I have just made a soda bread today
It gives me so much pleasure
I must say
To be a co-creator in this world
Theology at work in flour and tray
It reminds me of my mammy
No need to say
The lovely cakes she made back in the day
Her recipe for soda carried on
In generations after she is gone
And to my mind an image comes to play
Of navvies and canals
The railway
All those men who slaved so hard
Digging out the earth every yard
Long since gone
We enjoy their way
My father digging coal
Beneath the earth
No one saw his effort or his worth
But faithful days spent underground
Long since gone no sight no sound
Paid for my existence from my birth
We are makers in this world
We have our job
We are actors on the stage
To earn a bob
We contribute to a common wealth
Help each one along
I’ll go and see to that soda bread
I know it won’t be long
Brian Fahy
7 September 2021
Erris Poetry 