{"id":16476,"date":"2023-05-06T06:39:07","date_gmt":"2023-05-06T01:39:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/arcpoetry.ca\/?p=16476"},"modified":"2023-12-19T02:01:13","modified_gmt":"2023-12-18T21:01:13","slug":"nine-months-at-34-by-lianne-ohara","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/arcpoetry.ca\/editorials\/nine-months-at-34-by-lianne-ohara\/","title":{"rendered":"Nine Months, at 34"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-cover aligncenter is-light\" style=\"margin-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--80);margin-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--80);padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--80);padding-right:0;padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--80);padding-left:0\"><span aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-cover__background has-pure-white-background-color has-background-dim-40 has-background-dim\"><\/span><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1164\" height=\"465\" class=\"wp-block-cover__image-background wp-image-16843\" alt=\"All of the poets shortlisted for Poem of the Year Contest in 2023 (9), in a row; everyone except Lianne O\u2019Hara is behind a white veil so that image pops out. Lianne O\u2019Hara looks back over her shoulder, wearing a dark coat and her brown hair up in a top-of-the-head bun; she smirks, standing beside a brick wall with vines growing on it.\" src=\"https:\/\/arcpoetry.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/lianne-ohara-poty-2023-header-big.jpg\" style=\"object-position:100% 51%\" data-object-fit=\"cover\" data-object-position=\"100% 51%\" srcset=\"https:\/\/arcpoetry.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/lianne-ohara-poty-2023-header-big.jpg 1164w, https:\/\/arcpoetry.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/lianne-ohara-poty-2023-header-big-768x307.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1164px) 100vw, 1164px\" \/><div class=\"wp-block-cover__inner-container is-layout-flow wp-block-cover-is-layout-flow\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignwide is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20);padding-right:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20);padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20);padding-left:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20)\">\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-pure-black-color has-text-color has-medium-font-size\"><strong><strong>Lianne O\u2019Hara<\/strong> reads \u201cNine Months, at 34\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-audio aligncenter\"><audio controls src=\"https:\/\/arcpoetry.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/nine-months-at-34-lianne-ohara.mp3\"><\/audio><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading has-extra-large-font-size\" style=\"margin-top:0;margin-right:0;margin-bottom:0;margin-left:0;text-transform:none\">Nine Months, at 34<\/h1>\n\n\n\n<pre class=\"wp-block-verse\">Flat on my back in a field: the ewes are fat with lamb. A March hare flips and leaps;\ntumbles over itself with precision. I hold my stomach with both hands, don\u2019t push\naway the farm dog when it licks my face. I am stupid with glee. When I return\n\nto the city, the shops explode with glitter. Under the pink, there is a promise:\nbulky women wobbling in the aisles; prams blocking the footpath, milk, milk,\nmilk. I count the trolleys holding life: mouse-eared onesies in leopard print, knitted \n\nsocks the size of plums, purple with anticipation. The fat women are everywhere.\nIn summer, I empty the bathroom bin into my pockets and carry out another test:\nif she floats, then she is not. Clear water breaks against my fingers; I am left empty-\n\nhanded. Cut-up turnips bare their teeth in well-kept gardens, laugh at the tiny feet \nof witches and nurses and ghosts. At night, I cover my ears and weep. In November, \na plastic snake is pushed inside. I watch my womb on a screen.<em> I had hoped for more,<\/em>\n\nsomeone says. <em>A little on the low side.<\/em> I am a blanket of translucent goo: the curtain\nis a paper towel. My legs are still \/ above my head\n<\/pre>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group bio-group is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--50)\"><figure class=\"aligncenter bio-group wp-block-post-featured-image\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1164\" height=\"465\" src=\"https:\/\/arcpoetry.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/lianne-ohara-poty-2023-header-big.jpg\" class=\"attachment-post-thumbnail size-post-thumbnail wp-post-image\" alt=\"All of the poets shortlisted for Poem of the Year Contest in 2023 (9), in a row; everyone except Lianne O\u2019Hara is behind a white veil so that image pops out. Lianne O\u2019Hara looks back over her shoulder, wearing a dark coat and her brown hair up in a top-of-the-head bun; she smirks, standing beside a brick wall with vines growing on it.\" style=\"object-fit:cover;\" srcset=\"https:\/\/arcpoetry.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/lianne-ohara-poty-2023-header-big.jpg 1164w, https:\/\/arcpoetry.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/lianne-ohara-poty-2023-header-big-768x307.