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Emily Cullen experienced an unexpected and remarkable moment when she picked up her son Lee after he completed his Junior Cycle English exam in Galway. Initially interpreting his broad smile as a sign that he had performed well, Cullen soon discovered that a poem she had written seven years earlier, inspired by her son, had featured on the exam paper. Lee himself was the one to break the news to her: “You won’t believe it mum – the poem you wrote about me came up in the paper,” he told her.
The poem in question, titled *Envoi in Chalk*, was sparked by an image Cullen remembered vividly—when her son was eight years old, she noticed a short, uplifting message Lee had written in chalk on a pavement nearby: “The world is great.” This simple phrase, seen during a difficult time in Cullen’s life when her mother was hospitalized, inspired her to write the poem, which captured both beauty and hope amid hardship. Reflecting on her reaction to the poem’s inclusion in the exam, Cullen described the event as “the most flabbergasting moment,” and likened the experience to being in “another dimension.” With emotions running high, she and Lee shared a hug before she called family members to relay the surprising news. “It was a once-in-a-lifetime synchronicity,” she said.
Cullen explained that she was unaware her poem had been selected for the state exam, noting that it is common for the names of poets chosen for such papers to be kept confidential until the exam date. Lee, faced with the unusual situation of answering questions about a poem written by his mother and inspired by himself, initially considered responding in the first person but decided against it, fearing the examiners might not believe his claim. “So he responded in the third person, which was probably quite a wise decision,” Cullen remarked.
Originally published as the Irish Times’ Poem of the Week, *Envoi in Chalk* later appeared in Cullen’s third poetry collection, *Conditional Perfect*. The poem’s message of finding wonder and beauty in everyday moments has taken on greater meaning for Cullen in recent years, especially following the death of her mother and as she now cares for her aging father. She reflected on the cyclical nature of life and emphasized the importance of recognizing life’s gifts amid challenging times. Quoting the late American poet Audre Lorde, Cullen said, “‘Poetry is not a luxury. It is a vital necessity of our existence,'” adding, “I think poetry has a lot to add to our lives. We need those positive messages.
Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More
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