"... Agus Dáiríre is dóigh liom go Bhfuil rud éigin dlite dom mar dáiríre dheineas mo sheacht ndícheall sa Dá Chogadh ..."
by Áine Uí Fhoghlú
Dán spreagtha ag achomharc Annie Coyne, ball de Chumann na mBan chuig Bord na bPinsean Míleata tar éis gur diúltaíodh dá hiarratas arís is arís eile.
“… Agus Dáiríre is dóigh liom go Bhfuil rud éigin dlite dom
mar dáiríre dheineas mo sheacht ndícheall sa Dá Chogadh …”
rothaigh mé aistear fada trí mhórchuid baracáidí
dfhonn an teachtaireacht seo a thabhairt chugat
teastaíonn cóir leighis ó mo chréachta ní duine
mé a diarrfadh trua ná moladh caithfidh
go bhfeiceann tú san easpa béime ar an mé agam
nach dóigh liom gur laoch mé beag ná mór
thairis sin geallaim duit dá mbeadh mo rogha agam
gur túisce a thochlóinn uaimh ná gob pinn a thumadh
i ndúch a sceitheann ina bhraonta mar úscadh
fola trí bhindealán agus mar eolas don chomhad
codlaím go fóill sa leaba chéanna a thugas uaim
oícheanta seaca gur fhanas san airdeall agus innill
crossley ag teannadh linn níor mhór liom riamh
na hualaigh mharfacha a diompair mé na sciortaí
stractha ná mallbhruith na mbéilte agus fiú amháin
nuair a chnagadar an tír ina leath mar bhrosna
fé ghlúin dfhan mo chos i dtaca mar a fheicfidh
sibh más áil libh teacht agus na marcanna
ar mo dhoras a iniúchadh
Translation
A poem inspired by the petition of Cumann na mBan member, Annie Coyne to the Military Pensions Board having had her application refused on numerous occasions.
“… And Rely i think i should Be entiteld to some thing
as i rely did every thing i could do in Both Fights …”
i have cycled past many barricades to bring
you this dispatch my wounds need dressing
i was never one to ask for pity or praise
you must see in my diminished i’s that
i dont think of myself as any sort of hero
whats more i can tell you if i had a choice
id sooner dig a dump than dip a pen
in ink that blobs like seeping blood through
bandage and please note in your files
that i still sleep in the same bed i gave up
on frosty nights while keeping watch
for crossley engines snarling at our backs
i never begrudged the deadly loads i carried
the torn skirts or the slow cook of the meals
and even when they snapped our country
in half like a stick against their knees my heels
remained firm as youll see if youd care to come
and inspect the marks on my door
Curtha ar fáil le caoinchead an údair. Cumadh an dán seo i gceardlanna Chuimhní Fileata a reáchtáladh ag Lárleabharlann Phort Láirge i rith mhí na Samhna 2022. Bhí na ceardlanna faoi stiúir an scríbhneora David McLoghlin
Reproduced with kind permission of the author. This poem was composed in Poetry as Commemoration workshops held at Waterford Central Library in November 2022. The workshops were led by writer David McLoghlin.