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1164px) 100vw, 1164px\" loading=\"eager\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n<p><strong>Glennys Egan on \u201cNine Months, at 34\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"margin-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--80)\">I&#8217;m moved by Lianne O&#8217;Hara&#8217;s poem, which captures something so many people know all too well but rarely speak openly about. She takes us along on a private journey with the speaker of the poem: the hope and excitement, the disappointment and despair. It is something so personal that is taking place (literally) inside of her, but is also somehow everywhere she looks. Finally, she ends in a position (literally) of utter vulnerability\u2014and all we can do is hope for her, too.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignfull bio-group has-smoke-background-color has-background is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"padding-top:2rem;padding-bottom:2rem\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" style=\"text-decoration:underline\">Bios<\/h2>\n\n\n            <div class=\"wp-block-media-text bio is-stacked-on-mobile is-vertically-aligned-bottom is-image-fill\" style=\"grid-template-columns:33% auto\"> \r\n                <figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\" style=\"background-image:url(https:\/\/arcpoetry.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/lianne-ohara.jpg);background-position:50% 50%\">\r\n                    <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/arcpoetry.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/lianne-ohara.jpg\" alt=\"Lianne O\u2019Hara looks back over her shoulder, wearing a dark coat and her brown hair up in a top-of-the-head bun; she smirks, standing beside a brick wall with vines growing on it.\" \/>\r\n                <\/figure>\r\n                <div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\r\n                    <h3 class=\"author-bio-link\"><a href=\"https:\/\/arcpoetry.ca\/editorials\/creator\/lianne-ohara\/\">Lianne O\u2019Hara<\/a><\/h3>\r\n                    <p><strong>Lianne O\u2019Hara<\/strong> is a poet and playwright. Her work is published in <em>The London Magazine<\/em>, <em>Banshee<\/em>, <em>Poetry Ireland Review<\/em>, <em>Abridged<\/em>, <em>Queering the Green: Post-2000 Queer Irish Poetry<\/em>, and elsewhere. Her play <em>Fluff<\/em> sold out a six-show run at the 2022 Dublin Fringe Festival. She lives in Ireland. [update provided in 2023]<\/p>\r\n                <\/div>\r\n            <\/div>\r\n          <\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Nine Months, at 34 Flat on my back in a field: the ewes are fat with lamb. A March hare flips and leaps; tumbles over itself with precision. I hold my stomach with both hands, don\u2019t push away the farm dog when it licks my face. I am stupid with glee. When I return to [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":16843,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"3285","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"16394,16691,17284,16965","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[3285],"tags":[],"genre":[150],"publisher":[],"issue":[147],"poet-in-residence":[],"series":[],"topic":[],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/arcpoetry.ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16476"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/arcpoetry.ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/arcpoetry.ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arcpoetry.ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arcpoetry.ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16476"}],"version-history":[{"count":19,"href":"https:\/\/arcpoetry.ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16476\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":17529,"href":"https:\/\/arcpoetry.ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16476\/revisions\/17529"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arcpoetry.ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/16843"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/arcpoetry.ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16476"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arcpoetry.ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16476"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arcpoetry.ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16476"},{"taxonomy":"genre","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arcpoetry.ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/genre?post=16476"},{"taxonomy":"publisher","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arcpoetry.ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/publisher?post=16476"},{"taxonomy":"issue","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arcpoetry.ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/issue?post=16476"},{"taxonomy":"poet-in-residence","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arcpoetry.ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/poet-in-residence?post=16476"},{"taxonomy":"series","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arcpoetry.ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/series?post=16476"},{"taxonomy":"topic","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arcpoetry.ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/topic?post=16476"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}