More Irish...

I’m not sure if I’m ready to let go of the Irish influence and the celebration of Saint Patrick’s Day.

OK, I’m sure. I’m not ready to let go.

I had a great time with friends who are purebred Irish. His father came from Ireland and she is as pure Irish as name and history will attest.

We enjoyed a corn beef and cabbage dinner and ended up the day watching a PBS special about Ireland with some of the old Irish entertainers that I remember from my childhood. Pat O’Brian, Carmel Quinn, Crosby crooning Celtic melodies and so many more.

Western civilization is indebted to the Irish for saving literature and much of our recorded history and culture. If you haven’t read the book, “How The Irish Saved Civilization”, you should. Thomas Cahill wrote it.

I mentioned in my previous post that I spent some poetic time in Ireland. Here is another musing from that experience. This one is a sonnet.

Ireland of My Youth

© 2006 Rolland G. Smith

I came to find the Ireland of my youth

When songs of troubled tunes and ballads sad

Were sung by family friends who knew the truth

Of dispassion’s glance and famine’s long bad.

Some tunes were lively songs of memories old

And others brought a tear from thoughts within.

But each was sung with strength of heart and soul

As gathered guests recalled their origin.

Now here I am today on Patrick’s Isle

To see anew the Irish spirit bold

And still the songs are sung in Celtic style

With tenor’s pipes in singing rhythmic brogue.

The Ireland of my youth, I knew from song

But here, now aged, I know where I belong.