I wrote a poem about my son – years later it appeared on his exam paper
I wrote a poem about my son – Emily Cullen, a poet based in Galway, recently experienced a surreal moment when she learned that a poem she had written seven years ago, inspired by her son Lee, was featured in his English exam. The poem, titled Envoi in Chalk, was part of the Junior Cycle English curriculum—a state-level exam in Ireland akin to GCSEs.
Upon collecting her son from school, Cullen noticed his wide smile. She initially assumed it signaled a good result, but Lee revealed the poem had appeared on his paper. “You won’t believe it, mum—the poem you wrote about me came up in the exam,” he said, according to Cullen.
Cullen, who serves as the Meskell Poet in Residence at the University of Limerick, described the event as a “once-in-a-lifetime synchronicity.” She recalled being in a state of shock, wondering if the poem’s inclusion was a coincidence. “I thought it felt like I was in another dimension,” she shared with BBC News NI.
Unexpected Inspiration
The poem originated from a simple message Lee had scrawled in chalk on a pavement when he was eight. “The world is great,” he wrote, which lifted Cullen’s spirits during a challenging time. At that moment, her mother was hospitalized, and she felt overwhelmed by life’s difficulties.
Cullen was so moved by the message that she decided to write a poem. “It just came out. It literally wrote itself,” she said, explaining how the words became a heartfelt tribute. The piece was later published in the Irish Times as a Poem of the Week and eventually included in her third poetry collection, Conditional Perfect.
Emotional Impact
When the poem appeared on Lee’s exam paper, Cullen was overcome with emotion. “We hugged before I called the family to share the news,” she recalled. She described the experience as a mix of disbelief and joy, emphasizing the unique connection between mother and son.
Lee faced a dilemma during the test. He considered answering in the first person, as the poem was inspired by him, but opted for the third person to avoid confusion. “He responded in the third person, which was probably a wise decision,” Cullen remarked.
Reflecting on the event, Cullen noted how the poem now carries deeper meaning. Her mother passed away, and she now cares for her 95-year-old father, who recently returned from the hospital. “Things come in cycles,” she said, adding that such moments remind her of life’s enduring beauty.
Cullen often returns to a quote by Audre Lorde, a late American poet and activist: “Poetry is not a luxury. It is a vital necessity of our existence.” She believes poetry offers essential positivity, especially during difficult times. “We need those positive messages,” she concluded.
