Email Poem

Your IP Address: 3.147.13.233
Your Email Address:
To Email Address:
Subject
Personal Note:
Poem Title:
Poem
-
Terence a Griffiths of Tyrone or Leitrim!
Did he know but later of 1820 he would be there born
A Flax Grower a renter from landlords of Lord Leitrim's domain
To thresh and sack and cloth and sow by wife and all but slavery go 

A brother Bartholemew younger and two rented fields up
They toiled and cut their respective Dromahair tracks for family food and church 
Imagined home of limestone scraw and thatch and little more
To Him and Mary had children born but died and died but  - James a smile born at last

Year of 42 destined of birth and life much the same 
With toil and despair like all the rest of this peopled land
A famine near but river trout and oats and eggs kept going without the potato plant
Blyte and desperation spared on none but those ready those prepared 
Not prepared evicted on the lonely green lined road and board of works pittance

For those a fraction better or more a trip to port and bay to look across the sea 
Without a  family to meet or lodgings to lay
The night before a sorrowful wake of music and porter barrel there 
With food and tears and pennies off never to see no more 

Terence proud and sad James he sends America to go 
And send some money home to mother to lowly sons 
She creaks and breaks and steers the stomach 
Up and down the drains of hungers pains 
The deck to break of wave and sounds and New Amsterdam emerge 

Better lands and money sent home to purchase 20 Acres and 2 roods no more
Never to return is not true. A loyal James to Landlord downed and to family too
He roots and spreads and family bear and atained a generation there 
But cannot see to bear another ship for those he knows and hates the family split

A neighbour lined up at the poor house and green lane go. He can stand no more
And sacks the postman's bag with others and throws the notice to the ditch 
The brutal notice of postman's summons blocks arrests the rabble and gaols the mob
I saw the picture of Limerick gaol a bowler hat not there but pride 
Pride in a smile. -  James a smile born at last.
CAPTCHA Preview
Type the characters you see in the picture
Required