MY TRIBUTE TO MICHAEL LONGLEY (1939-2025)

 

I was walking along the Lagan this afternoon, at Ormeau Bridge, when I glanced down and noticed a social media message that Michael Longley had passed away. Within me, my heart cried "Nooooo". Immediately I thought that Belfast was less than it had been yesterday. Michael's imagination and literary flair gone. What a loss.

I only spoke to him a couple of times but when I did I sensed the gentle genius of him. His voice when he read his work had a sense of compassion and grace. A deep humanity. 

One of the highlights of my life was when Michael joined us at the 2019 4 Corners Festival and read Ceasefire. I sensed one of those most privileged moments of my life. Someone of magnitude was at our wee Festival and reading maybe his greatest poems. Soul tingling. 

We were in the well bombed Europa Hotel for a rehearsed reading of Seamus Heaney’ The Cure at Troy under the direction of Trevor Gill of The Bright Umbrella Theatre Co. We had a plethora of political names actually acting it out - Naomi Long, Claire Hanna and Mairtin Muilleoir,  Sammy Douglas, Glenn Bradley and Paul Gallagher among them. 

To then have Michael Longley read Ceasefire. Oh my. The Festival's theme that year was Scandalous Forgiveness. It was almost Biblical.

I am not a great poetry reader, much as I am obsessed with the more poetic lyrics in music. So, it would be no surprise that when Duke Special put Longley's poems into songs I was in love with it.

That record Hallow, in my opinion. is one of the most important records made in our wee country. Michael's work suits Duke Special perfectly.  It is lyrical, it is full of images and asks some metaphysical questions. The opening Another Wren seeks “whatever the key in which God exists’ and on A Questionnaire For Walter Mitty my favourite lines:

 

“And Walter Mitty how would you define

The water walker who made the water wine
Was it Christ the God

Was it Christ the man?”

 

As well at the spiritual questioning and probing, there are the characters, brothers, granddaughters and the aforementioned Lena Hardy.

Very best of all, and most moving, is The Ice-Cream Man about John Larmour who was looking after his brother’s ice cream shop, Barnum’s on the Lisburn Road, when he was shot dead. On this track, Michael actually reads the poem himself and then talks about getting a letter from the Ice Cream Man’s mother and how it was one of his most treasured possessions. the power of the poem and the appreciation of the poet when he captures it is all in there in a cathartic poem about our Northern Irish Troubles.

I will remember Michael Longley as a man with a most gracious demeanour.

Then, I will recognise him as a great poet when our wee place shared him with Seamus Heaney. Think about that. Our wee place!

Then, I will appreciate how he used his gift to help us all through very violent and traumatic times.

And finally I will always be so grateful that he stood up at the 4 Corners Festival and read:

 

I get down on my knees and do what must be done
And kiss Achilles’ hand, the killer of my son.

 

Wow! The theme that year was Scandalous Forgiveness. All summed up in two poetic lines by a genius. As I said, we are lesser.