A Threatening Letter, 1842
By Emma Begley, 5th Year
The year was 1842,
The famous famine was coming,
I just didn’t know it yet.
My house was homely
But too small for my large family.
And my rent was due.
–
Black Anthony was the lethal landlord,
You can tell by his name he was no saint.
He lived in the town-land of Ballinamore,
Unfortunately so did I.
The man was hard-hearted and despicable,
The only thing he loved was money.
And I was unlucky enough
To owe him some.
–
I thought he might let me off For a while.
But pity was not in his vocabulary.
I bought the kids some corn,
Instead of paying him.
I felt it in my bones
It wouldn’t end well.
But little did I know
Not one of my darlings
Would be breathing
Five years later.
–
One week later
I received a threatening letter.
I was Australia bound
To a prison A.K.A. hell.
As I bade my wife goodbye, tearfully,
I swore I would return.
And after thirty years
Of back breaking labor,
Under a sun that tried to kill me,
I kept my promise.
But I’ll have to wait for Heaven to see her,
For I was thirty years too late.
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