON – It's Black History Month, so we are introducing you to an orchestra known as Stockton Soul. Darcy Ford is the co-founder of Stockton Soul. Her love of music started at an early age. "I've always loved music since I was a child, so I would say, yeah, from the top, maybe in the womb, because I came from a musical family," Ford said. The Stockton string specialist and music teacher studied and played the Western classics. But in 2020, after the murder of George Floyd, Ford decided to make a bold move. "The music that I love is Black music and I want to promote Black music and show that it's valuable and worthy of study," Ford said. So, she leaned on fellow musician and friend Jonathan Ivy. They both studied music at the University of the Pacific and together they started a Black-led orchestra. "I remember very vividly in my car talking to him on the phone while I was driving and saying, what do you think about Stockton Soul? And he's like, 'I love it. That's great,'" Ford said. The group of trained musicians tapped into familiar music like R&B, Hip-Hop and even Spoken Word. Just as they began rehearsing, tragedy struck. Ivy, who suffered from depression, died by suicide. "I remember screaming because I felt like, you know, we built we built this," Ford said. "I felt like I needed him, and I didn't feel like I could go on without him." Ford then consulted with the other musicians, including Jelani Brown who was also friends with Ivy. As a group, they decided to push forward. Their first performance was at Ivy's memorial. "The hardest thing about losing him is not paying attention to the signs," Brown said. So, Stockton Soul's mission is to address mental health at each performance and within the group. "It just made me realize even more that it's just like, OK, number one, I need take care of my mental health," Brown said. "I need to make sure I need to make sure I'm asking for help." They demonstrate that the power of love, self-care and music can really help heal the soul. "The one common thread that we can all come together on is music. You know, especially this music that is this African Black music that is the soundtrack of our country," Ford said. Stockton Soul is made up of 10 musicians but during larger performances, the orchestra brings in more musicians. Stockton Soul is scheduled to perform at the Haggin Museum in Stockton on Feb. 15 for Black History Month. If you or someone you know is in emotional distress or a suicidal crisis, you can reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.