The Cailleach, the ancient goddess of Irish pagan tradition, is closely associated with nature and creation; with animals, plants and places of the wild. She particularly inhabits the world as the days shorten. The poems and images in 'Dancing in Puddles with the Cailleach' reflect my belief in the power of nature; reconnecting us to what really matters and to find ways of communicating and building peaceful ways of existing. I love the ancient pagan lands; their connection and closeness is palpable, even in the world of the twenty-first century. As I grow older and my own days shorten, I want to explore the creativity and freedom that can come with age; to relish the energy and lack of need to conform that comes with being an older woman; to understand the potency of the 'wise woman' which has been disregarded in our patriarchal society.