In this week’s episode we look at the conflict and tension that comes natural when there is out you like from awful people. Sparked by the new Michael Jackson biopic, we discuss.

We also share a poem from Tim Buckley, the father of actor Jessie Buckley, after she talked about her dad’s poems on the Desert Island Discs radio show with Lauren Laverne.

A poem from Patti Smith before music by Becca Colley to end the show. Lovely hurling.

On a break next week as we plan/perform at a few live gigs but we’ll be back asap.

Ryan and Leon

Poems from the show:

Tim Buckley - The Actress

https://www.radiokerry.ie/podcasts/kerry-today/our-jessie-dad-tim-on-family-joy-and-kerry-pride-march-13th-2026-475726

James Oppenheim - Bread And Roses

https://allpoetry.com/poem/8550457-Bread-And-Roses-by-James-Oppenheim

Road Dahl - Little Red Riding Hood

https://www.poetrybyheart.org.uk/poems/little-red-riding-hood-and-the-wolf

Charlie Chaplin - Speech from The Great Dictator

https://www.charliechaplin.com/en/articles/29-the-final-speech-from-the-great-dictator-

Patti Smith - True Music

https://www.reddit.com/r/Poetry/comments/1o487me/poem_true_music_by_patti_smith/

Becca Colley - Nicely

https://open.spotify.com/track/2vGGbTZwyd4OQ2NlD5tCO1?si=7dE060GMSyKXyVKyJFdVvg

Support the show

Original music by Matthew Keating
Artwork by Paddy Downey
Introduction by Lisa Downey

Produced by Ryan Duggins

Poems from the show:

Aisling Bonner - Dublin, Oh Dublin (Taken from RTE's 2FM Breakfast Show)

Aisling Bonner (@aisling_bon) | TikTok

Robert Sheehan - Untitled Poem

Robert Sheehan - IMDb

Claudine Tierney - Willie Daly, Matchmaker Extraordinaire

Claudine Tierney (@claudine_artist) • Instagram photos and videos

James Joyce - Araby (A Short Story)

Dubliners - Wikipedia

Niamh Be - Busy Intrusive Thoughts

Busy Intrusive Thoughts – Niamh Be Musings

Baz Luhrmann - Everybody's Free To Wear Sunscreen

Baz Luhrmann - Everybody's Free To Wear Sunscreen

Support the show

Original music by Matthew Keating
Artwork by Paddy Downey
Introduction by Lisa Downey

Produced by Ryan Duggins

This week's show we keep it a little lighter, but I think in doing so we accidentally got a bit macho. Nightmare really. Especially that chat we have about what dog should you aspire to be. That was definitely a toxic conversation lol.

Anyway! Poems this week about being sound, being brave, being aware, being alert to the way you show up in the world and we also have a poem about the naivety of human kindness thanks to James Tate's 'Good Time Jesus'.

If you'd like to see this mess of a show in person, we will be at the International Literature Festival Dublin in Merrion Square on Saturday 16th May so see you there!

International Literature Festival Dublin | The Poetry's Dead Podcast Live - International Literature Festival Dublin

Poems from the show:

David Hynes - I Am Here

https://www.instagram.com/hynestein1/

Seamus Heaney - From The Republic Of Conscience

https://www.rte.ie/radio/dramaonone/1349892-from-the-republic-of-conscience-by-seamus-heaney

John Keats - When I Have Fears That I May Cease To Be

https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/44488/when-i-have-fears-that-i-may-cease-to-be

Good Time Jesus - James Tate

https://poets.org/poem/goodtime-jesus

Ciara Ni E - A Different Animal

https://www.instagram.com/miseciara/

Music by Mathilde Lotti - Cumbia Del Amor Perdido

https://www.instagram.com/matilde_lotti/

Support the show

Original music by Matthew Keating
Artwork by Paddy Downey
Introduction by Lisa Downey

Produced by Ryan Duggins

Trigger warning: This episode includes subjects that some listeners might find difficult to listen to, including sexual assault and rape.

If you are a long-time listener, you'll know that we like to keep it light. However, we felt after reading the CNN Rape Academy expose that there was a duty to add to the conversation with the help of experts in the field to hopefully raise awareness and, maybe, change a few lives in the process.

Aside from discussing the actions of awful men, we discuss our trip to Wolverhampton to see Jan Brierton and Henry Normal, which was just class.

We talk about the excitement of being a child at IKEA with the help of Charlotte McDermott, read a section of Strumpett City by James Plunkett and wrap up with one of the most fun-named poets we've featured so far - AB Banjo Paterson.

Thanks again for listening guys. As always, if you do like the show and joining us every week, please like and share the show :)

Ryan and Leon

Poems from the show

Isle Of Tiles - Charlotte McDermott

https://www.instagram.com/charley_mwc/

Strumpet City - James Plunkett

https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/books/strumpet-city-the-impossible-irish-novel-1.1343043

Unmasking - Kemi George Simpson

https://www.instagram.com/kemigeorgesimpson/

AB Banjo paterson - A Mountain Station

https://englishverse.com/poems/a_mountain_station

Music by Saibhin - Absence Of Touch

https://saibhin.co/

Support the show

Original music by Matthew Keating
Artwork by Paddy Downey
Introduction by Lisa Downey

Produced by Ryan Duggins

Did you ever think you did something awful as a child that didn't actually happen?

