LOSING A HOME (SHORT 2.)
1.
Watching wildfires all over the world
sparked this. Columbia Street was
a mixed area between the Shankill
and the Falls road. I built a kennel in
the backyard for the new pup.
A gang of boys from the holy cross,
my school put me against the wall asked
me to sing the sash, hatred was brewing.
Then a gang from the Shankill road
dragged me out into the alley asked me
to say the hail Mary, beat me I
didn’t know what they were talking about.
I was just a little confused English boy
who didn’t know the Irish way.
August came and never went for years.
I sit here upon this fence of humanity
I don’t want to remember 69’ but
This is all I've got, I cant
choose a memory,
Short term snippets that cant cling on
Is my no minds eye, these traumatic
Episodes are seared into my mind.
Why do I recall the bad times seems
Theres nothing else in here to flow.
Seems I’m stuck in a thirty-year war
Locked in with no way out, recalling
These emotions are my only way in.
To share with you these feelings, co-
Motion was on the street in August
69’, my brother and looked out of
The bedroom window, they waved
The flag of my birthplace but it
Wasn’t a union jack sean anyone.
It waved hatred, fenian bastards
Out they yelled pointing to our
Window. Dad shouted get away
From the windows, we stood in
Motionless silence then a loud,
Thud on the door.
Dad said to my mother you open it
They wont harm a woman. We looked
Down from the top of the stairs
At my mother opening the door.
We have children here, said mum
You’ve got eight hours to get out
Said the voice at the door, eight hours
Or we burn you out.
Mum wanted to tear the new wallpaper
off the walls. Dad called us down
to gather up what we need pjs,
bedding etc. There came another
thud on the door we froze to the spot
then came a voice Its father such
and such, why didn’t you answer
the door you coward to my
Mum said to dad who skulked away
to answer the door.
