b'IntroductionStories are individual and universalStories are pieces of meStories are the enduring capsules of our human experienceStories are the lives of our deepest mindsStories are the foundation of knowledgeStories are teardrops on a web of lifeStories are the one universalStories are an outlet of emotionStories are for sharing~Deep Routes Poetry Exchange participantsIt all started in 2020, when the writers in this anthology were broughttogether as part of the Edna OBrien Young Writers Bursary (organisedbytheMuseumofLiteratureIreland).Weimmediatelybonded,creatively and socially. When the idea of a poetry exchange formed inmy head I knew this was the group for it. During the exchange, basedon Narrative 4s story exchange, we were paired to share a personal storyfrom the past year. Then, instead of retelling our fellow writers story,we had a few days to connect with its essence and express it throughpoetry. All of the poems were generated in a creative burst following theexchange, and in a short space of time, staying true to the essence of thestory. Being loosely inspired by the past year in general, the themesexplored range from everyday monotony to freedom, from depressionto contrasting brightness, from memory to belonging and friendship,from money struggles to time slipping by. The exchange was a chance to both deepen the roots of ourstories and to take them in a completely new direction, giving them anew viewpoint and the freedom of poetry as a form of expression. Therole of the interpreter was to connect with something in the story and tochannel its interpretation. This brings to mind the role of the poetryreader. What is it that brings people back to certain poems again andagain,especiallyduringsuchchallengingtimesastheCovid19lockdowns? People connect with a poem. They recognise something init, a thought, a feeling, a landscape which mirrors their own. In this waypoetry acts as a reflection, however, it always includes something more,6'