Gordon Ferris was born and raised in Finglas, a North West suburb of Dublin. In the early eighties, he moved to Donegal where he has lived ever since. He started writing in 2014 and has had many short stories and poems in publications including Hidden Channel, A New Ulster, The Galway Review, Impspired Magazine, and Lothlorien Poetry Journal. He has also won prizes in the summer 2020  HITA Creative Writing Competition for his poem ‘Mother’, and won the winter competition for his poem ‘The Silence’.  Gordon was awarded a Poetry Town Bursary by Poetry Ireland.

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In alternate

if every choice you never made  
every dream you pushed away
in an alternate world this game was played

its consequence, a price you gladly paid
though the heart is hurt you never sway
in every choice you never made

cause was you just you were afraid
to speak your wish and what you may
in an alternate world this game was played

the outcome is your dreams are made
and in another place, they play
if every choice you never made  

had lived life and plans were laid
to seed and flower to bloom in May  
in an alternate world this game was played

you stand tall  you’re not afraid
in defiance of what they say
what if every choice you made
in  an alternate world this game was played

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Reminisce

So, we sit here  
waiting for the  
head to pop  
around the corner  
for the light  
to re-emerge  
for life to begin anew.
On the windshield  
a fly lands
you look closely  
to make sure there
is no miniature head  
before you swot it
you look beyond the houses  
to the hills and trees  
to green and brown of nature  
where you long to be
you ponder  
on past times  
easy faces  
familiar  
unafraid