A Beautiful Pain
by
CATHERINE BARRY
(March 2020 Book
of Poems
Published by Salmon Poetry of Ireland
In Conjunction with The Arts Council Of Ireland)
"...Women
Are Made Of Mars Bars..."
Catherine Barry
has had four novels published since 2001 and the quietly dignified "A
Beautiful Pain" is her first Book of Poetry brought to us in paperback by
Salmon Press (published March 2020 in her native Ireland).
As a wee bit of a
scribbler myself - Poetry and the purchasing of it is a little like art
installations in galleries with really big rooms housing equally huge egos -
enough to bring many of us out in a rash and a snuffled giggle. The danger of
pretentiousness lurks in the over-priced coffee emporium stroking its twisty
beard as it ponders gender-neutral Nihilism. Should I identify as a non-binary
coconut or is that numerically Coconut-ist? Oh dear…
I say this,
because hand-on-heart, Cathy's poetry couldn't be less uppity or arty-farty and
thankfully isn't the online ranting of woke terrorists either. Its thoughts and
hard-won observations are firmly based in humanity – trying to make red
lemonade (its an Irish thing) when life keeps throwing you beginning-to-mold
lemons. These straight-talking stories try to portray the hopeful moments too
alongside the inevitable losses and the casual cruelty of dirty laundry that just
refuses to go away.
The undercurrent
in her writing quickly becomes clear. These 80 or so pieces are filled with the
ebb and flow of survival - a decades long battle with alcoholism, abandonment
and not least of all - the final egg in the face - Breast Cancer which has now
gone on to the worst stage. In fact the first poem speaks of local gurriers
tormenting her Dublin home in 1999 by pelting it with eggs for weeks on end.
Yet she rises above life's subtle persecution and goes on with the help of
family, her two children (now grown up) and mentors within genuinely decent Care
and Self-Help groups.
Few poetry
volumes are page-turners, but this one is. There's a beautifully observed piece
called “Lyric” that describes her father John Francis Barry as he wrestles with
four remotes in his old age – stood in front of his beloved Hi Fi in the
'sitting room' (we don't do lounges in Ireland) – as she knocks on the window
pane to alert him that she's arrived home. His infectious smile, belief in
people and his presence still so huge even after his death at the age of 86
nearly four years prior. Her Mum Maureen walking down the street also in her
mid 80ts with her artists sense of clothing, positivity and wild fighting
spirit – telling off a neighbour she thinks is slagging off Catherine's older
sister Francis. Charlie who saved her from drink and its destruction – pride in
her kids – anger at the disease and so on. It’s very personal stuff for sure –
"My Children Come First", "Love Me When I Fall",
"Breast Cancer Awareness Month" and "Strong Women" - but
its also real and humane and accessible.
There's anger and
rage as well - a short heartbreaking piece called "Tuam Babies" with
lines like…
We're down here.
In a dirty hole.
A fitting grave
for shame.
Denial's
forwarding address.
God forgive us.
Or hurt for an
elderly lady in "Prayer For The Nameless" - found dead and abandoned
- the notoriously tight Irish Government and Irish Banks screwing over the
nation and most vulnerable with endless austerity measures since the entirely
avoidable 2008 stock market collapse…
Let's salute the
country
That abandoned
The very people
Who built it.
Welcome to
Ireland
Land of saints
and scholars
White collars
with no moral compass…
Or dealing with
setbacks and spiritual turmoil in "Teabags"…
No blend of
perfection
So to speak.
I am at my
strongest
When I am
weak.
I enjoyed
Catherine's new Book of Poems and have re-read many since – especially in this
time that cries out for hope and some better horizon that we can't maybe see at
the moment.
So if you fancy a
woman who writes lines like "Men Are From Mars. Women are made of Mars
Bars…" in a booked called "A Beautiful Pain" – then this little bowl of poetic chicken soup is the
self-isolation read for you...
