One hundred and five years have passed
Since my mother’s birth
And look at all that’s happened
Here upon the earth
A world war was waging
The time that she was born
A second one would come along
How the world was torn
Then Korea Vietnam
That bother in Iraq
Trouble in Afganistan
Twin Towers attack
You’d think we’d learn the lesson
Futility of war
But on we go a-fighting
Worse than it was before
Eleven years since my mother died
At the age of 94
Seventh child in her family
An eighth made up the score
Six girls two boys a quiet farm
Hidden in a glen
They all went out and made a life
Amidst the world of men
From timid times in Manchester
Domestic servant there
To Munitions at Metro-Vickers
And Irish dances dare
And a man who sore betrayed her
Married he deceived
A story I never heard from her
She must have been aggrieved
Meeting Michael Fahy
Days out Wilmslow way
Romance and happy loving times
All before D-Day
Married in mid April
Michael off next day
Down to Kent for Overlord
Ready for the fray
Eighteen months of fighting
Before life could resume
Strangers in a strange new world
Dublin honeymoon
Down to Erris meet the folk
Stay at Sarah’s place
What a change from Germany
And seeing Himmler’s face
Family life beginning
There I was conceived
Citizen of Glencullen side
That honour there received
Four children came to bless their days
And when my daddy dies
Mammy came home to Ireland
Where now her body lies
A friend of mine just yesterday
Being in Mayo
Came to visit mammy’s grave
To pray and say hello
And stood awhile in Aughval
Beside that western sea
To honour my mammy the birthday girl
God bless you ‘gra mo chroi’
Brian Fahy
5 September 2021
Erris Poetry 