Legacy
Vestiges of ancient peoples
Druid and Christian
Chieftain and lord
Monk and friar
Settler and migrant
Farmer and merchant
And all classes between
Passing through the shadows of time
Leaving in our county`s heritage
A legacy of their presence
A treasury in so many forms
People and place
Land and sea
Culture and sport
Language and music
History and faith
Stone and ink
Tears and memory
DNA and the search for home
_____________________________________________________________________________
Stones
They moved from earth to new house
Changing from sheltering home to deserted ruin.
But still something remains.
Spirits and memories linger in their permanence.
Witnesses to laughter and tears
Joys and sorrows
Dignity in hardship
Preserving the essence of barely remembered lives
_____________________________________________________________________________
Suitcase Encounter
Hello my friend,
Before the final clearing out
Come and take a walk with me
Through memories and time.
I have been a
Loyal travelling companion,
Support in partings and returns,
Holding a life`s necessities.
But the end comes
And I am left, abandoned,
Custodian of a life`s treasures.
A poignant reminder
That life was but a moment.
That moment was one life.
Patricia Conway & Seamus Bermingham (2021) Mayo Genealogy Group.
_____________________________________________________________________________
Sliproad musings
A busy link between roads old and new,
A treat for motorists, cyclists, runners, walkers.
Their journeys enhanced by Nature`s bounty:
Yellow furze and lilac orchids.
—–
But its man-made decor
Also reveals the route from past to present.
From a time when
There was neither a place called ‘away’,
Nor much left to throw there
To the age of fast food and plastic,
Coffee cup and mask.
—–
Nature asks only for our respect
As she converts our waste land to a haven.
But our progress blinds us to her beauty,
While oblivious to our journey
We rush to our destination.
_____________________________________________________________________________
Soundfest
Endless mutations of birdsong thrilling in the evening calm,
Lowing of an anxious cow, her calf hidden by shady grass,
Bleating of a lost lamb, seeking a motherly recognition,
Buzzing of a now precious bee, savouring nectar filled pauses,
Whooshing of a balmy breeze, soothing skin and spirit.
——
Such riches of melody, loud and soft and softer still,
Some sounds too delicate for human ears –
Busy rustle of mouse and shrew,
Focused scurry of ant and beetle,
Gentle flutter of butterfly wing,
Aimless drop of stray leaf.
—–
And with closed eyes and the ear of memory another world is revived –
Echo of scythe stone and rumble of cartwheel,
Jangle of horse tackle punctuated by whoas and gee ups,
Rattle of farmyard buckets summoning hungry calves,
Cheery tune of homeward bound whistler, his turf clamped and dry,
Mournful cry of curlew, heralding a twilight mist.
—–
But with end of reverie and jolt of reality
A powerful monster of speed and progress
Traverses the meadow gobbling up grass and melody,
The driver’s ear muffs
Ensuring an arid journey through an oasis of sound.
No Comments
Add a comment about this page