Ciaran O’Driscoll Poetry

Ciaran O’Driscoll is an Irish poet and novelist. He currently lives in Limerick and has worked as a lecturer at the Limerick Institute of Technology. He has published nine books of poetry throughout his career. These include Moving On, Still There, and The Speaking Trees. The latter is his most recent publication.

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Please Hold

‘Please Hold’ by Ciaran O’Driscoll speaks to a general frustration about the automated nature of contemporary life and the horror of being “on hold.”

Ciaran O’Driscoll’s poem 'Please Hold' cleverly shows how frustrating it is to deal with machines instead of people. It uses humor, repetition, and a simple situation to show how disconnected modern life can feel. This poem stands out because of how relatable it is, especially for anyone who has felt powerless while dealing with automated systems. While he has written many poems, 'Please Hold' is one of his most memorable and frequently studied pieces.

This is the future, my wife says.

We are already there, and it’s the same

as the present. Your future, here, she says.

And I’m talking to a robot on the phone.

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