An old man has died in Erris
He was 91
Pap Coyle his name
I think I might have met him once
A long time ago
I knew his sister, Mamie Coyle
In London long ago
Knew his nephew Steven
And in the notices today
I see Mamie is still alive
Thank God for Mid West Radio
The community of the West
He lived beyond Geesala
Muingdoran is the place
Wide open place beside the sea
The views go on forever
Belmullet to the north of you
Achill to the south
And way out west America
The emigrants’ request
Out there the folk are scattered wide
Homesteads here and there
And blanket bog and mountainside
And damp Mayo air
But everybody knows you
And when you come to die
They send heart-warming messages
Some would make you cry
While over here in crowded towns
We live piled up together
And nobody knows just who you are
Whatever be the weather
We are mithered by the media
Anonymous private lives
But in the West they know you well
Beneath those Mayo skies
Brian Fahy
29 January 2022
Erris Poetry 