JGHeraghty | Poetry

Hi guys, today I'm going to talk about my self-published Poetry Collection, some insight into my thoughts behind it, some reflection on it, how I did it, what other collections I have worked on and what I would like to do next.    Back in 2020, I finally made the decision to pull together a collection of what I believe were my best poems between the years 2013-2020. What's important here is that you know these poems were my personal favourites, pieces that meant something to me on a deep level, whether they were about true life experiences, held the essence of growth and accomplishment, or were just good writes with awesome feedback. The selection process was hilarious. Up to that point I had printed all of my poems out on random different coloured paper and binded it together, with a makeshift cover. It was a collection of everything I had ever written, but I spent a lot of time sifting through all the poems in the homemade book and decided against publishing the majority of ...

Old Fortress, Corfu Old Town, 2022 I'm not one for partying, so Corfu was a bold choice. I recall people looked at me funny when I said I was going to party-party land in the summer. But you know? I had one line of thinking: how do I know it's not my scene, I've never tried it? Don't get me wrong, I don't particularly follow the motto of 'try everything once' but it's just a thing people know about themselves and I didn't actually know it. We didn't go alone of course, we went with a whole crew of people. I believe there were 12 of us in total. Some I knew, some I didn't. For €400 for 7 days, you have to wonder what you're getting yourself in for. Here's the answer: a beautiful beach, basic plumbing in your hotel, a series of bug bites (if that's what you're in to) and the most incredible night sky on that midnight beach. Oh you're a drinker? Ah you'll fit right in. Me, not so much, but I did love my experience there. ...

Kölner Dom, 2022 Okay, I'll be honest. We went to Cologne because we needed to go to Berlin, and the cost of the flight was so cheap by comparison (including the cross-country train cost) that it only made sense to choose it. We were heading to Berlin for Pokemon Go Fest 2022. Our original plan was: we fly to Cologne (for €13 each), check in to our hotel - situated right in the train station we would depart from - sleep for 4 hours and then take a 5 hour train ride to Berlin. Yes, we were ambitious. However, as life does, we woke up the same minute we were meant to be departing on our train. And while I do not know much about public transport in Germany, I knew two solid facts right then: we were not getting that train and we were definitely not getting a refund. So what could we do except enjoy a wonderful day in Cologne while we waited for the next train! ... With only a few hours to spend in a new city (and the fact we already missed one train), you might be expecting we were he...

Eiffel Tower, 2021 Who doesn't dream of Paris? Me. I'll be honest. I had heard so many negative things about Paris before I went, so that dampened it a little for me. However, since I have been, I cannot stop dreaming of Paris. The feeeeeeeling of being there was so incredible. I loved the tea, I loved the Eiffel Tower, I loved the air. I honestly felt like I belonged there, which is an unbelievable feeling. We decided to go in November, as it was nearing the end of the year and I swore I would not go anywhere attraction-filled for New Years after London. It was our first trip since the pandemic so we were a little nervous. Before we left I got the biggest cold feet of my life, sitting on the couch, telling Shane I wasn't going. We talk about regrets in life, getting up off that couch and making my way to the airport was one of the best decisions I have made in my life to date!  Before we went, I made an extensive plan that was activity packed (and maybe a bit too ambitious...