The Alternatives to Violence Project (AVP) has produced a poetry book, Pilgrim Verses, with all profits from sales going to the work of AVP.

Pilgrim Verses contains a collection of beautiful and simple poems about travels, religion, family and life by Padraic Murray, who is one of the AVP directors and who attends Monkstown Meeting. 

The poems are accompanied by calligraphies by Vincent Daniau.   

Padraic says, “I have had the pleasure of walking parts of the Camino de Santiago on four separate occasions between 2006 and 2013. It was a vivid reminder, if needed, that life indeed is a pilgrimage.

“For reasons of health and climate concern, I am now discovering the pilgrim paths of my native Ireland. The pilgrimages marked my journey from spiritual certainty to questioning. Many of these concerns are reflected in the verses, which for the most part were composed ‘on the spot’ with the help of a series of now defunct iPhones. The verses of varying quality were herded into a single document and with the help of family and friends we narrowed them down.”

The book costs €15 and can be ordered directly from Padraic by emailing padraicmartinmurray@gmail.com. 

The book will also be available for purchase at various Quaker Meetings and AVP events. 

Padraic is happy to visit Meetings around Ireland to share a couple of his poems and to talk about the work of AVP. Why not invite him?