Lucy Holme
LightNews LightNews
banner
lucyrebeccaholme.bsky.social
Lucy Holme
@lucyrebeccaholme.bsky.social
1.4K followers 690 following 39 posts
Writer | Work in The Stinging Fly, Banshee & more | Shortlisted | Brotherton Prize & Mairtín Crawford Award ‘24 |🥇Cúirt New Writing Award & Southword Editor’s Prize ‘24 | 𝕋𝕖𝕞𝕡𝕠𝕣𝕒𝕣𝕪 𝕊𝕥𝕒𝕤𝕚𝕤 & 𝔹𝕝𝕦𝕖 𝔻𝕚𝕒𝕘𝕠𝕟𝕒𝕝𝕤 | Broken Sleep Books
Posts Replies Media Videos
Reposted by Lucy Holme
carcanet.bsky.social
Lucy Holme,
S̶e̶a̶ ̶L̶i̶o̶n̶ Woman Comes o̶n̶ ̶L̶a̶n̶d̶, Swims in Pool and Steals Man's C̶h̶a̶i̶r̶ Lane Today a man watches me swim, waves—says, a couple of points, if I may—so I cock my head to one side and lift my goggles. He says I’m good but that my knees don’t lock, they bend instead. My arms must slice the water just so; my ankles should be doing the work. If I really want to be faster, I should make myself much lighter. In the water, I am like the sea lion I saw on the YouTube short, who climbs the steps to a hotel terrace, carved into a tiny cove, conquers the rocky staircase at top speed, frazzled from supine pirouettes, from chasing sardines all day long. He flips into the pool and glides the length in one graceful arc, soaking terracotta pots and tiles, supplants a tourist on his chair, moving spectacles and papers and sun lotion bottles out of his way. My new coach says I should crouch like a frog on the wall, leap forward underwater until I reach the end of the red buoys. He shakes his head, looks dismayed. I do not breathe correctly. If I can’t learn the correct technique, I’ll sink like a stone. I think of the joy of a swim when you long to clear your head, of the sea lion’s perfect bulk, the weightless ache of a Puglian resort, his strength as he ascends without using the steps. Just like him, my freckled blubber gleams under strip lights and tattered flags, steam blowing from my flaring nostrils as I swim, both eyes wide open. I could be a predator too. Chase jellyfish tissues and rays, tuck in my fore flippers and clap my thighs, heels up, toes down. Even though my body is turned away, I sense the man coming again to offer me some more of his expertise. But like the sea lion, I know best how to manoeuvre my sizeable body in water. My eyes glow red at night. With my third eyelid, I watch him take notes on my performance, while I disrupt the surface calm.
June 26, 2025 at 12:08 PM
lucyrebeccaholme.bsky.social
You too Wendy so glad to know you x
August 6, 2025 at 9:17 PM
lucyrebeccaholme.bsky.social
Thanks so much Jo!
April 2, 2025 at 10:56 AM
Reposted by Lucy Holme
jobratten.bsky.social
Some favourites - this spread with @lucyrebeccaholme.bsky.social and @katewakeling.bsky.social
March 30, 2025 at 8:08 AM
lucyrebeccaholme.bsky.social
Thanks Corinna x
February 15, 2025 at 10:34 PM
lucyrebeccaholme.bsky.social
Thanks Alex x
February 15, 2025 at 3:48 PM
lucyrebeccaholme.bsky.social
Difficult sometimes to know if I am considered an Irish poet or a UK one as I am originally from the UK but Ireland is my home 🤔
January 21, 2025 at 8:20 PM
lucyrebeccaholme.bsky.social
Okay thanks for explaining xx
January 21, 2025 at 8:18 PM
lucyrebeccaholme.bsky.social
Hi would love to be added if you have a chance or space for me! 🥹
January 20, 2025 at 7:29 PM
lucyrebeccaholme.bsky.social
Thank you so much x
January 15, 2025 at 10:47 AM