III
When I was a child, I learnt to count to five one, two, three, four, five. but these days, I’ve been counting lives, so I count
one life one life one life one life one life
because each time is the first time that that life has been taken.
Legitimate Target has sixteen letters and one long abominable space between two dehumanising words.
We are doing research into a person and have been told that this person is mentioned in Truce by Pádraig Ó Ruairc. If anyone has this book at home would you be able to look up something for us please.
Go raibh maith agat.
- Poems that compare the image of hand washing to that of praying
- Poems that use hand washing as a vehicle for a metaphor about he futility & comfort of the mundane
- Poems that comment on the pain of not touching mouths/cheeks
Shaking Hands
27ú lá Meitheamh, 2012
Because what’s the alternative?
Because of courage.
Because of loved ones lost.
Because no more.
Because it’s a small thing; shaking hands; it happens every day.
Because I heard of one man whose hands haven’t stopped shaking since a market day in Omagh.
Because it takes a second to say hate, but it takes longer, much longer, to be a great leader.
Much, much longer.
--
Because shared space without human touching doesn’t amount to much.
Because it’s easier to speak to your own than to hold the hand of someone whose side has been previously described, proscribed, denied.
Because it is tough.
Because it is tough.
Because it is meant to be tough, and this is the stuff of memory, the stuff of hope, the stuff of gesture, and meaning and leading.
Because it has taken so, so long.
Because it has taken land and money and languages and barrels and barrels of blood.
--
Because lives have been lost.
Because lives have been taken.
--
Because to be bereaved is to be troubled by grief.
Because more than two troubled peoples live here.
Because I know a woman whose hand hasn’t been shaken since she was a man.
Because shaking a hand is only a part of the start.
Because I know a woman whose touch calmed a man whose heart was breaking.
Because privilege is not to be taken lightly.
--
Because this just might be good.
Because who said that this would be easy?
Because some people love what you stand for, and for some, if you can, they can.
Because solidarity means a common hand.
Because a hand is only a hand; so hang onto it.
--
So join your much discussed hands.
We need this; for one small second.
So touch.
So lead.
EDIT: added line breaks (sorry)
I
When I was a child,
I learnt to lie.
When I was a child
my parents said that sometimes,
lives are protected
by an undetected
light lie of
deception
When I was a child,
I learnt to lie.
Now, I am more than twenty five
and I’m alive
because I’ve lied
and I am lying still.
Sometimes,
it’s the only way of living.
II
When I was a child
I learnt that I could stay alive
by obeying certain
rules:
let your anger cool before you
blossom bruises on your brother’s shoulder;
always show your manners at the table;
always keep the rules and never question;
never mention certain things to certain people;
never doubt the reasons behind
legitimate aggression;
if you compromise or humanise
you must still even out the score;
and never open up the door.
Never open up the door.
Never, never, never open up the blasted door.
When I was a child,
I learnt that I could stay alive
by obeying certain rules.
Never open up the door.
III
When I was a child,
I learnt to count to five
one, two, three, four, five.
but these days, I’ve been counting lives, so I count
one life
one life
one life
one life
one life
because each time
is the first time
that that life
has been taken.
Legitimate Target
has sixteen letters
and one
long
abominable
space
between
two
dehumanising
words.
ISBN: 9781855001855
Not technically a chapter, just an excerpt -- pp. 36-42, the poem "Dleaghair cunnradh do chomnall." If there's any explanatory material accompanying the translation, I'd appreciate that too!
