New Poem: Glen
Remembering Glen Hansard
“Glen Hansard” by Colin Davidson (born 1968)
These past few days have weighed heavy. The tragic news of Glen Hansard’s untimely death propelled me into a whirlwind of endless reels and sentimentally curated playlists and, in a way that I had not been anticipating, confronted me with my own ungrieved grief.
I did not know Glen Hansard. I never met him. I twice saw him perform and enchant audiences at London’s Royal Albert Hall and Union Chapel with his own unique blend of raw emotion and unrivalled skill. There was magic in the air. We were in the presence of greatness and a true master of their craft. He was spine–tinglingly good.
It appears that Glen Hansard’s goodness also stretched beyond music. I, like many others, have been deeply moved by the various tributes to Glen Hansard that have poured in from all over the world, including from the likes of Bruce Springsteen, Barack Obama, and Bono (to name but a few).
With my family’s permission, I wanted to share my own personal tribute to Glen Hansard. I wrote to Glen when my father was hospitalised and in the final days of his valiant battle against pneumonia and COVID-19.
You can imagine my surprise and joy when Glen sent me the following video:
My family and I will be forever grateful to Glen Hansard for his generosity towards us in one of our darkest moments. His video cheered us then and continues to cheer us now.
This unlikely memento is why the news of Glen’s death confronted me with my own ungrieved grief. I was transported straight back to my father’s dying days, straight back to the kindness shown to us by strangers, and straight back to the love and loss of my dad.
Today I am reminded that there is a dormancy in grief which is prone to being unwittingly awakened by the softest of songs.
Glen Hansard was a masterful crafter and performer of songs both svelte and powerful. His music continues to get straight to the heart of things by getting straight to the heart. I have included a couple of my personal favourites—“High Hope” and “Say It To Me Now”—below:
Following his death, the Dublin Simon Community acknowledged Glen Hansard’s unwavering support and pivotal efforts in the fight against homelessness with their own beautiful tribute:
“As we reflect on his passing, we remember not only the role he played in establishing the Christmas Eve Busk, but the lasting legacy of compassion and commitment that it created.”
I wonder whether the same will be said of us after we have died?
Will we be remembered as those who leave a lasting legacy of compassion?
There is only one Glen Hansard. Most of us will never get to wield anywhere near the amount of skill, influence and opportunities that Glen Hansard was so clearly blessed with. However, we can be those who work hard to leave our own legacy of compassion and this is how I will endeavour to remember Glen Hansard.
The following poem is a minuscule token of my own admiration and appreciation for Glen Hansard, his music, his life and his legacy.
May the God of all comfort draw close to Glen’s family and friends.
Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam.
Glen
Less narrow valley;
More enduring vale
Concealing depths
Considering
When or if to clear the throat
And give those rare birds flight.
Dublin’s darling
Bleeding melodies;
Intoxicating ears
With songs of good hope
Received and grieved
And gone too soon.
This glen has flowered
Well and truly;
Casting spells that pierce
With eyes of furnaced azure,
Gazing into my own depths
And singing me into tenderness.
Bewitched hearts fall slowly.
This poem was generated by the author’s human mind with zero AI / LLM involvement.
What do you think of this? I would love to hear from you! Feel free to leave a comment below:
Did you miss the previous poetic offering on Idle and Blessed Poetry? You can read “Scattered (A Blessing For The Skittish)” via the link below:
Matthew White is an Anglican priest, poet and songwriter based in West Sussex in the United Kingdom. His work has been published in The Way Back 2 Ourselves and Paddler Press. Matthew’s debut poetry collection, “Propelled Into Wonder,” which explores themes of beauty, faith, leadership, and loss, was published in September 2024 to wide acclaim. Matthew is married to Sarah and they have 3 children. You can connect with Matthew by visiting his website and joining the mailing list. You can also follow him on Instagram and can subscribe to “Idle and Blessed Poetry” on Substack to receive new and original poems from Matthew direct to your inbox each week.
One of your most beautiful and touching poems among many. May Glen hear your words and feel your heart and make beautiful music in heaven.