Migration
Eileen P. Kennedy
Tom Howard/Margaret Reid Poetry Contest 2015 (view all the winners)
Honorable Mention, Margaret Reid, Traditional Verse
a buffalo in the desert lost
in a stream of the herd
we meander dazed
always leaving a name behind
in the stream of the herd
we look for something new
always leaving a name behind
desperately seeking the American dream
we look for something new
holding onto hopes
desperately seeking the American dream
questing the destiny that is manifest
holding onto hopes
when asked for our name
questing the destiny that is manifest
we say the country of our ancestors
when asked for our name
there is beauty in remembering decay
we say the country of our ancestors
and become Kennedy Irish American
there is beauty in remembering decay
we long for the place we came from
and become Lopez Mexican American
as if the naming of the country could bring it back
we long for the place we came from
leaving those behind to suffer what we fled
as if the naming of the country could bring it back
our place never the fit we sought
leaving those behind to suffer what he fled
my father said I miss the Westmeath butter
our place never the fit we sought
the cow with onerous eye abandoned to wander
my father said I miss the Westmeath butter
not the Black and Tan prison of his nine-year incarceration
the cow with onerous eye abandoned to wander
the sister left to suffer what he fled
not the Black and Tan prison of his nine-year incarceration
nor the corn he was force-fed on a hunger strike
my father's sister offers me tea from a silver service
the sister left to suffer what my father fled
not the corn he was force-fed on a hunger strike
I eat ham, tea and migration anguish
the sister left to suffer what my father fled
handed down from her mother's mother
my father's sister offers me tea from a silver service
handed down from her mother's mother
I eat ham, tea and migration anguish
and procure a passport that says Irish citizen
handed down from my great grandmother
the diaspora sorrow of the Irish
a passport that says Irish citizen
my name entered in the book of foreign births
the diaspora sorrow of the Irish
taken out of Egypt
my name entered in the book of foreign births
bound by the burden of the British pharaoh
