My poem in Enniscorthy Echo

Scalderverse •

Enniscorthy, Co. Wexford is currently celebrating the 1500th anniversary of its foundation in 510AD. As part of the anniversary celebrations, local newspaper the Enniscorthy Echo will feature a weekly poetry column, entitled Scalderverse.

 
I was delighted that my poem 'Heirlooms' has been picked for publication in the Enniscorthy Echo now celebrating it's 1500th anniversary.
My mother now deceased was Mary Sullivan and lived in a small row of houses at Vinegar Hill before moving to Wexford town and then North.  At a young age I read through her old Irish ballad books that she had collected; many began as poems which started stirring poetry in myself. This poem was inspired by a Willow patterned plate she recieved  from her mother I now have it and it sits pride of place, so it thrilled me no end to have this published in her home town newspaper.



Heirlooms


If willow patterned plates could talk

the stories they would hold

given from mother to mother

words ingrained on the soul.


It would carry tears of an uprising

from the home at Vinegar Hill

'Basket women' some called them

mopping their men's blood spill.


They too became fighting women

took all sorts to the men in the fields

hidden in wicker baskets

on the bars of their bicycle wheels.


It sits with friends in the hallway

the pattern now faded to grey

almost a century come Easter

with a life time of tales to convey.

http://pjnolan.blogspot.com/2010/06/enniscorthy-1500-scalderverse.html