SplashHall Paparazzo Champagne Shoes Catches theMerlin Slipping Out FromThe Mist

SplashHall Paparazzo Champagne Shoes, catches theMerlin slipping out from the mist. Caputring a special treat for SplashHallers this week: an exclusive interview with Liam O'Brainnen, aka theMerlin. Liam captivated me with his subtle charm and enchanting wit.


c_s: What brought you to the Halls of Splash back in 2002?
Merlin: First – Allow me to thank you for asking for this interview. I cannot fathom
that any would be interested in an olde fool’s rambling thoughts. I am honoured Bowing deeply. What brought me to the Halls of Splash back in 2002? Sooooo long ago. The memory of How I came this way is lost in the Mists. The Family drew me. And
here I stand. No regrets. Only valued memories of good friends met.

c_s: Has the climate of this place changed dramatically since then?
Merlin: As any Family grows, its needs, and interpersonal relationships evolve. While some are olde and matured (as RG, or is that Just old and wrinkled?), new talents appear to add vigor to the stage. The sense of the close knit few has grown into the vision of a panoply of talents. To watch them grow and develop is a pleasure in itself. And still, the sense of Family holds true. This is a wise and compassionate Family. No war mongering, no petty courtesans flitting about. One can always count on RESPECT and DIGNITY to fill the air of our hallowed hall.

c_s: Do you scrutinize all the forums carefully?
Merlin: Carefully, yes. Every day, no. I search where the Mists lead me. One day I may review every forum. Most days, I look to the Poetry and Prose, Gothic, Haiku, and Ax forums. These tend to draw me most. I also look at them by author and follow what deems interesting. A surfer, I suppose.

c_s: Is haiku writing for you the same as taking a daily constitutional?
Merlin: Definitely. Right after my second Padron. Once prepared, I find the most difficult thoughts come forward in haiku. Sometimes even find them harder to create than a lengthy poem, as the string forces the thought. I do find the
company especial and refreshing, giving to a generally free ease of writing there. The camaraderie makes the haiku.

c_s: Why is your poetry often times so dark?
Merlin: Tha mi an buchaill en Eire, a cailin. Where I walk, I ask no other to follow. What pains my soul must somehow escape. Poetry is the ladder to the light. The depths of one’s soul are broached only by allowing the flood gates to open wide. What appears, one must deal with, and reconcile, to move forward. I feel a kinship to H. P. Lovecraft, to Poe, to Shelley, to Ann Radcliffe, to Isak Dinesen, et al. Essentially, the story to be told, is mine.

c_s: Which writers have tattooed your literary imagination?
Merlin: The gifted writers listed above, of course. Stephen King has shown something of a skill for it. William Beckford is another. James Joyce. And, beyond all reckoning, William Congreve. Seamus Heaney is also in that crowd somewhere.
Albeit I cannot lay blame on any of them for the red dragon on the field of green that adorns my…well. Nm.

c_s: What advice would you give to earnest young writers?
Merlin: Listen to your heart. Write with the passion that comes to you. Do not try to sound like others. Seek out that which makes you feel validated in your wiriting.

c_s: Have you have tried your pen at prose?
Merlin: Yes. When a thought comes to me lasting more than sixty seconds, it usually becomes prose.

c_s: Do you confess to having a mischievous sense of humour?
Merlin: ME? Mischievous? Tha mi anDroiachta, a muirnan. Would any dare call me humorous? Tsk-Tsk. Laughter is the secret to immortality.

c_s: Are you perturbed by the sight of American spelling?
Merlin: Not perturbed, more disconsolate, that the art of language has been allowed to sink so low on the socio-cultural ladder as to be non existent.

c_s: Is there a link where we could visit to hear you speak your poetry?
Merlin: Not at present. Will work on another. News at elevenish.

c_s: Other than WordFaery, do you have any favourite SplashHall poets?
Merlin: The Fey One, by far. In addition, Rg. mLady Sunny. Mssr. Sartor is a genius. Allen – though he never listens to me. LaPoetessa. So many others. To not name, does not exclude. Every one who becomes part of our Family has proven to be a ‘favourite’ in mine eyes.

c_s: Would you like to take this opportunity to say something to Rg?
Merlin: He knows the bond we share. Olde guys never fade away. We just get arthritis. And thank you, a cara. For giving this olde fool a Home, and a Family to belong to. No greater gift, you know.

c_s: theMerlin, what is your philosophy regarding being a productive and happy citizen at the Halls of Splash?
Merlin: Look for the THOUGHT in other writers’ work. Less attention to whether it is a ‘style’, or correct form, or holds to structurally integrity. Some of the most profound work fit no mold, no structure, no style. To build fences, one corrals
creativity. She is a wild horse, if nothing else. And lastly, RESPECT each other. For, in the end, we are all equal. The Goddess and the Great Stag see to it.

c_s: I thank you, Our Merlin for your endearing humility and gentle wisdom. This interview as been a particular delight for me.

Come on by SplashHall Poetry Forums and visit with SplashHall Poet theMerlin. Be aware, Paparazzo Champagne Shoes will be waiting in the mist for you.