Daragh Fleming is a writer and speaker from Cork, Ireland. His debut in nonfiction, Lonely Boy, is published by BookHub Publishing. He has work appearing in many literary magazines, has won the Cork Arts ‘From The Well’ Short Story Competition in 2021, and  was highly commended in both the Patrick Kavanagh Award and Fool For Poetry Prize in 2023.
The Interview
We are thrilled to welcome Poet and Mental Health Advocate Daragh Fleming to the Poetry Cooperative. Daragh writes stunning poetry and his book, Lonely Boy is changing lives as we speak. I had the privilege to sit down with him and ask him about his writing and the advise he provides to emerging poets and writers.
The Poems
Thank you, Daragh, for allowing is to publish some of your poems. It’s an honour!
A Masters in Linguistics
I’ve always liked unusual things
and this has held true for
language too.
Phrases like
‘sink your teeth in’
or
‘feast your eyes’
are wonderfully ridiculous
I imagine molars and their
captains finding death in
a saliva ocean
or
A ravenous pair of eyes
devouring a kebab
in the milking hours.
Without a Camera
I don’t take photos as often as I should. Moments to remember are easily forgotten. I look through all the ones I have and can feel the gaps. Like pushing my tongue around the edges of my teeth. I don’t take enough photographs, but I’ve written everything down. I’ve tried to get better at it. So when I say these words you can see what I see. Windows fogged from the heating. Rain outside like the paint is running on the world. The edge of your smile beneath the corner of the duvet. You’re still wearing socks because you’re conscious of your feet. Your hand running through my hair like you’ve found the perfect patch of land to build your house upon. Can you see us there? I don’t take pictures of these moments, but this doesn’t mean they aren’t captured.
Nerves
Heavy dose of purple serotonin / lungfuls of Wednesday morning / skip through the park for a shortcut / teenagers necking on a bench / it actually takes the same amount of time this way / pinch your leg through your pocket / make sure all of this is real / time is relative and related / not your uncle – possibly a foster cousin situation / through the gate that’s never open / no sign of a Saint named Peter / bright as fuck out today / eyeballs fizzing in a glass / cloudy with a chance of indoctrination / one last heft of purple flavoured nonsense / sweaty armpit smelling alley / library looming like a deadline / chin up / shoulders disapproving / escort yourself inside / pretend you have something worth sharing.
More Writing from Daragh Fleming
To order his books or follow his work, please check out the following:
Socials: @daraghfleming everywhere
Website http://thoughtstoobig.ie