I am delighted you are here. Welcome to a space where you will find a mixture of stories, poems, ideas, moments, business thoughts, sports and photos. 

Recently the final Book in the Prof. Harriet series was published. This brings a conclusion to this story now. 

I am researching for my next book, a historical fiction work about the impact of changing from paganism to Christianity in Emperor Constantine's time. Should be a good story.

I am also telling more and more stories as a Sheanchai including an August 2024 performance in front of 150 paying guests in Cork city followed by a Dublin show with over 200 guests. In April 2025 I was in Portugal telling a story to a business group involved in Regulations and Compliance. See below for links. 

My work as Seanchai continues to evolve. I look forward to more gigs of this nature. All stories are told in first person (more or less) and relate to modern times. Sorry no Irish fables or faerie stories, or put downs of the less fortunate amongst us. Plenty of resilience, and overcoming fear of the wolf packs!

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/johnbatkinson_delighted-to-be-asked-to-tell-a-story-in-activity-7315778672773271552-pO6C?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop&rcm=ACoAAAKGyLcB6Lwg5-W66Qj-HYF55wCllQ5hCLk

Anxiety

I can relate

Anxiety existed when I

Was your age too.

Look for abundance,

Hope dream jamming.

Force-feed fear famine.

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Thanks to Ásta Fanney Sigurðardóttir for this line!

 '(moonlight is milk for night cats)'. 

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Whatever it is you want to do, find the person who is best at it, and ask them to teach you. 

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All my lovers have succeeded in making me a stranger to those that have expectations of me. 

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An Irish bye, bye, bye, bye, bye—

As much as good luck and God bless,

I wish for you the joy of feeling soft rain

curl your hair as you hear seagulls swirl.

I return to my Masters thesis about knowledge and power as I watch the power that individuals are grasping from knowledge AI like Chat GPT.  

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Carbon 450+

The  proud old trees reach their 

full summer leaf on the longest day.

In intimate cahoots, the dense greenery 

over-touches to whisper breath fully-

the air is so fresh lately.

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Backyard grass

Dawn opening sun fires the energy blast.

Hungry slurping stomata break their fast.

Inhaling rich, lush CO2

Spitting out bright glistening dew.

My toes fondly feel this wet waste

Gorged lungs savour the O2 baste.

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Poets poke at life to reveal its sound, rhythm, and story.

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Thanks to Lucie Viridion for this line- 

"as if a furry tarantula had dabbed its feet in ink and danced across that blue misted limen."

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Thanks to Sandra Nelson for these lines

"A blizzard of nothingness blows sideways."

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The mind is its own place, and in it self

Can make a Heav'n of Hell, a Hell of Heav'n.

Milton, Paradise Lost.

Nelson Mandela often said 'it is the oppressor who defines the nature of the struggle...fight fire with fire'.