| August 2016 |
The great famine conspiracyGabriel Rosenstock This poem, in Irish and English, is dedicated to Christopher and Mary Fogarty. The Irish-American Christopher Fogarty believes that there is a conspiracy about the so-called Great Famine and that the word “genocide” is more appropriate.He argues (in his words, based on meticulous research) that (1) “the land of Ireland was then ‘owned’ by landlords, nearly all English, in multi-thousand-acre estates; (2) that the output of Irish labour was usurped by those landlords, many of whom, as members of Britain’s Houses of Lords and Commons, had the clout to use the British army to seize for their exclusive benefit that Irish output and have it escorted at gunpoint to Ireland’s seaports for export, thus starving the people; and (3) that it took more than half of Britain’s then empire army to perpetrate that genocide, 67 regiments of its total of 130, and they were used only when the 12,900-man constabulary and 37,000-man militia met too much resistance.” |
To the Famine Dead(for Chris and Mary Fogarty)Stars look down but you cannot see their tears your eye sockets empty hunger has torn your vocal cords you cannot speak your mouths stuffed with earth that once again is fruitful stars look down on golden corn that never will be bright flour or bread on your table The berry on the holly is trembling— Redcoats hollering left right left right left right left thunder of livestock on its way to England Stars, look down until the sun is nothing but a black dwarf |
Do na Mairbh ó Aimsir an Ghorta(do Chris agus Mary Fogarty)Féachann na réaltaí anuas ach ní léir daoibhse a ndeora folamh bhur meallta súl réab an gorta bhur dtéada gutha níl sibh in ann labhairt bhur mbéal pulctha leis an gcré atá torthúil arís féachann na réaltaí anuas ar an ngrán órga nach meilfear go deo ina phlúr geal ná ina arán ar bord An chaor ar an gcuileann ar crith— clé deas clé deas clé deas clé na gCótaí Dearga trup na mbeithíoch ag imeacht go Sasana A réaltaí, féachaíg’ anuas go dtí nach mbeidh sa ghrian ach abhac dubh |
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