A Poetry Collection That Looks for Light in Difficult Times

In just 24 poems, Michael Quinn’s ESPWA travels widely: from the power of nature and the violence of Ireland’s past to contemporary politics, family, faith, and love. Across these subjects, Quinn returns to the kindness people offer one another and the hope they can find even in times of hardship.

The collection takes its name from espwa, the Creole word for “hope.” It shares that name with Project ESPWA, an Irish humanitarian charity whose work began in Haiti. Together, the poems and the project invite readers to consider what compassion can mean in practice.

Poetry That Moves Between Darkness and Hope

ESPWA acknowledges war, oppression, and loss while making space for song, joy, and connection. Quinn draws on subjects as varied as the 14th-century Persian poet Hafez and the lives of ordinary people, finding meaning in both the sweeping and the intimate.

These poems offer readers a collection grounded in humanity: attentive to suffering, yet open to the possibility of light.

Discover a Collection That Explores

• Nature and the human experience

• Ireland’s past and present-day politics

• War, oppression, and resilience

• Family, faith, love, and community

• Poetry, song, joy, and hope

Praise for ESPWA

“Michael Quinn’s ESPWA is a generous and wide-ranging collection.”

— Brian Evans-Jones, poet, former Poet Laureate of Hampshire, UK, and curator of The Poetry Place

About Project ESPWA

Founded in 2011, Project ESPWA is an Irish humanitarian charity that brings practical relief to communities affected by war, famine, natural disasters, and health emergencies. Its name is pronounced ess-puh-wah and means “hope” in Creole, reflecting the organization’s origins in Haiti.

The volunteer-led charity has expanded its work to support communities in Ukraine, Kenya, Uganda, Honduras, and the Dominican Republic. It purchases, packs, and transports shipping containers of donated supplies to people who need them.

About the Poet

Michael Quinn is the author of ESPWA, a collection of 24 poems exploring nature, history, politics, compassion, and hope.