Irish poet Paula Meehan reads one of her earlier works.

Despite her becoming in 2013 the Ireland Professor of Poetry by President Higgins, I’ve not come across any of her work before – something I will seek to remedy in the near future!

Her Wikipedia page suggests that she is a force to be reckoned with – protesting against her school as a teenager (resulting in her expulsion!) – with a life long love of learning. She attended Trinity College Dublin in the 70’s; performed; travelled and lived abroad for long stretches at a time.

The poem below was shared with me by my dad – so it was slightly unnerving to hear that she wrote this upon discovering that her father was mortal. I hope you enjoy it as much as we have.