I have been playing detective
Searching family tree
My father’s side
The side that is little known
The reason well they are stateside
Chicago Illinois
Branched out from there
Four family stems
Four girls who landed there
Ellen and Bridget
Sarah and Honor
Fahey girls of Slinaunroe
Kilmaclasser Westport
Headed west never to return
Now with the power of Internet
I can chase them down
And say hello to cousins
Connection such a burn
So far I have found lawyers
Firemen and police
And US vets army men
Who fought in World War Two
A girl down in Florida
Real estate her game
A girl in Colorado
Construction firm her aim
Ellen became Devanie
Sarah became McCabe
Nora married a Richard Quinn
Bridget still to find
Three second cousins are in my line of fire
Michael J Devanie
Retired lawyer in Wisconsin
Carolyn Crane Boyich
In Colorado
Kerry Ann Luitgaarden
In Florida
It would be nice to make contact
And to learn about
My grandfather’s sisters
They came from a quiet and impoverished place
Yet beautiful
And they had to leave and find their lives elsewhere
I have found Ellen on a passenger list
Of ships into Boston Massachusetts
1903
To fill out their stories and rejoice in them
Would be a happy thing to do
I am happy chasing these girls
Brian Fahy
29 October 2021
Erris Poetry 