In November 2022, my writer friend Csilla Toldy had asked if I would have enough space in the car to driven someone back to Belfast that evening. I had asked, who? She had said: Michael Longley. That was my first introduction to Longley who was headlining the annual Rostrevor Literary festival in 2022.

I had gone there as part of the audience, only to follow up in 2023 as an invited author. I was thrilled and amazed to hear him read poems. His voice, warm and melodious, I shot several vidoes. And then, embarrassed at my own enthusiasm, I didn’t request him for a selfie. My bad, I should have and I regret it so much today.

In his poems, especially the ones he read at the event, I found life’s wisdom percolating through simplest of moments, social ties, events, relationships.

It’s a great loss that he passed away yesterday, and meeting him again now remains just a to-do that I will never be able to tick off.

Consolation is, I shared his city (Belfast) with him, as much as I would find him on the pages of his poems, again and again.

Much love and regards; off you go, Sir Longley, in peace and in God’s kindest blessings.

Padma-Uday.

(image: AI generated)