Yeah, no, mad to think that's something common and not just you, don't you think? We talk about that today on the podcast after we share a poem that was Nelson Mandela's favourite poem. If you don't know what the Mandela effect is, get ready.

We share the full version of T.S Eliot's masterpiece 'The Love Song Of J Alfred Prufrock as well today, which is as moving a dipiction of getting older as it gets really.

We also have poetry from Christina Hennerman, Aimee Patchell Smith, Ann Bradstreet and a track from Shakalak to wrap up.

Enjoy the podcast, share the news. Thanks to everyone who met us in Wolverhampton too this weekend where we joined Jan Brierton and Henry Normal for a few poems.

Love

Ryan and Leon

Poems from the show:

The Love Song Of J Alfred Prufrock - T.S Eliot

https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poetrymagazine/poems/44212/the-love-song-of-j-alfred-prufrock

In Reference To Her Children, 23 June 1659 by Anne Bradstreet

https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/43704/in-reference-to-her-children-23-june-1659

Christina Henneman - Poem from Birthmark

https://www.shearsman.com/store/Christina-Hennemann-Birthmark-p767566784

Aimee Patchell Smith - Co-Sleeping

https://www.instagram.com/musingsbymimi

Support the show

Original music by Matthew Keating
Artwork by Paddy Downey
Introduction by Lisa Downey

Produced by Ryan Duggins

The Times' newspaper lost a few subscribers this week after a ridiculous critique of Harry Baker's life show had caused a rightful stir in the poetry community. We talk about the snobbery elitism that hums in the background of the current movement of really sound people performing really powerful words.

We're off to Wolverhampton to see Jan Brierton and Henry Normal on tour next weekend, the latter of which we haven't shared a poem from before which we put right this week.

Andrea Gibson and Darby Hudson make their Poetry's Dead debuts this week too, before our agony aunt fixes the issue of putting it all off until tomorrow.

Thanks again to everyone listening. We really do need all the support so if the podcast if your little secret, change it and spread the word!

Ryan and Leon

Poems from the show

Andrea Gibson - Time Piece

https://andreagibson.org/

Harry Baker - Instructions For My Funeral

https://www.harrybaker.co/

Darby Hudson - Chapters from 'Darby, Love'

https://www.darbyhudsonart.com/

Alice Murphy - Untitled

https://www.instagram.com/aliceasks/

Music from How I Became A Wave - You Always Had A Way With Words

https://www.howibecameawave.com/

Support the show

Original music by Matthew Keating
Artwork by Paddy Downey
Introduction by Lisa Downey

Produced by Ryan Duggins

Words That Changed Your Life

We opened last week’s show with a clip from Hollywood actor Bill Murray talking about art. He shared a story about how, on his darkest day, he was saved by a painting in a Chicago gallery that gave him the hope he needed to keep going. We thought we’d ask our listeners if they have had a similar experience…and thus, this episode was born.

We received some beautiful stories from our community about how art had saved them too. Songs, painting and, of course, poetry.

We share those words with you on the show this week. Thank you to everyone who had gotten in touch, we couldn’t be more thankful.

Poems from the show:

Ryan’s pick

John Cooper Clarke - The List

https://store.johncooperclarke.com/products/the-luckiest-guy-alive

Leon’s pick

Paul Curran - Drive

https://youtu.be/5DBYB_VGCUw?is=BuPO3E_7QWtuZOr5

Daniel Flynn’s pick

Derek Mahon - Everything Is Going To Be Alright

https://anthonywilsonpoetry.com/2012/10/06/lifesaving-poems-derek-mahons-everything-is-going-to-be-all-right/

Bev Wilder’s pick

James Mooney - Stay

https://www.tiktok.com/@thewanderingpaddy/video/7538889678569671959

Nicola Clare’s pick

John O’Donohue - Beannacht/Blessing

https://www.scottishpoetrylibrary.org.uk/poem/beannacht-blessing/

Laura Kenny’s pick

Fontaines DC - No

https://genius.com/Fontaines-dc-no-lyrics

Support the show

Original music by Matthew Keating
Artwork by Paddy Downey
Introduction by Lisa Downey

Produced by Ryan Duggins

We both have been chewing the Louis Theroux 'Manosphere' documentary around in hour mouths for a few days so it was only natural we spend way too much time this week talking about it. Hopefully we add something to the conversation of the world of vulnerable men being taken advantage of with a few honest appraisals of the shit show itself.

We do also have poems! Poetry from Woody Harrelson, John Steinbeck, Colm Connolly (this one's a banger about cheating in your dreams) and Steve Denehan.

We also have a track from the upcoming Pat Ingoldsby album celebrating the poetry of a Dublin icon with some of the country's best poets all recording for the release. We also got invited as well which is cool.

Enjoy!

Ryan and Leon

Poems from the podcast

Woody Harrelson - Baby Response

https://extra.ie/2022/08/06/entertainment/woody-harrelson-irish-baby

John Steinbeck - Tortilla Flat

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/163977.Tortilla_Flat

Colm Connolly - Dream Cheater

https://www.instagram.com/colmconnolly84

Steve Denehan - Impossible Questions From My Daughter

https://www.stevedenehanpoetry.com/

Agony Aunt - Perfume

Support the show

Original music by Matthew Keating
Artwork by Paddy Downey
Introduction by Lisa Downey

Produced by Ryan Duggins