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Notice What You Notice by Jenny Byrne



Notice what you notice


when you look out and

see the man who briskly walks

each day, you open the blind just as

he passes and assume he is minding his heart

does he see you too?


your smile when you think of your mother

insides lava with love and

grief and the sheer pit of it

you cut thoughts of your father off

your hardrive full, safe mode


the laughter of little ones

on their way each morning

followed by mum or dad emailing, texting

with scooter and pup in tow

Look at them you want to call

you’ll miss the best parts!


the way you feel tight in the morning

sinewy and seizing, taking longer to ease

you exercise for that now and take the odd pill

but are not a morning person

unless its sunny

they don’t seek you out anymore


that you are a grump

used to be a laugh, at least more of a laugh

pick it up, put it back, don’t forget,

no you can’t, because I said so

how do they put up with you at all?


but they do


and each night a warm hand

finds its way to yours.





Jenny Byrne lives in Dublin, Ireland with her husband and her two teenage children and is originally from the seaside town of Bray. Being near the sea always feels like home. A newcomer to the writing scene, she is enjoying the practice of it and the vibrant writing community very much. Focusing on observations of being human and ‘the everyday’, she writes her take on life. Her poems have been published in The Galway Review and Impspired.

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