Somebody must look for rainbows
under leaden skies –
work furloughed, playgrounds empty,
plans cancelled, there’s no excuse.
We’ve read, drew and danced
cooked and home-schooled
played on the iPad
streamed and then…
we stopped.
We sang in cages
placed bears in windows
clapped on doorsteps
and heard each other.
We grieve for those lost,
each smarting raindrop.
But it will end,
and the children will teach us
to look for rainbows.
Anita Gracey grew up in Belfast but her mum is from Emy in Monaghan, so she has spent most of her spare time there. Anita has been published in Poetry Ireland Review, Washing Windows – Irish Women Write Poetry (Ed. Eavan Boland), Abridged, The Honest Ulsterman, Poetry NI, The Poets’ Republic, Fly on the Wall, The Blue Nib, Culture Matters, CAP Anthology, Bangor Literary Review, Sonder, Utopia Project, Dream Well Writing, Woman’s Aid Anthology, Waterways Story-making Festival, Pendemic and Monaghan County Museum.
Her work has featured in The Poetry Jukebox, a tattoo and a PhD paper. She was shortlisted Over the Edge New Writer of the Year 2018, longlisted for the Hennessy New Irish Writing award in 2019, and shortlisted for Chultúrlann Poetry Competition 2020.
Anita is supported by an iDA award, managed by the University of Atypical on behalf of the Arts Council of Northern Ireland.
