“Begin” by Brendan Kennelly is a beautiful poem about seeking out new beginnings
One of my favourite poems is this lilting, lyrical piece, Begin, by Irish poet Brendan Kennelly, that manages to be both melancholy and hopeful. I often turn to this poem in times of doubt or worry. It feels fitting no matter what the occasion.
Begin – Brendan Kennelly
Begin again to the summoning birds
to the sight of the light at the window,
begin to the roar of morning traffic
all along Pembroke Road.
Every beginning is a promise
born in light and dying in dark
determination and exaltation of springtime
flowering the way to work.
Begin to the pageant of queuing girls
the arrogant loneliness of swans in the canal
bridges linking the past and future
old friends passing though with us still.
Begin to the loneliness that cannot end
since it perhaps is what makes us begin,
begin to wonder at unknown faces
at crying birds in the sudden rain
at branches stark in the willing sunlight
at seagulls foraging for bread
at couples sharing a sunny secret
alone together while making good.
Though we live in a world that dreams of ending
that always seems about to give in
something that will not acknowledge conclusion
insists that we forever begin.
And for anyone interested in going a bit deeper on this poem, its debut performance by Brendan Kennelly is one of the most iconic moments on Irish television.
Without spoiling the video below, it is worth contextualising. The Late Late Show was (and still is) one of the most watched programmes in Ireland. A cultural touchstone and centrepiece of Irish cultural life.
In the excerpt below, what begins as a lighthearted viewer competition takes a dramatic and sad turn, which is transformed briefly into a moment of beauty and hope, as Kennelly recites the brand new poem (which proves to be incredibly fitting for the moment).
It is a longer clip but well worth watching for the masterful handling of a moment by host Gay Byrne and poet Brendan Kennelly. In the truest sense of the word, it is poetic
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