Another Pause For A Poem
a mammy and her littlin
his mammy finds the joy to go out now
her peacock feather hat making its debut
bought for a fiver in Belfast Town in ‘79
the year the littlin went to sleep forever
when the troubles came under the door
a devastating thirst for bright crimson
his mammy’s crackly frame is impatient
her eyes on the new waterfront centre
peace and peace reflected in the glass
a Londonderry songbird smiling on a poster
promising time now for small pleasures
longer breaks in the northern showers
his mammy admires sheep on the road
ragged creations made of dark bronze
hurried along a path by a gentle old man
littlin would’ve adored these, she thinks
how lovely to see something so simple
nothing more than sheep on the road
his mammy spots a noisy armoured jeep
over near the high walls with rolling wire
a compound in which she waited for littlin
where no one could stop her shaking
it’s just a passing bread van though
nothing more sinister than sesame and rye
his mammy smells the tickets in her hands
two places right up below the mighty stage
coloured spotlights warming ashen faces
hearty lyrics exercising many a tired smile
she’s clapping and singing on her own
the cheer of a mammy and her littlin
Copyright, 2006. Shameless Words.
2 comments:
Are there more in your Irish bag? You seem to have quite a theme going on here. I came across a really good Irish lit/poetry site a while back I'll see if I can dig it out/up.
And whilst you're still blushing just like to say that I think the painting below is my favourite to date. There is something very intimate and knowing about it.
Thanks Minx, there are just the two for now, penned during my recent trip to Dublin and Belfast. I would love to get the address for the Irish poetry site. And I'm glad you like the painting ... it's also one of my favourites, which is why I regret selling it. Maybe one day it'll come back to me.
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