THE LITTLE SANCTUARY

A Small Oasis of Shelter, hosted by Grace Wells

POETRY FILM

On this page you'll find Grace's Poetry Films.

Many of these poems feature in Grace's third collection

 The Church of the Love of the World.

'Grass'

This meditative eco-poetry film celebrates the intimate world of grass. It explores what happens when we let our lawns go long, and it memorialises many of Ireland's wild grasses.

'IMBOLC, VISION'

The first in Grace's film-poem sequence celebrating the Celtic Year. 'Imbolc, Vision' marks Brigit's Day, 1st February, and the ancient Festival of Imbolc. Commissioned by The Source Arts Centre, Thurles in 2022.

'Bealtaine, Embodiment'

This is the second in Grace's quartet of poetry-films celebrating the 'Celtic Year'. Bealtaine is the first day of Summer, a chance to move back out of doors and celebrate a closer relationship with the natural world, or as the poem says the chance for a 're-wedding of the body to the earth'.

'BANAIS RÍGHI, THE HIGH KING SPEAKS'

An inspiring exploration of a possible relationship with nature and the earth, based on the ancient Irish tradition of the High King, each year marrying the land, the Earth Goddess herself.

'POEM FOR THE LEAVES'

A meditative poem for the trees and the leaves as the Northern Hemisphere moves towards Winter, and the Southern Hemisphere moves into another too-dry season.

'FOR SO LONG THEY WERE OUR ARK'

An eco-poetry film inspired by the words of Robin Wall Kimmerer, and by the work of Mary Reynolds with her 'We are the Ark project'.

'CURLEW'

An eco-poetry film about the loss of the Irish curlew.

'STITCHES LIKE DAYS'

A meditative film that weaves embroidery and endurance.

'SEQUENCE FOR THE ROCK OF CASHEL'

A Sequence of poems commissioned by the Cashel Arts Festival to celebrate the Rock of Cashel. Video created by Denis Vahey.

"There are tall daisies in the meadow beneath the house, golden trefoil, and a tendril weave of campion, sweetpea, and purple vetch. There are twelve kinds of orchid, and countless other flowers I cannot name, but still I reach for grass."

From 'She Gathers the Wild Grasses', to be published in 'Home'.

"I lay the different grasses along a page of my notebook, each green stalk with its differing spike, or soft-branched panicle. An assemblage of meadow-art, arranged on white paper with the hope that seed or form will gift me meaning, sane and nourishing as grain."

From 'She Gathers the Wild Grasses', to be published in 'Home'.