Aine MacAodha

Endings

The teens have called time, on life
before it’s even begun.

Slavery of a sort hangs in the air
they starve themselves
in a time of fruition
convince themselves that
they’re too ugly to go out
trapped by their own demons
visual demons, who scrape
at their youthful bodies
drilling thin, thin, thin,
from the magazines on news stands
from the plasma screen
in their bedrooms,
they don’t believe in flaws
the odd spot, scar, ruddy skin
eye slightly bigger than the other
they have bought into perfection.

Captive also to drugs that alter their minds
for some, there’s no way back.

They’ve called time on life
before it’s even begun.
Copyright 2007 Red Pulp Underground
Red Pulp Underground


Often in times of deep meditation
walking through the Tyrone hills
I’ll stand at a fence and ease my eyes
out over the sperrin mountain range.
The fields so lush and full of fertility
the hum of agricultural goings on,
the views take me by surprise.

I think of the ‘starvation’ that swallowed
my ancestors, an image that stings the air still.
Spirits roam these hills covered in mass graves
or deep in lanes were they fell. Starved of food,
food, that was packed in ships bound for England
to feed the chosen few.
whilst the poor here, ordered to eat only potatoes!
died of structured starvation.

I can’t imagine what it’s like to go hungry
to be tortured by the power of  it
to watch your child fade and die.
See a race almost wiped out, a race who
tilled that same fertile land.
Who is culpable? What of the mass exodus
was there trickery involved?. Greedy land owners
offering ships bound for new lands
where, land, food and pay was promised.
Thousands died on the rough seas.

Others settled, always loving their spiritual home.
Who will acknowledge this crime
against the Irish nation, a nation who’s scars
are plain to see, even to the present day.
Healing will begin only, when we look
into the past, were shadows linger and questions
hang in the air. Dark Rosaleen still awaits an apology.


('Dark Rosaleen, refers to an Irish poem translated by
poet Clarence Mangan  during the famine years")


Rain takes on a silver sheen
thundering past the window
encouraging the worm to rise.

Already the blackbird furrows
with his yellow beak, knowing
what lies beneath.
I think of pre-historic societies
leaving their stamps on the land, in
Stone circles, Megalithic tombs,
Standing stones and raths,

I imagine they were signposts
pointing the safest way ahead
to the nearest village, gathering
points perhaps.

Their own creations dotted
about the landscape, I feel a
certain kinship with them, them
who came before.

The worm, I wonder what it’s
aura holds, what has it come upon
whilst pushing clay,
slipping into worlds unseen.

I wish the rain to cease
the blackbird to scarper
and the worm to live another day.