Hay Machine (e)
Great Grandfather’s Pig
- The Macdermots of Ballycloran (1843 – 1847)
- Anthony Trollope wrote in heart–beating detail
- the story of heroic Ireland’s last stand
- west of the Shannon
- up around Drumsna and Mohill
- where the natives sank so low in depravation
- the pigs were more thought–of than the peasants were
- anchored to life itself by the pig
- vessel of all hope
- banker
- The rint could not be paid
- but the pig was collateral
- if the crathure died you could seize the pig
- if the pig died that was that
- Low landlord talk then with agent
- loyal for now
- were you up at the fair yesterday
- I was for all the good
- was himself there
- he was
- did he sell
- he didn’t then
- My Great Grandfather had a pig
- in Castleknock
- and in the 1950’s
- the pigman still called once a week for slops
- I don’t know how my forefathers and foremothers
- survived the famine
- I only heard about the pig in the family
- yesterday
- and about County Leitrim
- as though it was yesterday
- and it’s far from pigs you and I were raised
- or was it
© Hay Machine (e)
The Web Poetry Corner. at www.dreamagic.com/poetry/, part of the Dream Machine Site – the Imagination of the World Wide Web. As of October 2006,the Web Poetry Corner features 5123 poets representing 103 countries who have submitted 43950 poems.
The Web Poetry Corner. at www.dreamagic.com/poetry/, part of the Dream Machine Site – the Imagination of the World Wide Web. As of October 2006,the Web Poetry Corner features 5123 poets representing 103 countries who have submitted 43950 poems.
Editor’s Note:
The Macdermots of Ballycloran, 1847, was the first novel by British author, Anthony Trollope (1815 – 1882).
Hay Machine (e) has also contributed to the Porkopolis Notebook. Be sure to read his essay on Hazel Lavery – Milwaukee Pigs and the Fight for Irish Freedom.