“Nun “As Gaeilge”

A poem about learning the Irish Language, this is written in English with some Irish words as I remember them.

 

Nun “As Gaeilge”

Repeat said the Nun, An bhfuil cead agam

again she spat, with venom in the air,

forty little voices afraid, struck numb,

the beauty of the mother tongue sang with despair,

 

Mother of God she wailed towards the light,

are yis Irish at all, do you hear what I say,

the knot in my stomach both hunger and fright,

a language of beauty a torment every day,

 

word after word, rhyme upon rhyme,

liom, leat, leis, leithi, linn, libh and leo,

monotonous and rhythmic time after time,

praying it was right so she’d let us go,

 

I’m 40 years older, well to a year or so,

and my Irish is still in that class,

the nun for all her guster and bustle and go,

was talking our Irish right out of her ass.

 

Adrian McKenna is a frontline child care professional; he has worked for many years with young people and adults in residential care, detention services, mental health services and post-adoption services. He currently works with a large Dublin-based charity. He is a Member of The Irish Association of Social Care Workers, Social Justice Ireland and the YES Campaign for Children.

All views expressed are entirely my own unless otherwise stated and are not representative of any organisation or employer past , present or future.

“My Grandfather”

 

In Memory of My Grandfather James McKenna:

Standing alone at the end of the street,
imposing and fine and solid and strong,
never failing the wanderer or all who may meet,
It’s door always open, for they come along,

The fire always spitting and warmth in the grate,
the yellows the reds, oranges, dance in the room,
how many lives, loves,deaths,marriages have met their fate,
all the memories my grandads’ house could consume,

Now that I’m older i long to be there,
on the end of his bed as his stories unfold,
a man, his life lived, never a care,
to him we’re just children no faults, never bold,

Its strange now he’s gone, to be in his place,
it’s like a human reflection, without a real face,
but the walls are awash of a man so kind,
that lives,loves forever deep in my mind.

Adrian McKenna is a frontline child care professional; he has worked for many years with young people and adults in residential care, detention services, mental health services and post-adoption services. He currently works with a large Dublin-based charity. He is a Member of The Irish Association of Social Care Workers, Social Justice Ireland and the YES Campaign for Children.

All views expressed are entirely my own unless otherwise stated and are not representative of any organisation or employer past , present or future.