homeland (1) - final version

[dedalus]

This land remains

so full of childhood memories,

its mansions and cobblestone lanes,

the sweeping grandeur

of its weeping decrepitude;

the barefoot children

roam outside rundown tenements

among the poor, who are really starving.

Here in this green and ample land,

adrift in anger and sad songs,

I sit below the murmuring weir

and turn my face from the inconsequence

of dessicated regal antecedents,

now just a joke, a name, a nothing at all.

What is this country, anyway,

but secretive bogs, ancient mountains,

sticky sod under grassy fields?

This is all we have ever been,

a far and improbable island,

prey to a dangerous neighbour.

I went out to the hazel wood,

Because a fire was in my head,

And cut and peeled a hazel wand,

And hooked a berry to a thread;

And when white moths were on the wing,

And moth-like stars were flickering out,

I dropped the berry in a stream

And caught a little silver trout.

The songs of the children

are no longer innocent.

All of our royal kings,

Niall of the Nine Hostages,

Brian Ború, Ruari O Connor,

and all of the glad mixed glories

of the aristocratic Celtic Age

are dead and gone: our leaders fled,

else buried like dogs. The Sassenach

sailed in and spread themselves.

 

[Larsen M. Callirhoe]

Thank you for the brief history lesson Brendan. I really liked the rhythm, cadence, and feel of this. Well said. You really have a knack for these type of poems and poetry. Enjoyed.

 

victor

[dcmarti1]

and the poor really starving

in this, our green and ample land,

adrift in anger and sad songs.

 

Pretty powerful statements! But I really enjoyed:

 

sausage-eating Germans

 

Ha. I guess Windsor is more "appropriate" than their former last name of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. :)

[dansalinger]

^{very nice ...I recently attended a convention in my hometown and things had changed so much...it was rather bittersweet....anyway enjoyed the read...dan}