Poetry Jukebox returns to WWT Castle Espie
As a part of our Words for Wetlands theme this year, the Poetry Jukebox has returned to WWT Castle Espie’s Limekiln Observatory, where visitors can listen to a collection of poems while enjoying stunning views over Strangford Lough.
The jukebox is operated by manually generated electricity using a crank handle located on its body, allowing visitors to select poems by pressing the corresponding button. This collection of poems is titled "Once barefoot," inspired by Paula Meehan's poem "Death of a Field," which reads,
I’ll walk out once
Barefoot under the moon to know the field
Through the soles of my feet to hear
The myriad leaf lives green and singing
The million million cycles of being in wing.
Meehan's poem "The Solace of Artemis” can also be heard on the jukebox.
Featuring works by poets from different parts of the world, this collection celebrates and questions the relationship humanity has with nature. Contributors include Paula Meehan, Sinéad Morrissey, Matthew Rice, Nessa O’Mahony, Celia de Fréine, Kathleen Jamie, Jessica Traynor, Stephen Sexton, Sarah Westcott, Jane Robinson, Glen Wilson, Paul McCarrick, Ojo Taiye, Michelle Penn, Thérèse Kieran, Susannah Dickey, Taylor Bell, Oana Sanziãna Marian, Stephanie Conn, and Maureen Boyle.
The Poetry Jukebox project is spearheaded by Belfast-based poet Maria McManus and will be with us at Castle Espie for all of August. This initiative was made possible with the support of the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, The British Council, and Poetry Ireland.
